MIGUEL MUST FIGHT!

I’m thrilled to welcome my friend, critique partner, and fellow Musa Jamie Ofelia to the blog. Jamie’s debut picture book, Miguel Must Fight!, is releasing on April 30th. It’s illustrated by the amazing Sara Palacios and published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.

Jamie’s words on Miguel Must Fight!:

“In my debut fictional picture book, MIGUEL MUST FIGHT!, Miguel is a boy who comes from a family of sword fighters but who wants to be an artist. Everyone pressures Miguel to begin his training, but fighting just isn’t Miguel’s style. And when a fearsome dragon lands in their village, Miguel has one chance to defend his family and prove that his pencil is mightier than the sword!”

I’ve read an advance reader copy (ARC) of this book and it’s amazing. The illustrations are gorgeous and the story is so much fun and with a great message too. You definitely will have to check it out.

* “Ofelia’s picture-book debut crackles with a playful text that wraps a self-affirming message in a thrilling mini-adventure … A maravilloso reminder of being true to oneself.” —Kirkus, starred review

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Now on to our interview:

M. Jamie, I’m so happy to have this chance to chat with you about your amazing book! What a great review from Kirkus. Congratulations! Can you tell us what inspired you to write this story? Why a dragon?

J. I wanted to write a story that centered an artistic boy whose perspective has gone unappreciated by his family. What I love best about Miguel is that he is gentle but also stubborn! No matter how much his family or neighbors pressure him to fight, he gently refuses every time. I think he always knew that if stayed patient and followed his own creative path, one day his parents would finally catch up and understand the value in his art. As for the dragon, it kind of just came to me in the middle of the first draft, like lightning. “And then El Dragón landed.” The line made me laugh because it felt so out there. So I went with it! I also think a dragon is a great fit for this story because a dragon is a creature that is both fearsome and awesome, depending on your perspective. Miguel’s family and the villagers immediately saw the dragon as a threat, but Miguel just thought it was increíble!

M. I’m SO glad that there’s a dragon in this story! He’s the best! Now can you share how did you come up with the idea of fighting a dragon with art?

J. I guess this idea came from my own ideas on how a lot of conflict can be avoided: with flattery! Ha! But seriously- Miguel had no interest in fighting, only in finding hidden beauty in all the things around him. So he uses his art to share his perspective with the dragon. Who would ever want to fight with a kid like that?

M. I agree, I love Miguel’s perspective on the world. Jamie, what was your favorite scene to write in this story?

J. Oh my gosh, what a great question! Introducing and describing Miguel’s family and how they fight was a blast. I loved playing up their skills in interesting ways. Writing the fight scene with the dragon was so fun, too. It all felt like I was creating my own action movie!

M. I love how that scene turned out when adding the illustrations too! Sara is an awesome artist! How was it for you to meet your characters for the first time?

J. Seeing Miguel, his family, and El Dragón come to life was amazing. Sara Palacios’ artwork is just stunning! She added such awesome details like the stuffed dummy and other wooden tools the Garcías use to practice sparring. The best part was showing the illustrations to my five-year-old kiddo and watching his eyes light up in recognition that my story was becoming an actual book!

M. How special! I agree that sharing our books with our children is such a unique experience. What message are you hoping kids will take away from your book?

J. I hope Miguel’s story encourages kids to stubbornly pursue their dreams, and to not let others’ opinions shake their confidence. And I hope kids feel empowered to get creative and share their art with the world!

That’s a perfect message, I love it! Jamie, it was so much fun to chat with you, thank you for your time! I wish you the best with your beautiful book and with your future projects too. Cheers to Miguel Must Fight!

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JAMIE’S BIO

Jamie Ofelia is the author of the humorous and heartfelt picture book MIGUEL MUST FIGHT!, which releases with Little, Brown Books for Young Readers on April 30th , 2024. As a biracial Latina, Jamie writes fiction and nonfiction stories so Latinx kids can see themselves reflected as heroes in mainstream children’s literature. She holds her master’s degree in marriage and family therapy and is currently a stay-at-home mom living in Dallas, where she spends her days reading diverse picture books with her son. When her son gets bored, she continues reading diverse picture books all by herself.

Twitter: @JamieOfelia
Insta: @JamieOfeliaWrites

Thanks for reading!

M

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Cover photo by David Floyd.