PBParty Entry #26 : City of Murals

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GENRE: **Diverse, STEM/STEAM, Informational Fiction

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WORDS: 710

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Query:

Dear PB Party agents and editors,

A second-generation child from Philadelphia finds inspiration from the murals in her city, but despairs at the unwelcoming wall by the vacant lot on her block. When the wish she makes for that wall takes root, it blooms into something all the neighbors can be proud of. CITY OF MURALS is a 710-word informational fiction picture book manuscript featuring a fictional main character set in the real city of Philadelphia. This story includes themes of immigration, growth, community, belonging, and public art. It’s written for kids ages 4-8 who are inspired by the way murals can transform a city like in MAYBE SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL: HOW ART TRANSFORMED A NEIGHBORHOOD (F. Isabel Campoy, Theresa Howell, & Rafael López, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2016) and who enjoy going along on a child-led tour through a beloved community like in MY PAPI HAS A MOTORCYCLE (Isabel Quintero & Zeke Peña, Kokila, 2019).

Potential back matter includes an author’s note, information on mural making and murals in Philadelphia, a list of the murals referenced, and a list of selected resources. I’ve received permission from local organization, Mural Arts, to access their database of mural images for inclusion in my story.

I’m an Asian-American writer who likes to create characters from my context engaging in their everyday lives. I’m a member of SCBWI, recipient of a 2023 12×12 Picture Book Challenge GOLD scholarship, Blogmaster for the Eastern PA SCBWI, leader of two critique groups for picture book creators, and a board-certified art therapist. I’ve been a Philadelphia resident for over 20 years and have so enjoyed living in a place where murals help breathe life into the cityscape, as well as being a part of that process through participating in Mural Arts community paint days. As the daughter of an immigrant, and in my connection to the new American community in Philadelphia through my art therapy work, the welcoming imagery and messages of many of my city’s murals are especially meaningful to me. I believe that now, more than ever, we need to keep creating books where kids of color can feel seen, and find hope and belonging.

Thank you so much for your time and consideration!

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Excerpt:

There’s a wall on my block with ugly words telling us we don’t belong. [anti-immigrant graffiti]
City workers paint jagged gray rectangles over top of them, but the words reappear again and again, in the middle of the night.

I wish for something beautiful instead. Something all my neighbors can be proud of.
Closing my eyes, I exhale, scattering the dandelion seeds of my wish towards that wall.

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What inspired you to write this story & what do you have in common with it:

Like the main character I’m a second generation American, I live in Philadelphia, I love my city’s murals, I’ve despaired at my city’s vandalized and seemingly forgotten spaces, and I’ve felt encouraged by contributing to Philly’s public art through participating in Mural Arts community paint days.