Did I ever tell you that my picture book, Lupita’s Papalote (kite) came about because of a poem I had written a while back? A past memory of when my father and I flew our first kite together came to me one day. I started reminiscing about the emotion I felt at that time. As I’ve mentioned in some interviews, it wasn’t so much the thrill of making the kite out of comics because we couldn’t afford a store-bought one, but the experience was one of love. I remember being terrified of being swept up into the sky by the pulling force of the flying kite. I was only about six and skinny as a rail. My father must have sensed my anxiety. He placed his big hand on my shoulder. Never said a word. The fear seemed to have oozed out of me. I will never forget that feeling of being safe. The poem was mostly for me. Then one day I decided to expand it. What if I made a story out of it? What if the girl in the story actually did get swept up into the sky? What if … what if… You see, when your imagination soars, it can take you to new places. Who knew? That poem eventually became a story, then a book. Do you have a childhood experience you might want to write about? We all have a treasure of memories. Find yours.

"Search through your childhood memories and rediscover what it felt like to live in the world of a child; the joys, the fears, and the dreams." -- Audrey Wood