'Grandes Dreamers' children's book celebrates Latina trailblazers in the United States

"Grandes Dreamers" is a children's book celebrating the lives of extraordinary Latinas in the United States.

Author Argelia Atilano got inspiration for the book when her daughter had a school project to write about an iconic woman. She saw the list and felt a feeling of sadness.

"None of them were Latina and that broke my heart," says Atilano.

So she decided children need to know the stories of inspirational women that are changing the world.

"It's super important for our young girls and young boys to see that you can be anything you want to be and it goes beyond being a superstar," she said.

That's why, in addition to celebrities such as Jennifer Lopez and Rita Moreno, there are hidden figures, women such as engineer Sylvia Acevedo and Ellen Ochoa, the first Latina astronaut for NASA.

"Ellen Ochoa. It's beautiful that our daughters know about Sally Ride, we want them to know that story, but they also need to know that Ellen Ochoa was the first Mexican American to go in space," said Atilano.

The illustrations are bright and bold to mirror the boldness of the stories being told. Artist Anna Alvarado says she wanted to show the young girls dreaming of their futures in the book's illustrations.

"Being able to take the reader into that dream, into kind of memory lane... remember when you were younger and you actually had these big dreams and what was that like," says Alvarado.

The book is both in English and Spanish. The idea is to embrace their bicultural heritage.

"I want them to believe in themselves, to use their voice that they have and to rise above, because you know what, the world needs more of them," Atilano.