The Cazuela That the Farm Maiden Stirred - Samantha R. Vamos, Rafeal Vamos

The Cazuela That the Farm Maiden Stirred by Samantha R. Vamos illus. by Rafael Lopez
This story was as beautiful as I thought it would be. With some help from the farm animals the farm maiden makes Arroz con Leche. This is not a traditional bilingual story, with two languages, lado a lado.

This is the pot, that the farm maiden stirred,

This is the butter that went into the cazuela that the farm maiden stirred

This is the goat
that churned the cream
to make the mantequilla
that went into the cazuela that the farm maiden stirred.

Rather then have the two languages side by side, Vamos will use a word once in English and replace it with it's Spanish counterpart in the next stanza. It's a very smart way to learn a few new Spanish words. This is a tribute to the nursery The House That Jack Built and it keeps the same quick pace rhythm.

I love the movement of text. The stories beautiful flow and Lopez gorgeous illustrations make this a wonderful read aloud. Lopez is not afraid of color and knows how to use it. The illustrations pop off the pages. Vamos and Lopez come together to create a wonderful story that screams "read me aloud and share me with others" There's a recipe for rice pudding in the back and a glossary of Spanish terms.

A New Release, Virtual Mentors for Writers of Color

Usually on Tuesday, I list children's and young adult new releases with kids of color or featuring a diverse cast. I had to skip last week because I had already listed what came out on Jan. 18th, the week before. This week I only found one new release.

I know there are new middle grade and young adult new releases that feature diverse casts, but unless someone tells me or I've read the book, I won't know. Since it's just one book, I was tempted to skip this week as well. Though I decided not to for two reasons. 1) the book has a great trailer, 2) This feature ties in will with a small new project author Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich has started.

The Cazuela That The Farm Maiden Stirred by Samantha R. Vamos. illus. by Rafeal Lopez
The author and illustrator talk about the story behind the book. Its so good.

Author Rhuday -Perkovich had a great middle grade debut last year (a favorite of mine) called 8th Grade SuperZero. The author is launching a small project called Patchwork Collective Virtual Mentors.

The Patchwork Collective for Writers of Color is accepting
applications for its Virtual Mentoring Program! If you are a writer of
children’s literature looking to improve your craft and get a better
understanding of the children’s publishing industry, read on.

A great list of children's and young adult authors will be participating.

Mentors include authors Kelly Starlings-Lyons, Y.S. Lee, N.H. Senzai,
Ebony Joy Wilkins, Jerry Craft, Christina Diaz Gonzalez, Neesha
Meminger, Christine Taylor-Butler, Jennifer Cervantes, Crystal Allen,
and Rachel Renee Russell.

When asked if I could help spread the word about this, of course I said yes. Though I wanted to do a little more, so I quickly sent off a few questions.

Hi, Gbemi - This is a great idea. When did you decide to start Patchwork Collective Virtual Mentors? And Why

I thought of it last autumn, just as part of thinking of ways that people of colour in the industry can support each other, take responsibility for one another, and move ourselves forward in the
industry.

How long did it take you to put it together?

It took a couple of months to figure out. These wonderful authors have been so gracious and generous with their time, and I wanted to do my best to structure it in a way that was manageable and effective. It helped to start this way, as a very small pilot.

A lot of great author's have signed on to be mentors. Were you surprised by your peers willingness participate in something so new?

Not at all -- I had a good idea of how fabulous they are! :D I'm so grateful for their kindness, talent, patience, and serious generosity. And I know some other amazing authors and professionals who I will be asking to participate in scheduled group chats/discussion.

How will you gauge the outcome of the program?

I'll start with feedback from the participants, on both sides

(I thought I'd ask a few questions apsiring authors might have. )

Can I submit my work if I write children's nonfiction?

Yes, but remember that there are a limited number of mentors, and I will do my best to make the most appropriate matches.

Can I sumbit my work if I have a great idea for a story, and an outline?

Sure, just send that along. I won't be evaluating or critiquing your work initially. We just want an idea of the genre/age group you've been working in, in order to make the best matches, and a good sense of where you are in your pursuit of a career in children's lit -- listservs, groups, organizations, conferences, courses, etc.

Will not having a Web Site, count against me?

No, but an online presence also helps me to verify your identity. If you use a social network, etc. you can include that information.

I am familiar with the works of many of the mentor authors. Can I list one or two authors, I would like to be matched with for the program?

You can, but I will be matching according to genre first.

How often will I discuss my WIP with my mentor or the group?

Mentors have agreed to a time commitment of up to one hour a week. You
can submit work for critique ONCE during the session (10 pages or 1 picture book), and I expect that participants will be respectful of others' time and space (i.e. ten emails in one day will not be a good look).

How do I know no one will steal my idea?

As with the submission process in general, you don't. I don't think
anyone will. But if that's a big concern for you, you may not want to
apply.


What is the start and end date of this program?
Feb 7th - April 1 Submissions are from Feb 1-4th. Send ASAP!

Why is this only for children's Writers of Color?

It's just a small way of doing something to help increase our presence and the multitude of stories that we have, in the children's publishing industry. I so appreciate the encouragement and sound advice that I've gotten from so many in the kidlit community; this is
not easy work, and can be isolating. I think it's vital that we work collectively, and take the lead in addressing the challenges that we face.

Stone Soup Saturday

Artist Rafeal Lopez created U.S. postal stamps celebrating Latin American Music Legends
I am passionate about Latin music as it has fueled my work for decades. As a child growing up in Mexico City I was lucky to study guitar and South American instruments like the quena and cuatro with Folklorista Gerardo Tamez. My uncle had a musical radio program at UNAM that introduced folk and protest music from Latin America. I grew up in a household where my architect parents constantly played instruments and sang music. We were always dancing and I can't bring myself to paint without music.

What an honor it is for me to tell you more about these extraordinary legends and the process of creating stamps to celebrate their contributions. I'm proud of Latin music because it is essential in communicating the spirit of our culture. I have to agree that Latinos are born with rhythm. These five dynamic individuals continue to inspire future generations of musicians. I hoped to paint portraits that would resonate for their families and fans. I felt compelled to give it all I had as an artist to communicate the essence of these legends, their spirit, style and sound.

The stamps will be available in February. Also coming out next month is Samantha R. Vamos newest picture book The Cazuela that the Farm Maiden Stirred illus. by Rafael Lopez

In Celebration of African American History Month, RIF is having a live broadcast of Moon Over Star by Diana Hutts Aston illus. by Jerry Pinkney on February 8th

Join RIF for the next RIF LIVE broadcast at 1:30 p.m. (ET) on Tuesday, February 8, in celebration of African American History Month. Leland Melvin, NASA’s Associate Administrator of Education and a former astronaut, will share his experiences traveling in space and read aloud The Moon Over Star.

The online broadcast will happen in real time on the RIF LIVE page so you will be able to ask questions via a chat feature or by email.

Over at The Brown Bookshelf they have announced the authors and illustrators to be featured for the 4th annual 28days later campaign

YA author Debbie Riguad shares an aunt's joke as she remembers the one year anniversary of the major earthquake that hit Haiti.

This new year marks the first anniversary of the devastating earthquake that rattled our family hometown of Port-au-Prince to its core. So on January 1st as I was issued Evelyne’s customary “A pye nou ye” greeting, I heard the echo of something entirely different. To me, the phrase echoed of Haiti’s slow recovery process. Oftentimes, it seems that Recovery is traveling “on foot” up a steep and slippery hill. The people in the affected areas in and around the captiol seem like weary travelers stripped down to their slowest mode of transportation—walking.