Leslie Stall Widener is an author and illustrator who is passionate about drawing, painting, and writing stories for children. The first picture book she illustrated, Chukfi Rabbit’s Big, Bad Bellyache, is a Choctaw trickster tale about a very naughty rabbit. Animals are always her number-one favorite subject to illustrate.
Leslie enjoys reading and writing about historical people, places, and events. She finds that researching one subject often takes her in unexpected directions, giving her new ideas for stories.
The writing and illustrating of Toypurina: Woman Warrior was like a treasure hunt, with many dead ends and redirects before Leslie found what she needed to tell this story.
During Toypurina’s lifetime, the information about her was recorded by padres at San Gabriel Mission or by Spanish officials. There is only one previously published book about her, Toypurina: The Joan of Arc of California, written and published by the Kizh Nation in 2013. The story is told from the point of view of their Kizh ancestors. The authors wanted to correct the misinformation that has been written about the life of Toypurina and to see her recognized as an important figure in the history of the Indigenous people of this country. The Kizh Nation/Gabrielẽno Band of Mission Indians continues to seek their own tribal recognition by California and the United States. Leslie would especially like to thank Timothy Poyorena-Miguel of the Kizh Gabrieleño Band of Mission Indians.
Leslie lives in McKinney, Texas, with her artist husband, Terry Widener. She serves as the Native Fund Chair for We Need Diverse Books (diversebooks.org) and belongs to the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. She is a member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma and a registered Choctaw artist. Find her at www.lesliestallwidener.com.
