GENRE: *Character Driven, SEL, Lyrical
WORDS: 410
Query:
Dear judges, editors and agents,
As an author-illustrator I’m sharing with you TO PACK A LIFE IN A SUITCASE, my 410-word picture book.
When the time to pack has finally come, a child realizes that what matters most to him cannot be folded and tucked into the corners of his suitcase. Not the bicycle races, not the afternoons at Grandma’s, not even the shape of each snowflake on that day there was no school. All of it will stay behind as he leaves for a world he does not yet know, where bikes never race and snow never falls. Or so he has been told. Through soft, detailed illustrations, the story follows his emotional journey to an unfamiliar place, where he will discover something about what his suitcase is truly carrying inside.
TO PACK A LIFE IN A SUITCASE is a lyrical, SEL, character-driven story about migration, belonging, memories, and what we carry with us. It shares the nostalgic lyricism of Do You Remember by Sydney Smith (Neal Porter, 2023) and the themes of moving and hope of Ten Beautiful Things by Molly Beth Griffin and Maribel Lechuga (Charlesbridge, 2021).
When I was young, I moved across the world with my family, from Spain to Argentina, where I still live. While learning how to live between what was left behind and what was yet to come, I discovered illustration and began my career. I studied Fine Arts (UNA) and Animation (IDAC), expanding my love for storytelling across different media. Along the way, I continued studying illustration and narrative in different workshops. This year, I will attend a postgraduate diploma in Picture Books at the National University of Arts.
I work professionally as a freelance illustrator for publishers and clients worldwide. I have illustrated 13 picture books and worked on diverse projects ranging from licensed illustration to visual development. I am a member of SCBWI and my national illustrators’ association. I also participate in APIM (Society of Professional Illustrators) in Spain when I return to my hometown. When I’m not doing client work, I craft my own stories, paint my own worlds, and get lost inside stories created by others.
I have a complete dummy for the story I’m submitting, as well as other additional dummies available upon request. I’m also open to illustrating stories written by other authors.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Excerpt:
It was time to pack his suitcase,
He wrote a never-ending list,
so nothing would be forgotten,
with his eight pairs of socks, three sweaters,
his favorite t-shirt and his new swim trunks
(because there was a river there, or so he had been told).
Sock after sock, the suitcase filled up.
No space left. Not the tiniest gap between the clothes.
But still,
so many things to pack.
What inspired you to write this story & what do you have in common with it:
This story is inspired by my own experience as an immigrant. When my family moved overseas, I left behind everything that made up my world: adventures with my friends, afternoons at my grandma’s, and the future I had imagined.
Adapting took time, but when the longing softened and started to heal, I discovered my love for illustration and built new memories. Slowly, Buenos Aires became my new home, until this day.
I created this story for those going through a similar journey, and for anyone who wants to understand what it truly means To Pack a Life in a Suitcase.
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