Floating on Mama’s Song Virtual Book Tour- Yuyi Morales Interview

Welcome to day number 4 of Floating on Mama’s Song Virtual Book Tour. You can be the lucky winner of a signed copy of this wonderful bilingual book. Leaving a comment on any of the tour's host sites enters you in the drawing to win a copy of Floating on Mama’s Song!


Virtual Book Tour Schedule

Monday, Aug. 30 - Floating on Mama's Song synopsis, reviews
http://www.dianebrowningillustrations.com/(Out of the Paintbox)      

Tuesday, Aug. 31- Laura Lacámara (author) interview
http://www.onbeyondwordsandpictures.com/ (On Beyond Words & Pictures) Megan Frances

Wednesday, Sept. 1- Katherine Tegen (editor) interview -- Publication day!
http://www.tinanicholscouryblog.com/(Tales from the Rushmore Kid)

Señores y Señoras y niños de todas las edades

Ladies and gentleman and children of all ages

For day number 4, Latin Baby Book Club interviewed the illustrator of this fabulous book, Yuyi Morales.

 Hola Yuyi, congratulations on your new publication Floating on Mama’s Song. What is the story about?

Thank you, René. Floating on Mama's Song is the story of Anita, whose mama loves to sing. But then, the day after Anita's seventh birthday, something strange and magical happens: every time Anita's mother sings, she and those who listen to her song, float in the air. Unfortunately, these strange yet happy moments come with consequences and the neighbors, as well as Anita's grandmother insist that Mama sings no more. Can you imagine what would happen if someone asked you to stop doing something you love?

As an illustrator do you have a routine when you get to read the manuscript of a future book for the first time?

Manuscripts are the heart of the book. They are brimming with inspiration and possibilities. I do a lot of imagining from the very first moment I read a manuscript. However, nothing really happens until I sit by my table to begin drawing.

What do you do next? How do you transform the written words into marvelous illustrations?

I begin with research; how do things look like in places such as where the story is happening? what is the feeling I sense? During this time I look at a lot of pictures in books and the internet. The next step is to  divide the text so that every page tells the right part of the story. After that drawing starts, first with thumbnails, which are very rough and very small drawings (smaller than my thumb, that is why they are called thumbnails) and are extremely important to me, because they are my map to navigate the story. Later these rough drawings will be refined into paintings.

I had heard you sing. You have a wonderful voice. What songs make you float?

Ah, I like singing, but my voice is very untrained and imperfect; however, since it is the one I have, I use it and enjoy it. I very much like singing verses from Son Jarocho, a traditional music from my native state, Veracruz, in Mexico.  I love the Mexican folk songs, and I have learned a lot of the traditional songs from hearing my mom, my aunts, my uncles, and my grandmothers sing while they worked and did chores. Music, singing and even whistling songs were an important part of my growing up.

Where do you work? Do you have a schedule?

I have my studio at home, and I follow a schedule that helps me be disciplined in doing this work I love.  My working day starts around 7:45 am, when I check my messages and send emails. After breakfast I take time to exercise, dance, or walk with my dogs. At about 11 am I come back showered and ready to continue working. I have a couple more breaks here and there (also I am the parent at home), but I usually work until dinner time. If I am dealing with a tights book deadline, I might work some more afterwards and until middle night. But never later than that, because, like my cousin Vanessa says, after midnight are the spooky hours and everybody better be in bed by then! 

Can you tell us a secret/ adventure when you where working on Floating on Mamá’s Song?

I will tell you a secret. I made the illustration of this book using yet another technique I haven't tried before. I cut out and then painted all of the elements in each painting separately. Later, I put them together in the computer combining these paintings with backgrounds and even photographs. Now, here is more of the secret: among the photographs, you can find some familiar faces. Laura's mother is there, and so is my father standing in the patio of my grandmother's house. There you will also find a photograph I took many years ago when I visited Cuba as a student living in Mexico. You will also find photographs of me when I was a child, including one from a school festival where my class and I had to perform a traditional Mexican dance for mother's day. Can you find them?

What are you working on now?

Right now I am starting the illustrations for a book I wrote where the main characters are the Mexican painter Frida Kahlo, her dog, Xolot, and her spider monkey Fulang. This book will be illustrated with puppets and photographs. An exciting adventure!

Thanks Yuyi, what are your final words for our readers?

Hey, what about some words in Spanish! Gracias y adios.

¡Muchas gracias a ti Yuyi!



Please visit tomorrow the last stop of the virtual book tour


Friday, Sept. 3 - Announcement of contest winner!
http://www.dianebrowningillustrations.com/(Out of the Paintbox)