A Death in the Family: Francisco X Alarcón

longing and authenticity

1/17/16 Francisco X. Alarcón let go of his body January 15. His passing is moving me very much. I am finishing drawings on our latest book together. A book of days. I look at spending the next few months very intimately sitting with Francisco as the arte unfolds. I am …

It’s time to involve kids in the talk about diversity in children’s books

While giving them the tools to take action!

Matthew and I are finally coming to terms with the fact that we LOVE to make fun, smart, creative materials for kids with a holistic, social justice frame. It’s just who we are together. It’s awesome. We have the best conversations about everything (like the Interrupting Chupacabra!) and we see …

WE NEED EVERYONE’S VOICE TO BE A WHOLE PEOPLE

the revolution is always now--self publish!

Matthew and I opened Reflection Press at the end of 2009. We had NO IDEA what we were doing. We had heard tale and had seen a few things around the edges and then BOOM! we were doing it! We published Claiming Face and Gender Now in 2010. When we …

Knock Knock Who’s There? Interrupting Chupacabra!

Social Justice, Critical Thinking, Social and Emotional Learning Wrapped in a JOKE!

Saturday I am speaking at the Bay area SCBWI Oktoberfest. One of my talks is titled, Get Radical! Why Radical Thinkers Are Needed in the Children’s Book World. Apparently my reputation precedes me because I didn’t come up with the title. I simply and happily slid into place upon arrival. …

Claiming Face with Dick and Jane

Write Now! Make Books Installment 3 and 4

when i look back at the books of my childhood, in my imagination, i see myself looking back. my strong proud forehead alive with thought. my clear eyes open wide to see. i am here! this is my face. i am hear! this is my face. this is where my story …

NEEDED TODAY: 94% Increase in Latino Children’s Books

How Do We INTERRUPT SILENCE like that?

I estimate that if Latino and African American communities were to create an equitable number of children’s books as Euro Americans, Latinos must create another 890 books and African Americans must create another 600 books—per year. That’s a 94% increase for Latinos and 88% increase for African Americans. ALL communities …

The Simultaneous Release of Whaleheart and WRITE NOW! MAKE BOOKS

I am pleased to officially introduce WHALEHEART, the first anthology in The Heart of It Collection, and Reflection Press’ first full color children’s book! Whaleheart grew out of my desire to begin creating change right now. After nearly 20 years of sharing the CCBC’s annual diversity statistics of who does …

Falling, Fire and Fierce Creativity

The Release of Whaleheart and News of the Next Season at our School plus NEW BOOKS from the Community!

The Falling. It’s that delicious time of year when there’s a detectable shift in the seasons. I can feel the changing, the Falling, as everything around me shimmers through yet another of our eternal cycles. I’ve been craving this shift, longing for it. Today after a hot spell, the skies …

the story of Whaleheart

(....or how a wild idea became reality!)

I’ll never forget it. In February of last year I had this wild idea that I thought just might work…. It was at that critical mass moment right before the diversity conversation exploded in the children’s book world with assistance from the #WeNeedDiverseBooks campaign later that summer. Many of us …

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