Antonio Holguin's new children’s book aims to educate and inspire young eco-warriors.
Sustainability is a crucial topic, but it’s not always easy to translate complex environmental challenges into something digestible for younger audiences. Antonio Holguin has taken on that challenge with his upcoming children's book, The Adventures of the Arroyo Amigos.
The book, set in Antonio’s hometown of El Paso, follows a group of four kids—one of whom is inspired by Antonio’s younger brother, who is on the autism spectrum—as they embark on five adventures, each focused on a key sustainability theme. From climate health and pollution to circularity and human health, the Arroyo Amigos learn firsthand about the impact of environmental issues and how to take action.
“Being in the sustainability space, I kept thinking, How do we bring these conversations to kids in a way that sticks?” Antonio explained. “With my mom being a fourth-grade teacher for 20 years and my background in special education, I saw an opportunity to connect my skills with a real need.”
The book’s five stories align with the five impact areas of mindful MATERIALS’ Common Materials Framework (CMF) which made the storytelling both meaningful and educational. The CMF is an industry-aligned structure developed to simplify the evaluation of building materials based on sustainability and health criteria. It organizes material impacts into five key categories—Climate Health, Human Health, Ecosystem Health, Circularity, and Social Equity—helping manufacturers, designers, and specifiers make informed, responsible choices. The Arroyo Amigos’ adventures range from visiting a local news station to learn about adapting to climate change to tackling illegal dumping on a school field trip. Through these experiences, the young characters develop an understanding of how materials, pollution, and sustainability affect their lives and communities.
Meet Antonio
Antonio is Material Bank’s National Market Director—A&D and has worked in the architecture and design industry for over fifteen years, using his roles in various organizations to shape and define sustainability in the built environment. As a founder of the Texas Materials Initiative, Antonio has promoted action through the community. He has helped educate the industry on sustainable principles and how to integrate them into practice.
Born and raised in El Paso, Texas, Antonio was inspired by the beautiful landscape of his upbringing and drew from the rich cultures of both sides of the border through his career and in this book. Taking what he’s learned as a leader in sustainability, this work reflects his admiration for his younger brother, a desire to prepare the future generation to care for the environment and inspire action for all who read this book.
A Family Effort
Antonio didn’t embark on this journey alone. His younger sister, Stefany Medrano, an English major and aspiring writer, illustrated the book, making the project a full-fledged family affair. Their mother also played a key role, offering guidance based on her years in the classroom.
But the heart of the book is Antonio’s younger brother, who, despite being nonverbal, is a huge inspiration for the lead character. “This project allowed us to give my brother a voice,” Antonio said. “It’s been really special seeing his personality come through in this character.”
“This project allowed us to give my brother a voice,” Antonio said. “It’s been really special seeing his personality come through in this character.”
From Idea to Reality
Bringing The Adventures of the Arroyo Amigos to life has been a learning process. With the help of a friend in the comic book industry, Antonio navigated self-publishing, Kickstarter campaigns, and all the behind-the-scenes work that goes into launching a book.
The book will be available for pre-order in February, with a Kickstarter campaign running the entire month. Printing will begin in March, with an official launch in April—just in time for Earth Week.
Now, Antonio is focused on getting The Adventures of the Arroyo Amigos into as many hands as possible. He hopes to do local launch events, connect with schools and libraries, and spark important conversations about sustainability with young readers.
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