Chato, the Puppy-Cat follows a homeless puppy who is adopted by a loving woman who thinks he is a cat, and he is afraid to show her he is a dog. What was the inspiration for your story?

The story presented itself in my head one day, as if it wanted to be told. It wasn’t until later that I realized it came from childhood experiences, and from watching both children and adults around me having to conform and behave in ways that went against their grain.

Chato struggles with wanting to belong and with showing his true self out of fear of being accepted. Was there anything from your own life that you put into this emotional story?

​I was born with a vision disability which affects various aspects of my life, and I often had to conform to fit in and not inconvenience others. I had a lot of trouble in school because I couldn’t see the board or read small print. The bright lights indoors and sunlight outdoors blinded me so recess and gym class were torture.

Also, I can’t see color. I debated about doing the illustrations as pencil sketches or ask someone to help me with the colors. I was told that black and white would limit the commercial appeal of the book, but I had to think of my brave main character, Chato. What would he do? And I knew I had to stay true to myself.

What were some educational aspects that were important for you to include in this children’s book?

Going back to the previous questions, I think it is good for kids to see that they are not alone if they feel different. Also, it might be educational for them to learn about how someone can still think the world is a beautiful place without color vision.

As a language teacher, however, I love rhythm and rhyme and I believe it can help kids (and adults) learn and remember things. It helps them learn how words with the same sounds can have different spellings, and can also engage them while being read to; predicting the next words based on their sounds. The fact that the book is bilingual English/Spanish makes it great for bilingual families or for children learning one language or the other.

What is the next book you are working on, and when will it be available?

I have just finished a collection of short stories for adults and a few more picture books, one of which helps kids learn to tell time. I hope they will be available soon!

Author Links: GoodReads | LinkedIn | Todostuslibros

Tú eres un perro, pero todo el mundo piensa que eres un gato. ¿Qué haces? Una fábula animalista sobre el derecho natural a la personalidad propia.

You are a dog, but everyone thinks you are a cat. What are you doing? An animalistic fable about the natural right to one’s own personality.