Today we are very excited to share a special interview with author Monica Mancillas and illustrator Olivia de Castro (How to Speak in Spanglish)!
Read on to learn more about them, their book, and a giveaway!
Meet the Author: Monica Mancillas
Mónica Mancillas (she/her/hers) grew up speaking English, Spanish, and her own version of Spanglish, where words like “socks” and “calcetines” accidentally became “socketines.” She lives in Burbank, California, with her husband and daughter, where she authors books featuring marginalized voices for children of all ages. Find more about Mónica and her work at www.monicamancillas.com.
Website * Twitter * Instagram * Facebook
Meet the Illustrator: Olivia de Castro
Olivia de Castro is an illustrator from Verona, New Jersey and a graduate of Pratt Institute. Currently, she is living and working in Brooklyn, New York, as a freelance illustrator. Her work is inspired by her mixed family, and she likes to make art that relates to culture, family, food, humor, and the immigrant experience. Check out her work at oliviadecastro.myportfolio.com and @oliviadecastroart on Instagram.
About the Book: How to Speak in Spanglish
In this charming and delightful picture book, Sami shares the joys of Spanglish with his skeptical abuela and diverse community.
Sami loves to speak both English and Spanish. But he doesn’t just speak them one at a time. He speaks in Spanglish! Sometimes, he makes brand-new words—like “lonche”—and sometimes, he puts the languages together in one sentence, like when he’s hungry for jamberguers con papas fritas.
But not everyone likes Spanglish. Abuela thinks that Spanish should be spoken at home and English at school. And to make matters more complicated, Sami’s not allowed to write his homework in Spanglish.
At first, Sami feels confused and frustrated. But with the support of his family, friends, and neighbors, Sami soon realizes that his unique identity should be celebrated. Hooray, muy bien, Sami!
~Chat~
YABC: What gave you the inspiration to write this book?
Mónica: Spanish was my first language. However, I moved to the US when I was only two years
old and quickly began speaking predominantly English. Like most children who grow up in a
bilingual family, this led to a lot of accidental code-switching. Because this phenomenon wasn’t
widely talked about or represented in books or other media at the time, I held onto a lot of shame
about my inability to speak Spanish perfectly. Language is so tied to our cultural identity and
sense of self, that for me, this imperfection felt like a huge failing. I was inspired to write this
book because I wanted to not only normalize this extremely common practice amongst
multilingual children but celebrate it! I truly hope that children (and adults) will find joy in
seeing themselves represented in this book and will feel a sense of pride in the incredible gift it is
to speak more than one language.
YABC: Which came first, the title or the book?
Mónica: The book came first, the title after (which is typically what happens when I’m writing a
picture book).
YABC: Thinking way back to the beginning, what’s the most important thing you’ve learned
as a writer from then to now?
Mónica: It sounds cliché, but the only way to get better as a writer is to write consistently and
often. Writing is a muscle – the more you work it, the stronger it gets. I used to write when
inspiration took me (which meant that I hardly ever wrote). Now, I write every single day. And
surprise, surprise! The more I write, the better (and faster) I get at it!
YABC: What do you like most about the cover of the book?
Mónica: First of all, I absolutely adore the bright color palette that Olivia used in the illustrations
of this book. I also love how almost stubbornly joyful Sami is about teaching others how to
speak Spanglish while his Abuela looks on disapprovingly.
YABC: What’s a book you’ve recently read and loved?
Mónica: I recently read “Born Behind Bars” by Padma Venkatraman, and absolutely loved it!
Padma does such a beautiful job of tackling a heavy subject in a way that isn’t overly oppressive
– something that can be tricky for those of us addressing heavier topics in Middle Grade fiction.
She does such a great job of pulling you into the story in a way that is both relatable and
unputdownable. Definitely a must read!
YABC: What’s up next for you?
Mónica: I have a lot of projects on the burner at the moment! My middle grade debut, Sing it
Like Celia, will be released by Penguin Workshop next Spring. I have a non-fiction book entitled
Leyendas/Legends: Sixty Extraordinary Leaders, Icons, Innovators, Scientists, Athletes, Artists,
Change-Makers, and Trailblazers from Latin America coming out through Chronicle in 2025.
And I’m currently working on two unannounced middle grade novels, which will be released in
2024 and 2025.
YABC: What is the main message or lesson you would like your reader to remember from this
book?
Mónica: I really want every person who reads this book to feel both seen and celebrated, and to
discover the true beauty in expressing one’s self without limitation.
YABC: What advice do you have for new writers?
Mónica: Celebrate the victories, big and small, and learn to take the setbacks as a curve in the
road rather than a dead end. Whenever you start to doubt, remind yourself of why you started
writing in the first place. That is the place you should call home.
Title: HOW TO SPEAK IN SPANGLISH
Author: Mónica Mancillas
Illustrator: Olivia de Castro
Release Date: August 22, 2023
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
ISBN-10: 0593521809
ISBN-13: 9780593521809
Genre: Hardcover Picture Book
Age Range: 4-8
~ Giveaway Details ~
Five (5) winners will receive a copy of How to Speak in Spanglish (Monica Mancillas) ~US Only!
*Click the Rafflecopter link below to enter the giveaway*
How adorkable!
I love this
The cover is cute and this sounds packed with humor and heart.
This would be perfect to share with readers at my school! We have many Spanish speaking students and I think they’d enjoy the story.