NOT FAR FROM HERE

Today, I’m happy to welcome author and fellow Musa Nydia Armendia-Sánchez to the blog to discuss her upcoming debut picture book NOT FAR FROM HERE, illustrated by Devon Holzwarth and to be published by Candlewick Press in October 2024. Look at the beautiful cover!

A bit about NOT FAR FROM HERE:

In Not Far From Here, mama tells her children a story that began when their papá was a little boy, not far from here. Their hardworking abuelitas told stories of their antepasados, and their abuelo, a blacksmith, taught their papá how to make art from earth and fire. These ancestral figures would leave a lasting imprint on papá. When abuelo died, papá took all those lessons to heart and crossed la frontera al norte to follow his sueños. There, he worked and overcame barriers to forge his own obra maestra: a beautiful familia of his very own.

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Now on to our interview:

M. Nydia, I’m so glad to have this chance to chat with you about your beautiful story. Could you share the path to publication for this book? Were you agented?

N. Yes, I was agented and was very lucky to have one editor believe in this story! When you write, you are (typically) alone as you revise draft after draft perfecting your manuscript. But when it gets acquired, there is a team, which your editor forms a part of that and helps get the manuscript into the best possible shape. The illustrator adds another layer, and in the case, of a picture book, allows pre-readers to delight in the overall message and feeling of the story. It really has been the most eye-opening process (albeit a slow one) and one in which you appreciate the keen eyes of those involved in its creation.

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M. I agree! Creating a book is truly a team effort and every member adds so much to the story to make it the best it can be. Can you share which is your favorite illustration spread and why?

N. What a difficult choice!! Devon did a spectacular job on the illustrations – she really brought the magic. I think it would have to be the spread where mamá and papá meet. It’s perfectly sweet.

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M. That’s one of my favorite too! You’re right, it’s super sweet. Can you share how did you decide which words or phrases to include in Spanish throughout the story?

N. This was done pretty instinctively, I have to say. I quite literally sprinkled in the Spanish in a way that felt natural to me, as if having a conversation with someone or in this case, the children in the story. Including Spanish in this manner was important for two reasons. The first is that this is the way we speak in our household constantly navigating between the two. For us, Spanish is our heritage language, and so, we try to incorporate this as much as we can though each of our language journeys is unique and ever evolving. It was also important for me to weave in Spanish within each sentence to highlight that using two languages alongside each other is an asset; it validates diversity in language and culture among Latine readers and beyond, to their families and communities.

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M. I love that you’re higlighting being bilingual as an asset. I share the same opinion. What do you hope readers will take away from this story?

N. I hope it sparks conversations with their family members about their own origin stories.

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M. That’s a perfect take away! Finally, can you tell us what comes next for you, Nydia?

N. I am currently working on edits for two upcoming picture book projects (one unannounced) and I am planning the launch of my debut. After my debut, I also get the pleasure of promoting Frida Kahlo’s Flower Crown which releases April 1 st , 2025. It’s a busy time, but a joyful one! Estoy muy feliz.

Nydia I’m so happy to hear there are more books coming from you soon. How exciting! I can’t wait to know more about them and I’ll be looking forward to Frida’s Flower Crown. I love the cover! Congratulations!

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NYDIA’S BIO

Nydia Armendia-Sánchez is a children’s book author based in California. Her debut picture book NOT FAR FROM HERE, Candlewick Press, releases this fall 2024. Other forthcoming books are FRIDA KAHLO’S FLOWER CROWN (Cameron Kids, spring 2025), and MY HUIPIL (Candlewick Press, 2026). Nydia was awarded the Sustainable Arts Foundation Illustrated Children’s Book Award and named a finalist for the We Need Diverse Books Walter Grant. Her storytelling is inspired by her children as well as her Guatemalan and Basque roots. Nydia strives for inclusivity and diversity in all her creative endeavors.

Instagram and Tik Tok: @author.nydia.armendia

Thanks for reading!

M

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📸 Cover photo by Vladyslav Dukhin.