News

Look what arrived in the mail this week! Due out this Autumn, BEAR HELPS THE FOREST(MAYBE YOU DO TOO) grew out of my passion for nature.  The joy I take in the change of seasons and the secrets the forests hold. My advance copy of "Bear" arrived just as I walk in the forest and examine tree buds and wait for tleaves to burst forth "all green, green, green."  Just like Bear. Like Bear I have always loved playing in Autumn leaves.  Even now! But when bear wakes from her long winter snooze [...]

Jessica Betancourt-Perez and I are excited to announce that A Thousand White Butterflies will be out this year.  The official on-sale date is 9/12/2023.   As an immigrant child, I never imagined that a picture book, reflecting part of my earliest, most bittersweet memories in a foreign country would get published 15 years later. Jessica with her Grandmother My grandmother, Maria Luisa Cruz had a vision for her family and she worked very hard to bring her family, 2 daughters and three granddaughters to live in the United States. I am one of those three [...]

When I was in the Peace Corps in Malawi, Africa, I lived under a dictatorship.  The news magazines we received like Newsweek had adds for woman's stockings blacked out because woman in Malawi were not allowed to show their legs and it was illegal to wear pants outside of the home. There was a long list  of banned books too.  The titles included The Green Revolution.  This was a book about gardening.  Banned because the title included the word revolution. You see where I am going with this... Last week I received an email from [...]

A joyous celebration of reading, books and authors! So many amazing books!(keep me away from that bookstore!) So many talented authors!  I met this guy Brian Young.  Check him out here. https://www.harpercollins.com/blogs/authors/brian-youn Brian is originally from the Navajo Reservation in Arizona.  We had many connections and much to share.   I can't wait to read his book Healer of the Water Monster.  Sharon Flake, our own Pittsburgh author.  I bought one of her books.  She bought one of mine.  Check her out here :https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/sharon-g-flake. Although we can't claim her to be from Pittsburgh [...]

Over the last year I have written 12 books for the Osmo Reading Adventure and now I can finally announce they are published and ready for readers. The stories range from 100 to 2000 words.  Here are a  few titles. It's been an exciting adventure.  I hope that readers will have as much fun reading as I did writing these books! See more about Osmo Reading Adventures here: https://www.playosmo.com/en/reading-adventure/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=&utm_content=&gclid=CjwKCAjws--ZBhAXEiwAv-RNL8NJV6M_2yNp6aR1HstlSqGW-HHHLl1jKOfrzQdFtWYUFCLpMAOauRoCRJMQAvD_BwE Begin the adventure!

This little book receives another award!  Many thanks to Khadra Mohammed and Julia Cairns for making this book and this award possible.  A 2022 distinguished favorite Multicultural  and Picture Book categories. One little book.  One big story.