Viva Cuba/Focus On

Cuba and the United States are only 90 miles away but for over 50 years have been apart. Teachers and students are discussing our changing relationship in their classrooms. Thanks to School Library Journal for posting a list of useful books and for including Drum Dream Girl written by Cuban born Margarita Engle on that list. Check it out at School Library Journal.

¿Cachai? Chile

¿Cachai? is a popular expression that means do you catch or do your know? I just returned from an amazing trip to Chile, invited by Nido de Aguilas to speak to kids about making books. Wanted to share some memories and thank the many new friends I made along the way.

Connecting with new Librarian friends at Nido de Aguilas, Chile

Visiting Villalobos studio with Antonia López and Nevenka Pavic in Valparaiso, Chile

Peeling Textures

Museo Violeta Parra

Valparaiso

Liguria, one of the oldest and coolest restaurants in downtown Santiago

Read to Achieve

Kids discover Maybe Something Beautiful at Otis Elementary School 

Boston Celtic's Player Marcus Smart reading with kids

Thanks to Boston Celtics players for inspiring the next generation as part of Read to Achieve. Check out this short video of the event and appreciate Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for donating books to this worthwhile program.

Coming Soon! A new book Maybe Something Beautiful and a new mural

Vertical Spread from MAYBE SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL

On Tuesday April 12 Maybe Something Beautiful hits the shelves. It combines the talents of F. Isabel Campoy and Theresa Howell and tells the story of Mira who together with a muralist and the community bring color and joy to her gray city. You can follow the action on facebook as murals inspired this book which has inspired an upcoming mural.

Looking forward to creating a new mural with children and families in Barrio Logan, San Diego on April 30, 2016. Details on the way.

Beginnings and Endings

On Sunday I leave for Santiago, Chile and really look forward to discovering a new part of the planet and connecting with children there about books and murals. Over dinner, our son, Santiago asked what I am most looking forward to. I told him the beginning as there is much to explore and the ending as I get to tell him all about my adventure.

As a children's book illustrator I spend a great deal of time thinking about beginnings and endings. 

Endpapers for MAYBE SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL due out on April 12, 2016.

Maybe Something Beautiful tells the story of a young girl and muralist who transform a gray neighborhood bringing their community together using art. The story is based on my own work creating the Urban Art Trail in the East Village of San Diego. I wanted to begin with actual buildings in the neighborhood and developed a technique that blended original photographs of local facades that morph into colorful endpapers. To finish the story the main character Mira’s painted bird can be seen flying up in the sky.

Endpapers for BOOK FIESTA! 2010

Book Fiesta! celebrates Children’s Day/Book Day and so the day begins and ends with a good book.

Endpapers are the start and finish line of a book. Vintage endpapers display an array of fascinating patterns that include marbled paper, geometric shapes and whimsical patterns. When I get a book deal I plead with the publisher to give me the chance to do a bit of extra storytelling to young readers as they open and close a book. If I can't convince them on the first round I will create sketches and even full paintings to plead my case. Many of my favorite endpaper designs never made it to print but I keep them in a flat file and open that drawer from time to time. The images on endpapers get closer to personal paintings. As there is no text you it can be a place to express your own visual take on a story.

You can find plenty of unique and beautiful vintage and contemporary endpapers online at places like Pinterest from innovative illustrators.

Search Pinterest and get inspired by amazing vintage and contemporary endpapers

Patterns, textures, compelling imagery…what a way to start and end the day.

Sneak Peek: Behind the Scenes of Creating Art for Maybe Something Beautiful

Thanks to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Young Readers for their recent post about the process of creating art for Maybe Something Beautiful.

In this exuberant picture book about transformation through art, Mira live in a gray urban community until a muralist arrives and, along with his paints and brushes, brings color, joy and hope to the neighborhood. Based on the true story of the Urban Art Trail in San Diego, California, Maybe Something Beautiful reveals how art can inspire transformation-and how even the smallest artists can accomplish something big. Pick up a paintbrush and join the celebration!

Available wherever books are sold on April 12, 2016!

Tips from Literary Agents representing Latino authors

2016  was an incredible year for diverse books. I'm often contacted by aspiring Latino writers and illustrators and wanted to share these tips from five leading Literary Agents that might be useful.