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Our Story

Dream Jar Publishing was founded in 2025 by children’s book author-illustrator Angela Quezada Padron. As a life-time fan of The Wizard of Oz, Angela has always dreamed beyond the rainbow. Then one day she felt inspired, like Elphaba in Wicked, to “defy gravity,” filled with a passion to publish stories that encourage readers to let their imaginations run free and believe what’s possible. That no matter what obstacle stands in their way, they too can pursue their dreams and succeed.

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Dream Jar’s name originates from one of Angela’s favorite books, The BFG by Roald Dahl. In the story, the BFG, or Big Friendly Giant, travels to Dream Country to catch good dreams called “phizzwizards” in jars, then delivers them to children at night to ensure they sleep happily. A “golden phizzwizard” is the best one of all! In our “dream jars,” we capture stories full of wonder, hope, and magic, then release them with the goal of enticing readers to expand their imagination and dream big! 

 

Our Mission

Dream Jar Publishing creates children’s books that encourage self-expression, promote perseverance and resilience, and empower young readers to believe what’s possible.
Our books capture readers’ imagination to dream big, to evolve from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset, and to transform their thinking from “what if I could…” to “I know I can!” 

 

Our Vision 

Commitment to Quality: 

• We ensure our books go through a rigorous and exceptional process of selection, developmental and line editing, art directing, design, and production using various professionals with years of direct industry experience. 

• When we are interested in acquiring a story, we meet with each potential author and illustrator to make sure the partnership and vision for the story align, then foster an environment of mutual respect and collaboration to produce the best book possible. 

• Our printed books are crafted with high-quality materials using environmentally sustainable practices whenever possible so our readers can trust they are receiving the best value for their purchase while considering the impact on the environment.  

 

Commitment to Diversity:

• We seek to incorporate a wide range of diverse topics and characters in our stories that reflect the world in which we live and highlight different voices and perspectives. 

• Readers can not only learn about and empathize with each other but also see themselves and their lived experiences represented in our stories. 
   

Commitment to Community:

• We believe in partnering with and lifting up others to create strong connections in local and global communities. We curate our acquisitions to ensure our books are also aligned with this philosophy.

• We partner with Title I schools and nonprofits that promote literacy initiatives to provide all children access to and the opportunity to read authentic, engaging, high-quality literature. 

• We promote stories with characters encouraging each other to succeed and to build respect and understanding for one another.

• We don’t shy away from addressing global issues, such as climate change and advocacy, that affect our readers’ lives now and empower them to take action to shape their future.