Lulu Delacre
Bilingual author and illustrator of children's books
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I spent a long time thinking how best to illustrate this collection. Eventually I realized that what I wanted to show was that there are all sorts of Latinos embedded in the American fabric.

I spent two years sketching mothers and their babies. I visited Latino markets, Latino neighborhoods, parks, public libraries, and schools. I have pictures of Latinas working in the strawberry fields of Pennsylvania, of single mothers in the mall, and of Latinas at the park.

One winter day, I was driving home, camera by my side, when I saw a beautiful mother crossing the avenue. Her dark hair woven into a tight braid fell across her back, reaching past her flimsy sweater. She had a long black skirt sprinkled with red flowers and in her arms held a tiny baby swaddled in a pink blanket. She looked out of place, dressed in Guatemalan garb, standing on the snowy sidewalk.

I made a u-turn, parked, walked towards her, introduced myself, and asked for permission to take her picture. She embodied what I wanted to portray in this book, Latinas of all social classes, of different origins, of different shades, united in the love for our heritage and the love for our children.

The many photographs I took, along with the sketches I had made, helped me create the paintings of the book. First, I primed bristol board with gesso. Then, I gave texture to the background with broad brush strokes. Finally, I applied a base color before I started painting in oil washes thinned with turpentine. I wanted richness in texture and depth in color, mimicking with my technique what I imagined the lives of these women to be. I paid close attention to the facial expressions and body gestures of my characters in order to portray the strong bond that occurs between mother and child, regardless of time and place, as they are enveloped in a game or lullaby.

I crafted each picture as if it were a short glimpse in the private world of the mother and baby portrayed.