Guest Post: Lulu Delacre on A Recipe for a Beginner Reader Series
I fell in love with Lulu Delacre’s little coquí characters from the first time I laid eyes on Rafi and Rosi. These little siblings frolic in their Puerto Rican habitat where Rafi makes magic and amazes his little sister—until he’s found out and has to make amends. Mangos and mangroves, stars and bioluminescence. There’s so much packed into this lively little chapter book and its sequels. They have delighted children for years and now there will be a final title in the series.
In the fifth and last book in the Rafi and Rosi Series the Coquí siblings take readers to Puerto Rico once more—this time through the joys of cooking. They have to help Abuela assemble 60 pasteles to fulfill an order! That’s a hefty goal and they must surmount platters of challenges—and they’re just a pair of little coquís! Lucky for them, they end up with the crunchy arañitas, sweet guava shells in syrup, and savory pasteles puertorriqueños that are on the menu. Lucky for us, we get the recipes in the book.
Here’s Lulu Delacre’s recipe for her delicious beginner reader series.
Lulu at age 7: photo courtesy of Lulu Delacre
Recipe for a Beginner Reader Series
by Lulu Delacre
1) Open a sketchbook
2) Remember a childhood nocturnal animal, whose lullaby you yearn for
3) Draw characters based on this animal
4) Imbue your characters with irresistible personalities based on people you know
5) Place your characters in a familiar setting
6) Create a problem for your characters
7) Let them solve the problem and allow the plot to play out
“Through two decades, trial and error, and always making sure to laugh along the way while I draw or write, I mastered the recipe that I share with you today. ”
If you laugh along the way, young kids will laugh as well. They'll want to know more about your characters' adventures. Then— it's time for you to start all over again from step 5 and delve into book #2. This time make changes to the setting, time of day, or season of the year. Small changes will provide an entire new problem for your characters to solve! Repeat.
I wish I had this recipe when I first published Rafi and Rosi in 2004. I wrote the first story as a standalone picture book, featuring coquís, tree frogs native to Puerto Rico. But I was guided into thinking of my manuscript as an easy reader with its action-packed plot and defined characters. Later, I learned that many kids saw themselves in Rafi, the all-knowing older brother happy to play tricks on his little sister. Others saw themselves in young Rosi, standing her ground and teaching Rafi lessons when needed. Readers liked the siblings' unusual adventures and usual happy endings. The sibling relationship at the heart of each story resonates with kids. After all, it's based on the one between my husband and his sister.
Today, I revel in the fact that readers learn things about my beloved island and its culture as they turn into fluent readers in either English or español simply because they want to know about what Rafi and Rosi get into next.
Image courtesy of Lulu Delacre
Photos courtesy of Lulu Delacre
Through two decades, trial and error, and always making sure to laugh along the way while I draw or write, I mastered the recipe that I share with you today. Fitting. The duo has hopped from one adventure to the other highlighting the island's natural beauty, traditions, history, music and now—its mouth-watering food. Rafi and Rosi Menu! ¡Rafi y Rosi Menú! serves a delicious end to the series, recipes included.
Thank you, Lulu! What a treat!
