Monica Brown at the Celia Cruz Exhibit at the National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C.

Brown's books go beyond borders

Monica Brown is like one of the characters she writes about in her bilingual books: moved by her heritage, inspired by the beauty of the Spanish language and passionate about her work.

Brown, an associate professor of English at Northern Arizona University, returned to teaching this fall after taking a semester-long sabbatical to write more bilingual books for children. Four will be published within the next two years: Butterflies on Carmen Street, a picture book from Pinata Books; The Life of Gabriel Garcia Marquez, from Luna Rising; Chavela's Magic Rainforest Chicle, from Luna Rising; and Pele and 1000 Goals, from HarperCollins/Rayo publishers.

Brown is also working on a picture-book about the friendship of Dolores Huerta and Cesar Chavez, and a contemporary reworking of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice.

"I grew up speaking Spanish and English and am thrilled to share stories based in the Latino culture," Brown said. "Being bilingual gives you a connection to millions of other human beings—their language, their literature, their music."

Brown's poetic narratives connect young people with the Latino culture by featuring its traditions and its renowned artists. Illustrated in bold colors, each book has a bilingual teaching guide to further help instructors inspire young readers.

Her book, My Name is Celia, about the "Queen of Salsa" Celia Cruz, won the Américas Award for Children's Literature in 2004. It was illustrated by Rafael López and won the 2006 Pura Belpre Honor Medal for Illustration, the first American Library Association award given to an Arizona press book. Brown's book, My Name is Gabriela, about Chilean Nobel-prize wining poet Gabriela Mistral, received critical acclaim, including a starred review in School Library Journal.

"In writing about Celia Cruz, I was moved by the rhythms of her music and inspired by her touching life story," Brown said. "In writing about Gabriela, I drew inspiration from my own Peruvian heritage and our shared love for language."

Brown chooses subjects that inspire her own work. "I was inspired to write about Gabriel Garcia Marquez because of his humanity, his genius, his language. I first read 100 Years of Solitude in high school and it represented family, love, politics, passion...I could go on and on," Brown said. "I wrote about him because I felt that other generations should know his magic."

Gabriel Garcia Marquez, a Colombian-born author and journalist, won the 1982 Nobel Prize for Literature.

Brown, the daughter of a North American father and a South American mother, said she doesn't "see borders in quite the same way as others might."

She said bilingual literature goes beyond borders. "In my mind we are all global citizens. Why wouldn't we want to better communicate with our brothers and sisters of the Americas?"

According to Brown, people don't have to have children to write children's books, but they need to have an ear for the way children speak. "I run everything by my two daughters, who are my biggest fans and inspiration," said Brown, who also finds inspiration from the sounds and smells of the ocean and from walking in the forest.

For information, go to www.monicabrown.net.

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