 Today we celebrate the book birthday of Our World Cuba, by Debbie Rigaud, illustrated by Terry Catasús Jennings. We sat down with Terry to learn more about the inspiration behind this book. Our World Cuba is a boardbook about the everyday life of a Cuban toddler. From waking up to a besito from Mami, to having café con leche and buttered toast for breakfast to riding the bus to la playa and playing a los escondidos, it is a joyous and sweet book about a young Cuban child. It is peppered with words in Spanish with full explanations in the back. Sounds lovely. Where did you get your idea to write this particular story? The Our World books, from Barefoot Books are a really sweet concept. They follow a toddler from a country throughout a day. The brilliance of it is that little ones can see how, even though we are all in different countries, and the foods we eat have different names, the places we go are a little different, we are still all the same. We have parents who love us. We like to play games. It is an inclusive book. It shows our common humanity, to the tiniest readers. It shows us that we are much more alike than we are different. Some of my other friends had written Our World books. Musas Ana Siqueira, Alexandra Alessandri, Cynthia Harmony and Aixa Pérez-Prado have all written Our World books about their respective countries. I loved the books and I was very delighted to have been tapped to honor my country. What was your favorite part of the Publication process? Getting the beautiful art from Marla Cruz Linares was my favorite part of the publication process. What joyful pictures. I love her rounded figures. This picture of a kid spitting anon seeds, is precious beyond words.  What was the most difficult scene to write in this story? It’s a small book, nothing was hard. I did hesitate a little when I talked about seeing sea urchins at the beach. My papi and I would go rowing in Havana Bay on Saturdays. It was his way of exercising and it was our time to bond. It was such a special time for me. We did see sea urchins, the water was that clear. But that’s not the kind of thing that folks think about when they go to the beach. I was so grateful my wonderful editor, Erin Lueck agreed that it belonged in the book. (love that crab)  What 3 recommendations would you give writers who are starting out? 1- Read everything you can in your genre. 2- Make writer friends who will give you honest critiques. 3- Find joy in every day you write. What comes next for you in your career? I am happy to announce that the Cami Campos six-book chapter book series has been acquired by ABDO Publishers for release in fall of 2025. The series follows Cami as she navigates American holidays with the backdrop of her Cuban and Latine customs, exploring the intersection of culture, family, and sense of self.
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