Rebecca Thatcher Murcia graduated from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst with a double major in journalism and Social Thought and Political Economy. She has written many books for children, including Shakira, Ronaldinho, David Beckham, and Meet Our New Student from Colombia for Mitchell Lane Publishers. Her husband, Saul Murcia, grew up in Colombia. After he died of cancer in 2005, Rebecca and her two sons, Gabriel and Mario, and their dog, Crystal, moved to La Mesa, a small town in Colombia. Gabriel and Mario enrolled in school in La Mesa, and also played for the town’s soccer and tennis teams. During their vacation, they explored Colombia’s Caribbean coast, snorkeling in Las Islas Rosarios and playing in the waves in Cartagena.