What Keeps Me Strong in These Days – Checking IN and Blessings OUT

Children's Books as a Personal Practice

These days, these days, these days. Everything changing. So much discomfort. Everywhere hope and courage. So much waking up as the children take to the streets speaking truth OUT loud. So much more waiting in the wings. These days, I close much of my correspondence with “take good care through …

COMING OUT for our Kids in the Children’s Book Industry

Making Books that Center LGBTQ Kids

A Book That Shows How Creativity Can Keep You Strong When You’re Courageously Being Yourself The Boy Who Drew Dresses/the Very True Tale of a Perfectly Gay Little Boy will be published by Reflection Press in 2017 This is a story about my friend Paul Gallo. Today he is a …

Calling OUT Indie-QUEER!

Changing Voice in the Children's Book Industry

Two Books that Honor Mexican Heritage AND LGBTQ Experience Death In the Family and When We Love Someone We Sing to Them will be published in 2017 by Reflection Press. Written and illustrated by me, Death In the Family is not a Dia de los Muertos book with cultural references and …

If the Publishing World Were to Change Tomorrow, I’d Still Self-Publish

What if the children’s book industry changed tomorrow? And the number of books that actually reflect our communities was equitable with those of straight Euro Americans? What if I began getting calls that offered real advances and publicity for books with larger publishing houses? What if for some reason, after …

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 …

GENDER FREE PICTURE BOOKS

why they're so important for our children to have!

Our culture has a powerful trend toward the boy-girl gender binary and conformity comes into play from a child’s earliest possible moment. By being gender free, Call Me Tree provides for some a much needed break from the constant boy-girl assumptions and requirements. It can also provide a moment to …

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