WAYS PAPI SAYS I LOVE YOU
I’m delighted to welcome my dear amiga and fellow Musa Delia Ruiz to the blog. Today we celebrate her soon to be released picture book Ways Papi Says I Love You. Illustrated by Carlos Vélez and to be published by Charlesbridge on March 24, 2026; this is a heartwarming book that you’ll want to check out, AND it’s also available in Spanish!
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A bit about Ways Papi Says I Love You:
When Papi, who is always busy working at el rancho, asks Maricruz to jump in the truck with him to go get groceries for Mami, she grabs the list and sprints! During the drive, they wave to the people in their community and enjoy qualitytime. Ways Papi Says I Love you / Las maneras en que papi dice te quiero is a book that shows all the love languages.
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Now, on to our interview:
M. Amiga, how lovely to have this chance to chat again. Can you tell us why was it important for you to write THIS story? Why now?
D. I grew up on a small rural ranch in Mexico before coming to the U.S. at the age of six. Growing up I didn’t see stories with rural settings from Latine authors and much less in Spanish. It was important for me to set this story outside of the U.S. and show the realness of life in a rural area. I translated the story as well so it’s told from an authentic language perspective as well with words and expressions used in the ranch. With Latine authors only representing less than 12% of the market, it’s important for this type of representation to exist so others can see themselves on the page. I recently shared this story with my family and it’s their first time in 50-60 years of their life that they see characters and a setting like their home; representation matters and it’s never too late to tell our stories.
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M. You’re right amiga, representation matters and it’s so important that children can see themselves in the pages of stories that are about them. Can you share why did you want to write about the different love languages?
Originally I was reflecting on happy moments spent with my father. I remembered our rides across town in his pick-up truck. It was one of many ways we spent quality time together. I also thought about the different ways love is shown in Latine households and thought, why not combine it into one storyline. In my household, the words “I love you” weren’t expressed but they were shown in other ways (preparing a hot meal, putting Vaporub on, etc) so I wrote this story to open up the conversation on the different ways we can receive and give love to others.
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M. Including the different love languages is definitely a powerful hook in your story, and I’m sure it will open conversations between parents, children, and teachers as they read your book. Amiga, can you share the path to publication for this book?
D. This story is what got me my agent and opened the doors into traditional publishing. I wrote an early draft around 2022 and took a workshop on revising this story (taught by my now agent but I had no idea then). I queried with this manuscript and got many rejections before I got “the call” and had to decide which publishing house was best during the auction. I went with a Latina editor who understood the story and we ended up changing it from a first person POV to third person. I signed the deal in 2023 and now it’ll be out in the world this year.
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M. Wow! I didn’t know this is the story that got you agented or that it was sold in an auction. Congrats! Can you tell us how was it for you to meet the characters created by Carlos Vélez? Did you have any input in the illustration process?
D. I was so excited to see the early sketches and was surprised how the dad in the story resembled my father. I did share photos with the team and included art notes that dealt more with the storyline vs descriptions of people/places. It was a neat surprise when I got to see the color pages that showed a true ranch, the dirt roads, a plaza, and the interaction between the father and daughter come to life.
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M. How special that this book reflects you and your story in words and illustrations. I can only imagine the powerful connection you feel towards it. Any new projects that you’re currently working on that you can share?
D. I’m working on a 2027 graphic novel picture book project about two boys who pretend to play as a coqui and ranita. They translanguage and learn new Spanish words from their cultures. I was able to see sketches recently by Ashley Vargas and it’s turning out amazing (and has many humorous scenes). I am also working on an unannounced project about an outing to a car shop that touches on patience, family outings, and quality time.
That’s so exciting, Delia! How wonderful that you are now moving on to new genres too. I wish you the best with all of your projects, and specially with Ways Papi Says I Love You!
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DELIA’S BIO
Delia Ruiz is a first generation Latina author from San Antonio, Texas. Her published works include the ¡123 BAILA! board book series, WAYS PAPI SAYS I LOVE YOU, MOON CHEF, and the International Latino Book award-winning story ROQUI’S PANDERO BEAT. She currently resides in Puerto Rico with her husband, toddler, and pug. Delia hopes to inspire the next generation of writers who also come from immigrant households.
Social media handle: @Aventuras.En.ESL
Thanks for reading!
M
Cover photo by Juan Pablo Serrano.
