Nathan Ñeque: The Hunger Contest follows a boastful agouti who loves winning and challenges a cicada to a hunger contest, confident that he will triumph. What inspired you to write this folklore adaptation story from The Ngäbe Comarca in Panama?

The Ngäbe people do not have any children’s books about their culture per se, and they brought the original story to me to write a children’s picture book. I adapted it to my own story and gave names to their animals but kept their theme throughout the book. Created my own story. We work on the Comarca with the Ngäbe people. I wanted to have some books for the children of their own culture.

The art in this book is fantastic. What was the art collaboration process like with the illustrator Yassibel Duque?

It was great, as usual. She is adaptable and comes up with unique ideas. She also lets me have my say, and we work well together. I appreciate the camaraderie with her.

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

I wanted to educate children on the agouti and cicada. The agouti is from Panama, and people know cicadas. I wanted to incorporate how cicadas get their food differently than the agouti. But the agouti didn’t realize how the cicada ate their “food”; the cicada only had to stay on the branch. The agouti had to hunt for his food.

I also wanted to bring out the pride, arrogance, and eventual defeat that enabled Nathan to change his perception of other animals. I wanted to keep that theme from the original Ngäbe folktale.

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

I am currently waiting for my illustrations for another folktale from the Ngäbes. The title of my adapted story is Benny the Boa Meets His Match. I will then get it formatted and uploaded to Amazon, probably mid-March 2025.

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