I Bring the Fun! ¡En serio!

I’m always happy to tailor programming around the following topics to your organization’s needs:

  • Picture Book craft

  • Developing a Latine/Dual Language children’s library

  • Bilingual Parenting Motivation & Inspiration

  • Paraguay: Travel, Guaraní culture & language.

  • Helping your children survive a traveling childhood.

    All talks can be delivered in Spanish (or translated concurrently).

Creativity while Caretaking

While many of us dream of being Thoreau writing by the banks of Walden Pond, the reality is most of us are his mom, busy making and delivering daily pond-side lunches. And yet for most writers and artists, creating is a necessity, not a choice. Whether you’re caring for little ones, aging parents, or even just yourself, building a sustainable (aka realistic) practice takes determination, deliberate decision making and, yes, creativity! 

Key Takeaways

  • How to make and defend space for creativity in your life. 

  • Matching creative capacity to life stages. 

  • Top tips from caretaking creators

Format: Lecture, Interactive Discussion

Duration: 45 minutes

Finding your Mentor Text Mojo

Mentor texts can play an essential role in helping us go from blank page to submission ready picture book manuscript. This session’s deep dive into finding and using mentor texts will help hone your writing and revision process, improving your picture book manuscripts as a whole. Using a behind the curtains look at how mentor texts were used in the development THE GOODNIGHT SHIFT, includes a step by step look at editorial comments and how each was addressed using aspects of specific mentor texts for guidance. 

Key Takeaways

  • Mentor texts vs. Comp titles: how to best find and use them. 

  • Reading resources: how to stay up-to-date on mentor texts without breaking your book bank. 

  • Processing feedback: tips and tricks for remaining practical and professional. 

Format: Lecture, Interactive Discussion

Duration: 45 minutes

Adiós, shame! Raising bilingual children without shame & guilt (yours or theirs)

Raising bilingual kids can be incredibly enriching but is also an exercise in extensively delayed gratification. Someday, your children will thank you. Till then, I’m here to support you! Whether you’re a native speaker or want your kids to be one, adding language learning to the pressures of parenting doesn’t have to be as frustrating as you fear! Learn how to harness various emotions while modeling language learning in order to make the process a fun family experience.

Key Takeaways

  • Family buy-in: Navigating communication and trust issues

  • Normalizing mistakes

  • Finding and creating your own bilingual books

  • Quality vs. quantity

Format: Lecture, Interactive Discussion

Duration: 45 minutes

Craft

Contact me to talk craft at your writing conferences, webinars, etc. Current talks include

  • Finding your Mentor Text Mojo (2024 ALl Y’all SCBWI Texas conference)

  • Kid Lit Latinx : multi-faceted Latinx Identities in Children´s Literature

  • How I got my Agent: The long and winding road

  • A Travel writer’s Guide to Setting

  • A survely of Bilingual (Spanish/English) children’s literature: Yesterday, Today & Mañana

All talks can be delivered in Spanish (or translated concurrently)

School visits

I plan to begin offering in-person and virtual school visits for Fall of 2025.

All talks can be delivered in Spanish (or translated concurrently) and I will take into account your Spanish speaking students´ demographics when choosing which words and phrases to use.