Shonto Begay was born in a hogan near Shonto, Arizona, the fifth of sixteen children born to a Navajo medicine man.  He studied fine arts in New Mexico and California, and his work has appeared in more than thirty exhibitions, with many of his paintings now part of permanent collections.  Mr. Begay has written and illustrated two books, Navajo: Voices and Visions Across the Mesa and Ma' II and Cousin Horned Toad, and  illustrated several others, including Lois Duncan's The Magic of the Spider Woman. A committed speaker on Navajo culture, Begay has been interviewed on radio, television, and in a film documentary.  He currently lives in Kayenta, Arizona, with his wife, Cruz, and their four children.

Shonto Begay was a featured panel speaker at the Virginia Hamilton Conference in 1995.

     More about Shonto Begay

     Return to the Authors and Illustrators Page