Manhattan 2010,
Winters were too cold and summers were too hot so we spent a lot of time cooped up inside Barnes and Noble. I was living in Manhattan with my husband and our eldest son Adam. Adam loved books as much as I, and so Barnes and Noble was our go-to spot. It was above our local Whole Foods Market in Tribeca, so it became our routine to stop at both.
It was there that I came across Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willems and was struck immediately. I think it was the unusual composition of photography, illustrations, and story that had me captivated. The photography made the story real, the illustrations made it feel light hearted and the story itself was relatable and funny. A seed was sewn. I knew that one day I would combine photography, illustrations and text. At that time I thought it would be on a canvas and I actually still like that idea too.
I call those moments of inspiration: recognition, because the idea feels so right it’s like I recognize it. It’s as if it had always been a part of me and I was seeing it outside of myself for the first time.
During those years, I was speaking primarily Spanish to Adam so our picture book collection, even American classics, were bought in Spanish, hence the Spanish version of Knuffle Bunny.
