Author & Illustrators

Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara Books

Maria Isabel Sánchez Vegara, born in Barcelona, Spain, is a writer and creative director in constant search of new concepts for children’s books. Working for more than fifteen years for clients in top advertising agencies, her books combine creativity with learning, aiming to establish a new and fresh relationship between children and pop culture.

Rafa Nadal (Little People, Big Dreams)

Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara & Rocio Ledesma

Non-fiction

From the critically acclaimed, multimillion-copy bestselling Little People, BIG DREAMS series, discover the incredible life of tennis star Rafa Nadal.

Little Rafa was born in Majorca, Spain. Encouraged by his two uncles, he loved playing football and tennis, but found that he particularly excelled at tennis.

At only fifteen years old, he became a professional! Soon, he was ranked as one of the best on the court, and at age twenty-two, he was proclaimed the number one tennis player in the whole world.

Since then, Rafa has won many trophies, including twenty-two Grand Slams. His self-confidence, perseverance and determination are the keys to his success. Today, he is considered one of the best tennis players in history.

Billie Jean King (Little People, Big Dreams)

Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara & Miranda Sofroniou

Non-fiction

In this book from the critically acclaimed, multimillion-copy bestselling Little People, BIG DREAMS series, discover the inspiring life of Billie Jean King, the tennis star who has dedicated her life to breaking barriers both on and off the tennis court.

Billie Jean began playing tennis at the age of 11. After one of her first tennis lessons, she told her mother, “I’m going to be No. 1 in the world,” a title she would come to hold five times between 1966 and 1972. Twenty years later, she is still today considered one of the most successful women in sport history. This moving book features stylish and quirky illustrations and extra facts at the back, including a biographical timeline with historical photos and a detailed profile of the amazing sportswoman’s life.

Taylor Swift (Little People, Big Dreams)

Borghild Fallberg & Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara

Non-fiction, Picturebook

Learn about the glittering story of Taylor Swift! The talented singer-songwriter who dreamt of sharing her talent with the world.

The perfect gift for every Swiftie in your life, young and old, this powerful book features captivating illustrations and extra facts at the back, including a biographical timeline with photos of the star and a detailed profile of her life.

Little Taylor grew up on her family’s Christmas tree farm in Pennsylvania. Her life changed at six years old when she attended her first concert. Dancing and singing in the crowd as country musician LeAnn Rimes performed, Taylor fell in love with country music. Some of the kids at school didn’t understand, but Taylor managed to shake it off.

She took her first steps towards stardom by recording a demo of cover songs and sending it to record labels in Nashville, the home of country music. Yet while she enjoyed singing others’ songs, she knew all too well that she needed to express herself in her own words. When she began writing her own lyrics and melodies, her talent for putting feelings into words shone through.

After signing with a record label, she started working on her first album: Taylor Swift. It became very popular, very quickly. Soon, she had earned a number one single on the country music charts.

Next, she released her second album, a country-pop record named Fearless, it was a hit, and suddenly everyone knew her name. She won a Grammy and started to write more pop music for her albums – all the while keeping storytelling at the centre of her work. Several albums and sell-out world tours followed. Despite the obstacles in her way, Taylor has always stood up for what she believes in and always believed in herself!

Simone Biles (Little People, Big Dreams)

Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara & Nadia Fisher

Non-fiction

In this book from the multimillion-copy bestselling Little People, BIG DREAMS series, discover the story of Simone Biles, one of the most decorated gymnasts of all time.

Growing up in foster care, Simone’s gymnastics training was an anchor in her life. She first tried out the sport after visiting her local gym on a school trip. Coaches spotted her natural talent and, after years of hard work, she began winning world championships and Olympic gold medals. Widely cited as the greatest gymnast of all time, Simone is also an advocate for mental health awareness, having famously put her health before her sport by withdrawing from the 2020 Olympic finals. This picture book tells her heroic story in a way that inspires young children to follow their dreams while taking care of themselves.

Wilma Rudolph (Little People, Big Dreams)

Amelia Flower & Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara

Non-fiction

In this book from the critically acclaimed, multimillion-copy bestselling Little People, BIG DREAMS series, discover the life of Wilma Rudolph, the remarkable sprinter and Olympic champion.

Wilma was born into a family with 22 brothers and sisters, in the segregated South. She contracted polio in her early years and her doctors said she would never walk again. But Wilma persisted with treatment, and she recovered her strength by the age of 12. At school, Wilma showed a talent for basketball and sprinting, earning the nickname ‘Skeeter’ (mosquito) as she ran so fast. Wilma was in college when she went to the 1960 Olympics. She not only won gold in sprint events, but also broke world records with her sprinting skill. She had beaten polio to become an Olympic champion. She is a huge inspiration to many women in sports around the world. This moving book features stylish and quirky illustrations and extra facts at the back, including a biographical timeline with historical photos and a detailed profile of the athlete’s life.

Mahatma Gandhi (Little People, Big Dreams)

Albert Arrayas & Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara

Non-fiction

In this book from the critically acclaimed, multimillion-copy bestselling Little People, BIG DREAMS series, discover the life of Mohandas Gandhi, the father of India.

As a young teenager in India, Gandhi led a rebellious life and went against his parents’ values. But as a young man, he started to form beliefs of his own that harked back to the Hindu principles of his childhood. Gandhi began to dream of unity for all peoples and religions. Inspired by this idea, he led peaceful protests to free India from British rule and unite the country – ending violence and unfair treatment. His bravery and free-thinking made him one of the most iconic people of peace in the world, known as Mahatma, meaning ‘great soul’. This moving book features stylish and quirky illustrations and extra facts at the back, including a biographical timeline with historical photos and a detailed profile of the activist’s life.

Little People, BIG DREAMS is a bestselling biography series for kids that explores the lives of outstanding people, from designers and artists to scientists and activists. All of them achieved incredible things, yet each began life as a child with a dream.

This empowering series of books offers inspiring messages to children of all ages, in a range of formats. The board books are told in simple sentences, perfect for reading aloud to babies and toddlers. The hardback and paperback versions present expanded stories for beginning readers. With rewritten text for older children, the treasuries each bring together a multitude of dreamers in a single volume. You can also collect a selection of the books by theme in boxed gift sets. Activity books and a journal provide even more ways to make the lives of these role models accessible to children.

Inspire the next generation of outstanding people who will change the world with Little People, BIG DREAMS!

Louis Pasteur (Little People, Big Dreams)

Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara & Shelly Laslo

Non-fiction

From the critically acclaimed, multimillion-copy bestselling Little People, BIG DREAMS series, discover the life of Louis Pasteur, the French chemist and the father of modern medicine.

Little Louis was born in France during a time when doctors were still trying to figure out what made people sick. During his teen years, he discovered a love for science and became famous for figuring out how to kill off damaging microbes. Through his curiosity and creativity (and lots of trial and error), his research led to the development of vaccinations, a vital tool in today’s world.

This inspiring book features stylish and quirky illustrations and extra facts at the back, including a biographical timeline with historical photos and a detailed profile of the iconic chemist’s life.

Nikola Tesla (Little People, Big Dreams)

Alexander Mostov & Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara

Non-fiction

From the critically acclaimed, multimillion-copy bestselling Little People, BIG DREAMS series, discover the life of Nikola Tesla, the scientist and inventor whose groundbreaking inventions we continue to use today.

Since he was a young boy growing up in the Austrian Empire, Nikola was fascinated by science and numbers. His teachers knew he had a brilliant mind, but Nikola’s irregular routines and fondness for playing cards meant that he was kicked out of school before he could finish his exams. However, after working for a spell at the Budapest Telephone Exchange, where he made several clever innovations to their electrical systems, he managed to get a job with Edison Machine Works in New York, U.S.A.

In the United States, Tesla’s inquisitive nature and ingenious mind spurred him on to keep exploring electricity, and he came up with several groundbreaking inventions during this time, including breakthroughs in alternating current and wireless remote controls. By the end of his life, the brilliant inventor had more than 300 patents for original and unique inventions, and had advanced scientific thought by a generation.

Stephen Hawking (Little People, Big Dreams)

Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara & Matt Hunt

Non-fiction

In this book from the critically acclaimed, multimillion-copy bestselling Little People, BIG DREAMS series, discover the life of Stephen Hawking, the genius physicist and author.

When Stephen Hawking was a little boy, he used to stare up at the stars and wonder about the universe. Although he was never top of the class, his curiosity took him to the best universities in England: Oxford and Cambridge. It also led him to make one of the biggest scientific discoveries of the 20th century: Hawking radiation. This moving book features stylish and quirky illustrations and extra facts at the back, including a biographical timeline with historical photos and a detailed profile of the brilliant physicist’s life.

Andy Warhol (Little People, Big Dreams)

Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara & Timothy Hunt

Non-fiction

In this book from the critically acclaimed, multimillion-copy bestselling Little People, BIG DREAMS series, discover the life of Andy Warhol, the ground-breaking pop artist.

Little Andy was the tiniest and palest child of the Warholas, a humble couple from Slovakia who lived in Pittsburgh. Sketchbook glued to his hand, he loved every minute of drawing, but he was too shy to show his work to others, even to his family!

As an adult he got a chance to publish his first illustration for a glamorous magazine. He turned his attention to the ordinary, like soup cans he ate from for lunch every day. He showed the world that the ordinary objects could POP, and founded a cultural movement, becoming one of the most famous artists of the 20th Century. This moving book features stylish and quirky illustrations and extra facts at the back, including a biographical timeline with historical photos and a detailed profile of the inspiring artist’s life.

Best Books by Age

Popular Children's Authors

Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara Books

Author James Davis on Humour, Accessibility and Lifelong Reading

Go All In for the National Year of Reading 2026: The Ultimate Primary School Booklist

News: BooksForTopics Founder Alison Leach Named in 2026 #iAlso100 List

Subscribe to our newsletter

Your Review