Angela Costa Simoes

Angela Costa Simões is the founder of Riso Books and the award-winning author of bilingual English-Portuguese children's books that help families celebrate the Portuguese language, culture, and heritage. A third-generation Portuguese American from California, Angela grew up deeply involved in the Portuguese community and was inspired to create books after discovering how difficult it was to find engaging bilingual resources for her own daughter.

Today, she has authored a growing collection of children's books that introduce young readers to Portuguese traditions, history, legends, family values, and everyday vocabulary through beautifully illustrated stories. Her books are designed for children, parents, grandparents, educators, and heritage language learners, making Portuguese accessible for families whether they are fluent speakers or just beginning their language journey.

Angela is passionate about preserving Portuguese culture for future generations and believes that stories are one of the most powerful ways to strengthen cultural identity, family connections, and a lifelong love of language. Through Riso Books, she also supports schools, libraries, and community organizations by providing bilingual educational resources and encouraging more children to embrace their Portuguese roots with pride.

When she isn't writing, Angela works in strategic communications and public relations and continues to advocate for Portuguese language education throughout the global Portuguese diaspora. She is already planning many more books—and new educational resources—to help families around the world learn, celebrate, and preserve the Portuguese language together.