GENRE: **Diverse, SEL, Lyrical
WORDS: 655
Query:
Dear Judges, Agents, and Editors
My mother’s love is sweet like the sun-colored mangoes on our tree.
A resilient young Puerto Rican girl struggles with the loss of her beloved Mamá. Thanks to her grandmother’s gift, a journal, she begins to heal by channeling her sadness into poetry.
EVERYWHERE AROUND ME (655 words, K-3) is an uplifting intergenerational story, weaving together the threads of love, grief, and the power of words to heal the deepest wounds. It finds its companions in DREAMERS by Yuyi Morales and THE MEMORY BOX by Joanna Rowland.
In 2020, I experienced the loss of my beloved Mamá after a brave battle with cancer. This heartbreaking period became one of the most challenging times for both my family and me. Although the grief still runs deep, we have found solace in the enduring ways in which her spirit and love endures. Through this story, I hope to offer comfort to children experiencing loss, echoing Dr. Alan Wolfelt’s wisdom, “Anyone old enough to love is old enough to grieve.”
My debut picture book, THE TREE OF HOPE, was published by Beaming Books in 2022 and earned a coveted STAR from the School Library Journal. Additionally, it was one of Bank Street College of Education’s “Best Children’s Books of the Year – 2023 Edition.” This book deal was a direct outcome of my participation in 2020’s LatinXPitch, showcasing the power of platforms that help lift the voice of diverse authors and illustrators.
I was born and raised in Puerto Rico and currently reside in London. With a Bachelor of Science from MIT, I spent over two decades in the finance industry before transitioning to financial education and writing. I honed my writing skills at Faber Academy (2012 & 2014) and am actively involved in SCBWI, Las Musas, and was selected as a PBRisingStars 2023 Mentee. Beyond EVERYWHERE AROUND ME, I am working on other manuscripts close to my heart, ranging from picture books to middle-grade novels.
As per your submission guidelines, I have enclosed the first 70 words of my manuscript.
Thank you for championing children’s book creators through your involvement in PBParty! ¡Muchas gracias!
Excerpt:
Some days, hurricanes roar inside of me,
but instead of winds and rain, it’s all sadness.
They started the day Mami went to that special place,
beyond the deep blue ocean and above the meringue-shaped clouds.
When the hurricanes are too much to hold inside,
I cry to let them out.
Then Abuelita holds me tightly in her arms and
rocks me back and forth in her wooden mecedora.
What inspired you to write this story & what do you have in common with it:
In 2020, my beloved Mamá bravely faced and succumbed to breast cancer, leaving an indelible void in our family’s life. This story is more than a tribute; it’s a love letter to her unwavering resilience, a celebration of her profound connection to our heritage, and a testament to the healing balm that words, carefully woven, have become for me. Through this story, I aim to help children discover the transformative magic within words, and assure them that those they’ve lost are never truly gone, as long as we keep them in our memories and hearts.
8 Comments
Leave your reply.