HOW TO EAT A MANGO

I’m so happy to welcome author, friend, fellow Musa, and fellow PB Rising Star Mentor Paola Santos to the blog. Today we’ll be talking about her upcoming debut picture book How to Eat a Mango, which is illustrated by Juliana Perdomo and will be published by Neal Porter Books /Holiday House on July 16th, 2024. A Spanish edition will also be available: Cómo Se Come un Mango.

• Interior from How to Eat a Mango and Cómo Se Come un Mango. Text copyright © 2024 by Paola Santos. Illustrations copyright © 2024 by Juliana Perdomo. Reproduced with permission from Holiday House Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

A bit about the book:

Carmencita doesn’t want to help Abuelita pick mangoes; she doesn’t even like them! They’re messy, they get stuck in her teeth, and it’s a chore to throw out the rotten ones. But Abuelita adores mangoes, and patiently, she teaches Carmencita the right way to eat them. Each step is a meditation on everything Mamá Earth has given, and in the Earth’s love, Carmencita feels the love of her Mami, her Papi, her little brother Carlitos, and of course, Abuelita. When they finally bite in, the juice running down their arms, Carmencita understands. The mangoes are more than just mangoes… and she’s ready for another!

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Now on to our interview:

M. Paola, I’m so glad we get this chance to talk about your beautiful book. Can you tell us how did you get the idea for this story? Why mangoes? Why a relationship between a girl and her Abuelita?

P. Why mangoes? Such a good question! Mangoes were one of those fruits I thought I would hate for the rest of my life. Fortunately, I was mistaken. Why did I hate them during my childhood? I was born in Maracaibo, one of the hottest cities in Venezuela. We had four mango trees in our backyard, and the heat caused the mangoes to rot very quickly. My Abuelita used to make me sweep the ones that smashed onto the ground, so the rancid smell persists in my memory. However, now that I live far from my country, another memory arose and overwrote that first experience: the image of my abuelita humming in delight while enjoying eating a mango. And I remembered! I remembered how I felt watching her, how I used to wish I liked them too, and how much I wanted to go back to that moment and urge myself to pay attention. That is the foundation of this story and why I chose to portray an intergenerational relationship between an abuela and her grandchild.

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M. That is so touching! Thanks for sharing such a dear memory! Something else that jumps off the pages in this story is the love for Mother Earth. Why was it important for you to highlight it?

P. I LOVED to lay down our mango trees and listen to the blowing breeze saying my name between the leaves, whispering about adventuress, poetry, and emotions. I’ve always had a very close connection with nature. I admire and respect its place in our lives and enjoy its calming presence. This story tries to highlight how much we need Mamá Earth and establish we are all part of her. No similar or different, just part of every aspect of nature.

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M. I love that! Can you share how did you decide which words to use in Spanish? Why did you decide to include them?

P. Spanish is my mother tongue, so it feels natural to include it in my writing words I constantly use in my life. However, even though it is easy, every Spanish word in my stories has a purpose. They are not randomly selected; they have to move with the story forward with their rhythm and bring something with them: an emotion, a sound, and a sense of belonging.

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M. That’s so interesting! I’m glad that you decided to include Spanish, it definitely gives the story another important layer and makes it feel more authentic. Now please tell us which was your favorite scene to write and why.

P. I love the scenes where Abuelita describes to Carmencita how it feels to bite into a ripe mango. These scenes span three spreads and capture the sense of taste. I don’t think they changed much from my initial draft to the final version because my heart was fully invested in every word I wrote. I could clearly picture my grandma’s face as I wrote this part. The words just flowed out of me!

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M. Pao, that’s beautiful and I can totally understand that feeling! Finally, can you please share what comes next for you? Are you working on anything new right now?

P. It is always exciting to share upcoming projects. My sophomore picture book, A House in My Barrio, has been acquired by Mark Podesta at Henry Holt and was recently announced! The book, illustrated by the talented Olivia Sua, is scheduled for release in Fall 2026. Also, I hope there will be a third announcement soon, but I cannot share much about that. Additionally, I have a story currently under submission while writing many others. The life of a writer is always busy! I hope to share more news with you all soon.

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Paola, that is so exciting! I’m so happy for you and I wish you the best with your debut coming out next week and also with all of your current projects. Thanks so much for the chat. I can’t wait to hear more good news from you. Congratulations! 🎉

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PAOLA’S BIO

Paola Santos is a children’s book author born and raised in Venezuela. After moving to Canada, shefound the courage to share the words and stories that had long been enclosed in her imagination. Herstories are now woven with her culture, experience in a new country, hope, happiness, and diversity.Paola holds a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in Literature and Children’s Literature and ReadingPromotion. She is the author of How to Eat a Mango / Cómo see come un mango (Neal Porter Books /Holiday House), 2024, and the forthcoming picture book A House in My Barrio (Henry Holt /Macmillan), 2026. She lives in Edmonton.

Website: www.paolasantos.com

Twitter: @pgsantosb

Instagram: @pgsantosb

Thanks for reading!

M

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📸 Cover photo by Messala Ciulla.