Joe Hayes is one of America's premier storytellers-a nationally recognized teller of tales from the Hispanic, Native American and Anglo cultures. His bilingual Spanish-English tellings have earned him a distinctive place among America's storytellers.

In 2005, Joe received the Talking Leaves Literary Award from the National Storytelling Network, an award given to members of the storytelling community who have made considerable, serious and influential contributions to the literature of storytelling. Joe has taught storytelling to teachers at the University of New Mexico and been a guest lecturer at many colleges and universities, delivering the commencement address for the Graduate School of Library and Information Science at U.C.L.A. He was designated a New Mexico Eminent Scholar by the New Mexico Commission on Higher Education. In 1995 he received the New Mexico Governor's Award for Excellence.

Joe began sharing his stories in print in 1982. His books and tapes of Southwestern stories are popular nationwide. Joe's books have received many awards including the Arizona Young Readers Award, two Land of Enchantment Children's Book Awards, and an Aesop Accolade Award. Joe's books have also been on the Texas Bluebonnet Award Master List three times; Ghost Fever won the Texas Bluebonnet Award for 2006-2007. His collection of Cuban folk tales, Dance, Nana, Dance, received the Aesop Award in 2009 from the Children's Folklore Section of the American Folklore Society.