Writing With a Broken Tusk
Writing With a Broken Tusk began in 2006 as a blog about overlapping geographies, personal and real-world, and writing books for children. The blog name refers to the mythical pact made between the poet Vyaasa and the Hindu elephant headed god Ganesha who was his scribe during the composition of the Mahabharata. It also refers to my second published book, edited by the generous and brilliant Diantha Thorpe of Linnet Books/The Shoe String Press, published in 1996, acquired and republished by August House and still miraculously in print.
Since March 2024, Jen Breach (writer, VCFA graduate, and former student) has helped me manage guest posts and Process Talk pieces on this blog. They have lined up and conducted author/illustrator interviews and invited and coordinated guest posts. That support has helped me get through weeks when I’ve been in edit-copyedit-proofing mode, and it’s also introduced me to writers and books I might not have found otherwise. Our overlapping interests have led to posts for which I might not have had the time or attention-span. It’s the beauty of shared circles.
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.