Sonia Manzano attends the Sesame Workshop's 50th Anniversary Benefit Gala at Cipriani Wall Street on May 29, 2019 in New York City. Theo Wargo/Getty Images In 1971, Sonia Manzano was in her early 20s.

Molina Shah and Aidée Manzano, fourth-year students at the UNC Adams School of Dentistry, had always dreamed about writing a children's book. In early 2024, they decided to make that dream a reality.