City of Weslaco recognizes the valuable contributions Mr. Rey A. Banda has made to Weslaco. He is a Weslaco resident, special education teacher at B. Garza Middle School, as well as an accomplished author.

He published "Bean Saves the Day," which tells the story of Bean-- a special needs cat who is afraid of thunderstorms yet overcomes this fear when he finds himself in danger during a storm. Mayor and City Commission recognize Mr. Banda for his passion of educating and writing for the purpose of inspiring children and adults alike to conquer their fears and overcome obstacles.

“Bean Saves the Day” has won multiple literary awards including, the Distinguished Favorite award in the animals-pets category at the New York City Big Book Award 2021, the annual Best Book Award from the American Book Fest for the categories of Animals/Pets: General and Children’s Picture Book: Softcover Fiction in 2021, the Latino Book Bronze award for Most Inspirational Children’s Picture Book in 2021, the International Press Award, the Purple Dragon Book award and most recently-- second place at the 2023 Spring BookFest Awards in the Fiction-Children’s-Animal category; among others.

by Maggie Perez, City of Weslaco