FLY, PAJARITO, FLY
Today I’m delighted to share this conversation with author Alexandra Alessandri, regarding her newest picture book FLY, PAJARITO, FLY, illustrated by Dana Sanmar and published by Sleeping Bear Press on July 15, 2026.
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A bit about FLY, PAJARITO, FLY:
The sun sets as a child and her mother take their evening stroll past Don Jorge’s ice cream truck and the casita with the twinkling lights. They watch the riot of pájaros flocking and flying through the sky. “All you need is wings,” says Mami. But the girl believes she’ll never be brave enough to fly like that. Mami sings and twirls the girl into the air. Together, they lift off and fly through the night sky, seeing their whole neighborhood and city from above, feeling the freedom of flight. And when the girl is ready to return to Mami’s arms? “All you need is wings to bring you back home.” This is a story about the little, everyday moments that make life magical.
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Now on to our interview:
M. Amiga, it’s so nice to welcome you to the blog again! Congratulations on your new book, it’s so sweet! For starters, can you share what inspired you to write this story? Does it come from personal experience?
A. Fly, Pajarito, Fly was inspired by two memories. The first was of the nightly walks I had with my mom. We’d head out after dinner, wind our way through our neighborhood. Along the way, we’d pause by this big, leafy tree which, in the fall, was teeming with birds—and it was LOUD! It was a sweet memory, full of comfort and life. The second memory was that of my son struggling with separation anxiety as a child, which was hard on all of us. He’d cling to me, weeping, and as his mother, I had to balance nudging him to be independent while also being his rock and safety net. As I navigated these memories, I found the story taking shape, of comfort easing anxiety, and it gave life to Pajarito finding courage in the birds and her mom.
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M. I love how personal this story is and how wonderful that you were able to get inspiration from two of your memories, one from your childhood and one from your motherhood. Can you tell us why you decided to highlight birds in this story?
A. From the beginning, this story was centered around birds. One of the key anchors of this story was the memory of going to el hotel de los pájaros—a big ol’ tree full of migrating birds—with my mom. That stuck with me all these years. When I first set out to write a story about el hotel de los pájaros, I went in a completely different route: A literal bird hotel following a small bird arriving with his parents and the ruckus he made with new friends along the way. It was fun and silly and in verse, but it wasn’t working. So I put it aside and worked on new ideas. Still, the memory nudged me and years later, I revisited the idea during one Storystorm. As I brainstormed a new direction, I thought: What if instead of focusing on the bird and trees, I focused on the mother and daughter? What if I wove in emotions like I’d done in previous picture books? And that gave way to brainstorming when birds are loudest in Miami, and that’s fall, when clouds of birds paint the sky and trees and powerlines. So I researched bird migrations, and realized there was a beautiful parallel there, to a child learning to fly on her own.
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M. That is so interesting! It’s amazing how stories evolve with time and how research can spark inspiration. Next, can you share what was your favorite scene to write in this story and which one was the most challenging?
A. My favorite scene to write was actually the most challenging one! In the story, Pajarito goes on a magical fly across her city with her mom, through her own imagination. It was a nod to the magical realism I love so much, but I wanted to keep the extended metaphor going, of being brave to fly out on your own and what you might see and discover if you could. But that transition from rooted in reality to an imaginative fly over the city was tricky!
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M. You really nailed that scene, and the spread is so gorgeous and magical. Now, regarding illustrations, how was it for you to meet the characters created by Dana SanMar? Did you have any input in that process?
A. When I learned that Dana SanMar would be illustrating, I was thrilled! She had illustrated the cover for my middle grade fantasyThe Enchanted Life of Valentina Mejía, and I’m a huge fan of her work. So I knew the story was in perfect hands. And I was right! Dana created such tender characters and beautiful scenes from the text. Every spread is just a giant hug. I didn’t include art notes with my story, in part because I’ve learned to trust the process and the illustrator and art director, but also because this story didn’t need them. I did get to see and comment on early sketches and color drafts, but it was mostly me gushing about the illustrations!
I agree! Dana’s art is absolutely beautiful and you’re right, her spreads are giant hugs. How nice that you’ve worked together before, how special to be reunited again with a new project! Amiga, I’m very happy for you and I wish you the best with this lovely story. May it find a lot of love among readers of all ages in years to come. Congratulations!
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ALEXANDRA’S BIO
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Alexandra Alessandri is the award-winning author of several books for children, including Feliz New Year, Ava Gabriela!, Isabel and Her Colores go to School, The Enchanted Life of Valentina Mejía, Our World Colombia, Lupita’s Hurricane Palomitas, and Grow Up, Luchy Zapata, which is a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection. Her books have gone on to receive numerous distinctions, including the Florida Book Award, International Latino Book Award, Américas Award Commendable Title, and the ILA 2022 Children’s and Young Adults’ Book Award in Primary Fiction. The daughter of Colombian immigrants, she is also an educator and a poet, with some of her work appearing in The Acentos Review, Rio Grande Review, Atlanta Review, and Young Adult Review Network. Alexandra lives in Florida with her husband and son.
Social media handles: Instagram @apalessandri
Thanks for reading!
M
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Cover photo by Efrem Efre.
