Booklist featured Abuelita and I Make Flan!

 

If you want to learn more about Spanish-language storytimes and some great books to get you started, Booklist just published an article featuring my debut picture book Abuelita and I Make Flan in this article!

It's a super long URL, though, but here is the link to the online version.

Building a bilingual library can be daunting if you don't speak the language, and the article advocates for some really practical strategies. Very proud to have a book included in the suggestions!

And if you're not sure how to pronounce the Spanish words in the book, I have a video you can watch it's here in this blog post!

How to Pronounce: ABUELITA AND I MAKE FLAN

I wanted to share the pronunciation Guide for Readers of ABUELITA AND I MAKE FLAN. Here I read the glossary which includes all the words in Spanish in case you or your readers want to know how we say them.

For more Flan-related activities, scroll down to the activities here on my site.

Or access all my book related activities here.

Adriana Hernández Bergstrom is a Cuban-American artist and children’s book author-illustrator. She loves languages and literacy and is the author-illustrator of ABUELITA AND I MAKE FLAN (Charlesbridge, 2022), TUMBLE (Scholastic, 2023) and COUNTDOWN FOR NOCHEBUENA (Little, Brown, 2023).

2024 STORYSTORM GUEST! Adriana Puts Her Thoughts in Order

Originally posted on January 23, 2024 as part of STORYSTORM 2024! 

By this point in Storystorm, I’m sure you have a LOT of ideas. Smoke might even be pouring out the sides of your ears. Your eyes might be spirals of overwhelm. 😵‍💫 Do not despair! Let’s take a moment today to organize your ideas and get a few of them ready for the rest of the writing process. Clearing your mind a little may even inspire some new ideas when you’re done.

Firstly, how are you keeping track of your Storystorm ideas? Maybe you’re using the official Storystorm notebook, maybe each idea is on a separate page or post-it note, or maybe you prefer a digital list on your phone. Whatever you do, make your ideas easy to access and simple to find. Bring all your ideas together in one place.

Next, let’s sort them. It helps me to do this on paper so I can think without distractions.

Take a moment to look at your list of ideas one by one. Do any of them stick out to you or give you a little jolt or make you smile? Does your imagination run away with any of them? Do any ideas make you want to draw or write more? Let’s mark those ideas as your top contenders.

For my top ideas, I like to doodle and do a bit of visual note-taking. Take your top three concepts and let’s doodle!

You can see my full guest post over on https://taralazar.com/2024/01/23/storystorm-2024-day-23/

Adriana Hernández Bergstrom is a Cuban-American artist and children’s book author-illustrator. She loves languages and literacy and is the author-illustrator of ABUELITA AND I MAKE FLAN, TUMBLE (Orchard Books, 2023) and COUNTDOWN FOR NOCHEBUENA (Little, Brown, 2023). Follow her on most social media channels as @adriprints, or check out her blog and website adriprints.com.

How to Help Your Author and Illustrator Friends (for FREE!)

Confession time: I sometimes feel lost in the publishing industry. Even though I've been an artist and designer for decades, it wasn't until 2017 that I got serious about kidlit and 2022 that my first book as author-illustrator came out. Currently, I'm trying to make new work to sell another book while simultaneously marketing existing books, and it's a challenge!

Publishers shoulder some of the outreach responsibilities, but most titles on their lists do not get the kind of marketing that their "lead" titles do. Lead titles are the ones that get the big posters, cardboard cutouts, commercials, billboards, etc. And, as many authors will tell you, most books don't get the red carpet treatment and most books' marketing and outreach falls on the shoulders of the author.

But all is not lost. What can you do to help? I'm so glad you asked! There are things people like you, dear reader, can do to help a book succeed.

Here a few FREE ways that you can help get the word out about a book without spending a single penny. Here are just a few:

1. Request any of my books from your local library.
2. Recommend my books and/or me to your local school for an author-illustrator visit. I love inspiring kids to write and draw.
3. Submit any of my books to your state book award! This state book awards list from Vanderbilt University is really well organized by region and is updated regularly.
4. Add my books to your Goodreads "want to read" list and vote for my books if they make it on any of those lovely local lists.
5. Suggest my books to your local bookstore share my information as a possible visitor or storytime author.
6. Leave a positive review on any of the big sites like Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

Here's the information you'll likely need to do any of those tasks (title, ISBN, ordering info)...

• ABUELITA AND I MAKE FLAN, Adriana Hernández Bergstrom, ISBN 9781623542658
• ABUELITA Y YO HACEMOS UN FLAN, Adriana Hernández Bergstrom, ISBN 9781623543990
• TUMBLE, Adriana Hernández Bergstrom, ISBN 9781338828665
• COUNTDOWN FOR NOCHEBUENA, Adriana Hernández Bergstrom, Hardcover ISBN 9780316467919, Board book ISBN 9780316467810
  

But all is not lost. What can you do to help? I'm so glad you asked! There are things people like you, dear reader, can do to help a book succeed.

Here a few FREE ways that you can help get the word out about a book without spending a single penny. Here are just a few:

1. Request any of my books from your local library.
2. Recommend my books and/or me to your local school for an author-illustrator visit. I love inspiring kids to write and draw.
3. Submit any of my books to your state book award! This state book awards list from Vanderbilt University is really well organized by region and is updated regularly.
4. Add my books to your Goodreads "want to read" list and vote for my books if they make it on any of those lovely local lists.
5. Suggest my books to your local bookstore share my information as a possible visitor or storytime author.
6. Leave a positive review on any of the big sites like Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

Here's the information you'll likely need to do any of those tasks (title, ISBN, ordering info)...

• ABUELITA AND I MAKE FLAN, Adriana Hernández Bergstrom, ISBN 9781623542658
• ABUELITA Y YO HACEMOS UN FLAN, Adriana Hernández Bergstrom, ISBN 9781623543990
• TUMBLE, Adriana Hernández Bergstrom, ISBN 9781338828665
• COUNTDOWN FOR NOCHEBUENA, Adriana Hernández Bergstrom, Hardcover ISBN 9780316467919, Board book ISBN 9780316467810

Part 2, Sketch to Final: Abuelita and I Make Flan

 

Back in 2017, when I started writing ABUELITA AND I MAKE FLAN my story looked like a list of ingredients (literally) and a recipe. I took this to my first writing critique group (!!Qué pena!! but you have to start somewhere). I had a hazy vision in my head for a story about a grandchild and grandparent making flan together.

The story changed shape many times between 2017 and it's publication in 2022.

 

In between, I realized the story was missing 'the heart'. So I combined a memory of baking with my own Abuelita with that feeling where you think everything's going wrong, but you're still safe and loved and accepted as an imperfect child deserving of love. This was a big step in learning to write for kids. There needs to be some kind of heart or hook or something for kids to relate to.

 

Next, I did a sketch dummy from Debbie Ohi's site:  https://debbieohi.com/resources/. I played with different thumbnail illustrations until the story made sense to me (and my agent!). Then I enlarged it to a full size dummy, refined the illos, and began the back and forth of editing and revising.

 

I needed to add more tension! Here are some of the people who saw it and offered editing thoughts: critique partners, mentors, teachers from various courses and organizations, professional/industry critiquers, peers, and my mother*. And this jogged a memory of me breaking my mom's wedding plate while we were moving back in with my grandparents.

*For my second and third books, I did not have to take it so far and wide for editing. It took a lot for me to grow confident in my writing abilities! Also, sometimes your family doesn't know what makes a good children's book!

And that was the key! Once I added that broken plate, it all came together and we sold the manuscript to Charlesbridge in 2020, and it finally came out in August of 2022.

These days, my process for writing is more like a yes/no flowchart: outline or list, then a test draft in prose (does it work? yes/no), if no, a draft in lyrical language. When I think something's working, I'll exchange with a critique group (love/hate/boring?)... rinse repeat until it's feeling ready-ish enough to submit to my agent.

 

From Sketch to Final Art: ABUELITA AND I MAKE FLAN

The story of ABUELITA AND I MAKE FLAN is a combination of several real-life events. I was inspired to capture a moment in time where it felt like everything was going wrong as a kid, but still able to find safety and love from my grandparents who accepted me as an imperfect child deserving of love. Anita, the main character, is a blend of real life people in my own family including myself. The Abuelita character was drawn from a combination of several real-life people including my great aunt, both my grandmas and their friends. 

What’s real-life inspiration and what’s not? I really did break a wedding dish, but it belonged to my mother, not my abuelita. The truth is my family did not bring much more than their suitcases with them from Cuba. I really did - and still do! - make a LOT of flan, but I helped my great-aunt, Marta, who had severe arthritis doing all the things Anita does in the book. In real life, I did more crafts like sewing, crochet, and cake decorating with my grandma. I chose flan because it’s delicious and it reminds me of our big family get-togethers which I miss very much.

I started work on ABUELITA AND I MAKE FLAN back in 2017. It was in large part thanks to SCBWI which connected me to a critique group which then led to a mentorship program at WNDB, critiques at SCBWI conferences, Highlights Foundation courses, Storyteller Academy and other educational resources and eventually my agent! Community has been pivotal for growth and feedback in the publishing world, and the success of this title making it to bookshelves everywhere.

In the meantime...

Lately I've been so hesitant to post, and I keep waiting to post, and holding out for something big to happen.  Today, I decided to forgo that train of thought.  I mean, why am I holding back?  I started this blog to share what I was making - whether they be big breaks or small, right?  So, here goes.

I've been on a dumpling kick.  So, I've been making lots and lots of these delicious little pasta pockets.  Thus far, I've been using one cookbook that several of my friends purchased whilst I drooled over it. The book is "Asian Dumplings" by Andrea Nguyen, and there's an accompanying website: http://www.asiandumplingtips.com/

Here are my creations based on recipes found in the book... a set of "big hug" folded dumplings right before they were cooked and devoured.

So far I've done the first 2 recipes:  Pork and Napa Cabbage Water Dumplings and the Meat and Chinese Chive Pot Stickers.  I've steamed, boiled, and cooked them like pot-stickers, and so far we have enjoyed them greatly!  I really like the process of rolling out the dough and folding into the different shapes.  I found that the 2nd day dough is much easier to work.

I've also been working in the background for several already-released patterns and several new ones!  The rights for the Orange Blossom Camisole have reverted to me so I can self-publish the pattern which I did on Craftsy, Ravelry, and Patternfish. 

In sewing and quilting, I seem to be acquiring patterns, cutting them out, but hesitating before making them.  I don't know what's stopping me, but hopefully I can snap out of my reluctance.  It's annoying me.  I'd like to just clear off the table and finish the quilt I started last year with the Craftsy Block of the Month.  I have everything even the backing ready to go!  So what's stopping me?  I have no idea.

Sewing mojo come back!!

Spring Knitting: Bunny Egg

The Bunny Egg

 The SnB de Pijp group was invited to go to a knitting event at Selexyz in order to promote the new book by Arne & Carlos.  As part of the event we were to knit from their latest book that featured Easter-themed things like eggs and rabbits.  So, I combined the two into one.  If you'd like to make your own bunny egg, the egg is the generic pattern from the book, and I added ears and a pompom tail.  The ears are a 4 stitch i-cord that increases to a 6 stitch i-cord and then they're sewn on.

Anna's fire rabbit (R).  Wendy working the knitting fork (L).

Yarn stormed bike racks at Westergasfabriek, Amsterdam.

New Illustrations! Twist Collective Winter 2011

When the editor at Twist Collective approached me to do an illustration, my heart skipped!  Lately, I've been focusing a lot of my time on knitwear design and graphic design, but hadn't had much opportunity to illustrate for someone else.  So, needless to say, I graciously agreed!  Here and here are the illustrations is within the Winter 2011 issue.

The goal for the project was to illustrate an Incan folktale about how alpacas came to be beasts of burden for the Inca people.  Stylistically, I took inspiration from a 16th century chronicle by Guaman Poma (aka Felipe Guaman Poma de Ayala, aka Huamán Poma).  He was a Peruvian nobleman who, in detailed illustrations and notes, wrote about the Incan chiefs, people, etc.

You can see the chronicles via the Danish Library System here.

"weaver of 33 years" by Guaman Poma

With such beautiful detail and lovely aging to the page, I sought to imitate some of the drawing conventions he used such as the imaginative perspective.  So, keeping that in mind, I used pen & ink on film to try and capture the line quality and perspective while still telling the story (as retold by Daryl Brower).

my interpretation of the story as inspired by Goaman Poma, Winter 2011

I hope you enjoy the story and illustrations!  Check out the whole story here.

Oldies but Goodies

I love making things by hand, as you have probably noticed. I have exhibited some of my fiber arts and sewing, and even baking, but not yet my bookbinding. So, here are some of the books I made last summer. I am currently working on a memorabilia book for my mother-in-law and will post pictures once it is finished.

Inside: