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| Breakfast speakers Frank Morrison, Yuyi Morales and Lilliam Rivera | |
MPIBA's FallCon kicked off in Denver, Colo., yesterday with the Children's Author & Illustrator Keynote Breakfast. All of the book creators emphasized the need for children to feel connected and to pursue their hearts' desire.
Frank Morrison explained that his book Kick Push (Bloomsbury, March 29, 2022) was inspired by his son T.J.'s passion for skateboarding (T.J. now tours with Little Wayne, skateboarding in his videos). Morrison himself was a break dancer and toured with the Sugar Hill Gang before becoming a graffiti artist and winning the Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Illustrator Award for Jazzy Miz Mozetta by Brenda C. Roberts. With this book, Morrison said, he wanted to tell children, "Believe in yourself and success will follow."
Yuyi Morales said that when she has questions, she finds answers by making a book. Bright Star (Neal Porter Books), which she both wrote and illustrated, explores how walls at the border affect not just the families seeking asylum in the U.S. but also the animals whose migration paths are blocked. "We must bring down the walls, the ones we build with materials and the ones we build with ourselves," said Morales. She wanted Bright Star to be a story children could take with them when they needed it most. "We are not alone, we are very connected," she said.
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Megan Bomgaars (center, front), with her family and (at right) Peter H. Reynolds. (photo: Abbey Dankoff) |
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Lilliam Rivera's We Light Up the Sky (Bloomsbury, October 26, 2021) features an alien invasion and stars three Los Angeles teens of color "who want to save the world, in a city that doesn't want to save them." Rivera said she grew up "obsessed with alien invasion stories," such as The Martian Chronicles and The War of the Worlds. She reflected on the paradoxes of Los Angeles culture, with homeless encampments outside of glistening shopping malls, and movie dance scenes that shut down highways while patrol cars burned in the streets. For Rivera, tragedy and laughter sit next to each other.
Megan Bomgaars's Born to Sparkle (Flowerpot Press) celebrates her own determination and her advocacy for others like her who live with Down syndrome and other challenges. "From a very young age, I knew I wanted to sparkle," Bomgaars said, as her sequined dress glittered beneath the lights. She starred in the Emmy Award-winning series Born This Way on A&E, and has raised awareness and millions of dollars for the Global Down Syndrome Foundation. "We changed the way people see those with Down syndrome and educated the world about the possibilities and potential," she said.
"We are together but not together, due to technology," said Peter H. Reynolds, reflecting on the events of these past 18 months. He recalled his school visit on the West Coast the day before travel ceased, and returning home to Massachusetts to quarantine for two weeks. He spoke of closing down his Blue Bunny Bookshop in Dedham [it's reopened now] and starting thedotcentral.com to fulfill orders for his books. In his picture book Our Table (Orchard/Scholastic, November 2, 2021), Violet is the only one in her family who has not abandoned the ritual of sitting at the family table. Each day, the table shrinks a little more, until Violet finds a way to rally her family members and return to the traditions and togetherness she values. Reynolds brought the room full circle, in a moment of gratitude that everyone was joined again around the tables, celebrating books and being together. --Jennifer M. Brown