Monica Brown—The Bilingual Biographer

by Adriana Domínguez -- Críticas, 12/15/2008

Since winning the America’s Award for Children’s Literature in 2004 for My name is Celia/Me llamo Celia (Luna Rising, 2004)—her bilingual biography of singing legend Celia Cruz—Monica Brown has quickly become the children’s bilingual biographer of choice. My name is Celia went on to win the Pura Belpré Honor for illustration, as did her bilingual biography of the great Gabriel García Márquez entitled My name is Gabito/Me llamo Gabito (Luna Rising, 2007). Her latest biography, devoted to another iconic Latino figure, is titled Pelé, King of Soccer/Pelé, El rey del fútbol (Rayo, 2009), and is perfectly timed for the upcoming World Cup 2010 tournament. In addition to being an author of children’s books, Monica is an associate professor of English at Northern Arizona University, where she specializes in U.S. Latino and Multicultural Literature. She has published scholarly books and numerous articles on Latino literature and culture studies. Críticas recently contacted the author to learn more about what drove her to make the leap from scholar to children’s books author, how she decided to write bilingual—as opposed to monolingual—picture books, and what inspired her to celebrate Latino icons and make a much-needed contribution to U.S. Latino children’s literature.

As an academic, you have written extensively about Latino literature and culture. What made you decide to write for children?

In some ways, writing on Latino literature for adults led me to write Latino literature for children. Being immersed in the language and literature of our brightest writers certainly helped me grow personally and technically as a creative writer. They’ve been my teachers whether they know it or not! I’ve spent over a decade sharing authors like Gabriel García Márquez, Sandra Cisneros, and Luis Urrea with undergraduate and graduate students. As a mother, teacher, and scholar, I wanted my daughters and other young readers to have an equally wide variety of books to choose from. My academic work focuses on the interconnections that exist in the Americas and across all borders, and my hope is that the children’s stories I write emphasize these themes as well.

How did you decide to write biographies of prominent Latino figures?

I was inspired to share with children the rich stories of artists, writers, sports figures, and activists who amazed and delighted me. Yet, there was a glaring absence of books about influential figures from Latin America and Latinos living in the United States. For example, it was amazing to me that so many children and adults didn’t know who Gabriela Mistral was—the first Latin American to win a Nobel Prize for Literature. And there wasn’t a picture book to be found about Gabriel García Márquez!

I was also interested in inspiring readers through lyrical and poetic language, rather than the dry, encyclopedia-like language often found in biographies. Together with fantastic images created by Latino artists, I hope that the rhythms of my stories inspire children to feel proud and motivated to achieve the full arc of their potential.

Your biographies cover Latino figures from a broad range of professions, from writers, to singers, to sports stars. How do you choose your subjects?

My aspiration for a more peaceful world for my own daughters motivates my choice of subjects. I try to imagine a common future built on shared stories of dreams and potential fulfilled on multiple levels: those who produce beautiful poetry, those who fill the world with music, those who show great courage in breaking down political and racial barriers, and so on. For this reason, I’ve chosen: a little boy who played soccer barefoot with a sock stuffed with newspapers before becoming one of the world’s greatest athletes (Pelé, King of Soccer); the poor daughter of a single mother who grew up to be a Nobel-prizing winning poet and educator (My Name is Gabriela: The Life of Gabriela Mistral; Luna Rising, 2005); Dolores Huerta and César Chávez, community organizers who united farm workers and changed our world forever (Side by Side: The Story of Dolores Huerta and Cesar Chavez, Rayo, forthcoming), and so on. Our history as Latinos in the Americas is so interesting that I never cease to be amazed by the transformational figures that deserve greater public recognition. So the real issue is how to find time to write about them all!

Many of your books are written in the bilingual format. Do you have a preference for that format?

Having grown up speaking both Spanish and English, I do have a preference for bilingual children’s books. As I’ve said often, and proudly—being bilingual is a cause for celebration, not denigration.

In a North American context, where most of my current readers are located, this dual language focus takes on particular meaning in a political climate where monolingualism has been legislated. When I visit elementary schools I use my books to emphasize the beauty and the power that can come with being multi-lingual. I think bilingual books actually enhance students’ abilities to cross over from one language to another. I’ve heard that adult language learners have been using my books as well.

These stories deserve recognition in many languages and the bilingual format is an indirect assertion of the importance of these stories for speakers of all languages. I’m also thrilled to share that there will soon be Greek and Portuguese editions, among others, of My Name is Gabito: The Life of Gabriel García Márquez available internationally.

Your biographies have won a number of awards and have been well received by caregivers and educators. How do you explain their success?

I write from a place of deep passion, joy, and commitment to producing the highest possible quality of literature for children, so I hope that comes to fruition in my work. In my biographies, the lives of my subjects are so interesting and transformational that I am simply giving them voice for a young audience. I don’t think it is ever too early to introduce children to the concepts of magical realism, social justice, and dreaming big! 

The awards are a gift that allows my stories to reach more children. Because of this recognition, I have been able to travel and meet incredible children from all over the United States and their wonderful teachers and librarians. I visit schools often and speak at teacher’s and librarian’s conferences—I’ll be speaking at the forthcoming International Reading Association Conference and the Texas Library Association Conference—and I find that the energy and love of books in these communities inspire me to become a better writer.

All of your biographies are beautifully illustrated by talented Latino artists. Did you make a conscious decision to seek out Latino illustrators for your books?

One of the most important parts of writing for children is one’s partnership with the artists—and I’ve been fortunate enough to work with the very best: Rafael López, John Parra, Raúl Colón, Rudy Gutiérrez, and Joe Cepeda, among others. I am the daughter of an artist and I studied art in college, along with literature, so I tend to write visually. When I write I think in terms of movement, lyricism, and illustratable action. For example, both Rafael and I played Celia Cruz’s music while working on My Name is Celia: The Life of Celia Cruz, and I hope that you can sense that in the rhythm of the words and the movement of the images.

I know that the artists I’ve worked with have responded to my words and, in turn, have been inspired. I’ve also been so privileged to work with editors and designers in children’s publishing who have shared my commitment to excellence and integrity. Although they]have selected the illustrators, my publishers have recognized that I am interested in showcasing the work of Latino artists. I tend to think that Latino artists recognize a shared history and language, which is one more valuable connection to the subject.

In what ways do  you think that your beautiful illustrations contribute to your storytelling?

Seeing the artists’ final paintings is probably the most exhilarating part of the entire process of writing picture books. To see your words come to life through the eyes of another is amazing! I think illustrations make the stories even more appealing for children because they sometimes convey information that would weigh down the narrative. For example, in Rudy Gutiérrez’s amazing illustrations for the forthcoming Pelé, King of Soccer he repeats subtly and overtly the image of a cheetah, reminding readers of Pelé’s speed and power.

Readers—whether children or adults—become visual and literary interpreters. It’s a fascinating phenomenon. By engaging in this process of making connections and identifying historical figures, young readers engage further with our world. In My Name is Gabito: The Life of Gabriel García Márquez, Raul Colón brings Márquez’s magical visions to life—his vision of “The Most Beautiful Woman in the World” inspired by Remedios, the beauty from Cien años de soledad (One Hundred Years of Solitude), is truly breathtaking.

Is there a figure that you have not written about and you’d like to?

One of my greatest dreams came true recently, when I completed my book Side by Side: The Story of Dolores Huerta and César Chávez/Lado a Lado: La Historia de Dolores Huerta y César Chávez, forthcoming from Rayo in Fall 2010. This book was especially important to me because I wanted to see Dolores’s contribution to the United Farm Workers Movement be recognized alongside that of the incredible César Chávez’s. After reading my manuscript, Dolores Huerta chose to give me a quote for the book and this meant more to me than words can say.

As for future subjects, the possibilities are limitless. That is the beauty of our Latino culture—the diversity and breath of our accomplishments and contributions are endless—and I want to make sure that children know that!

In 2007, you published Butterflies on Carmen Street/Mariposas en la calle Carmen (Piñata Books), your first work of fiction for children. How does writing fiction differ from writing non-fiction? Do you plan to write more works of fiction? 

The process is quite different. When I write about a historical figure, I spend a great deal of time on research. For example, with My Name Is Gabito, I read García Márquez’s memoir Living to Tell the Tale, reread One Hundred Years of Solitude, and Love in the time of Cholera, read his Nobel Prize speech, etc.—all before I began writing. I try to allow the genius and the creativity of my subjects to inspire the story organically. Gabito drew from the magic realism of Márquez’s writing, whereas Pelé, King of Soccer draws from Pelé’s physical genius and begins in the middle of a very exciting soccer game.

With fiction, it all comes from me, which is both easier and more daunting. I’m on my own in terms of that creative source. In the case of Butterflies on Carmen Street, I was inspired by the immigrant rights movement in Arizona. Because I live in that border state, I am aware of the angry rhetoric around immigration. I wanted to write about migrations in nature and among peoples in a beautiful way—not a didactic one.

My next fiction book, Chavela’s Magic Chicle (Clarion Books, 2010), was inspired by a simple question from my then 9-year-old daughter Isabella (my own Chavelita), who wanted to know: “Where does chewing gum come from?”

Are you working on a new book? Can you tell us about it?

I’m working on several new manuscripts, which is very exciting. I try to balance my writing time with conference speaking and school visits, which is where I so often find ideas and inspiration as I connect with my young readers. I’m putting the finishing touches on a new fiction manuscript featuring a biracial girl named Marisol McDonald, who gets teased by her friends because she does things her own way. I’m also working on several new biographies. I like to keep quiet about my work in progress, perhaps because it is only in the early moments of writing that it is mine alone…But I will tell you that there are many more stories to share!