Torries, Mariah: - Mariah Torries is a Maryland native, and always had a passion for writing and believes it is a great form of self-expression. She is an MBA honors graduate from the University of Maryland. Being a mother of two kids, Mariah understands the importance of reading at a young age as it ignites children's creativity, language skills, cognitive, and intellectual development. With the use of her bilingual children's books Mariah expresses the significance of early childhood exposure to multiple languages. Her writings inspire young readers on topics of diversity and cultural awareness. Growing up in an Afro-Caribbean Latin background and raising multicultural kids inspired Mariah to write bilingual and diversity-based children's books.