Sara Andrea Fajardo Shares her Creative Point of View on uGROnews
uGROnews is on Substack written by kidlit authors, Joyce P. Uglow and Kathy Groth
From Sara's Point of View
When Sara first moved to the United States from her native Peru, her spoken English vocabulary consisted of just one word “monkey.” Thanks to Alisal Elementary, a bilingual school in Salinas, California, she not only expanded her vocabulary she was taught to celebrate her mixed heritage. There, she also learned the power of her words after a teacher, Ms. Stewart, turned one of her stories about the Easter Bunny into a play that became part of the English language curriculum. She's worked as a photojournalist, and a multimedia storyteller, and is now a dual immersion teacher in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Author’s website: https://sarafajardowrites.com/
BlueSky @safajarwrites
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From Sara’s Creative Point of View
P: POTENTIAL POWER OF YOUR BOOK:
Sara, you have an impressive TWO books releasing about one month apart. Congratulations! Please share what Crack Goes the Cascarón is about and the power or impact that this book can have on readers.
My book Crack Goes the Cascarón is about one of my favorite Latine traditions, cascarones, confetti-filled eggs that people crack over one another’s heads. But really, beyond that, it’s about family bonds, the joy of creative pranks, and spending time together. My goal was to put the reader right into the action and make the family feel familiar whether or not they’d ever seen a cascarón in real life. I wanted this book to be a celebration of my latinidad without centering the story on identity or culture.
The hunt is on to figure out who will be the reigning champ of Cascarones, and Toti knows that he has his family beat. When the day of Cascarones arrives, will Toti seize his moment or will it be scrambled when he learns someone has switched his cascarones for fake ones!
About the illustrator: About Rocío Arreola Mendoza is a freelance illustrator and co-founder of Cúrcumas Creative Studio. She has worked with Matamoros City’s Government in Mexico, making commercial illustrations for social media and printed campaigns. She lives in Mexico with her husband, child, and cats.
Praise for Crack Goes the Cascarón (releases February 18, 2025)
“Fajardo lets the egg puns fly throughout this playful work (“You wanna hear a yolk?… Time to scramble!”), while Arreola Mendoza’s digital illustrations display the planning stage, and subsequent familial hijinks, in bold hues and sprawling lines.” Publishers Weekly
“The playful tale captures the joy of family traditions and the delight of creative pranks, inspiring readers to make their own fun... Sure to make readers smile, this sparkling story affirms cultural traditions.” Kirkus
Peppered with Spanish words that are translated easily from context; prankster energy; and wide, oversized smiles on every family member from Toti to Abuela, readers will no doubt be inspired to eat their eggs and save the shells so they, too, can dive into the tradition of cascarón making with their own families—no matter which holidays they celebrate.” School Library Journal
O: OPINION: The number of books published for children each year is mind-boggling.
What did you do, and what can other creators do to make their projects irresistible to agents, publishers, and ultimately to book buyers?
With every story I write I try to take something deeply personal to me and find the universal truth in it that will make it resonate with others. In this particular story, I drew on the love my family has for creative pranks and telling jokes, from my grandmother to my aunts, uncles, cousins, and siblings. So I knew that even if I was writing about a tradition, cascarones, that many readers might not be familiar with, they might see things in the characters that still somehow felt familiar.
We are more alike than different, and when we focus on our commonalities it’s easier to find ways into a story that have broader appeal.
I: INSIGHTS GAINED:
What insights can you share about researching, writing, and/or illustrating this book? How can a person put their interests and/or background to work in creating a project?
Research for this story consisted of eating a lot of eggs, letting my kids pelt me with cascarones, and interviewing family members about their techniques for catching people off guard. I also looked into the history of cascarones and was delighted to learn more about its international roots with origins in China, links to Marco Polo, and eggs filled with perfume as a form of courtship. None of the history ended up in the book, but it’s always fun to learn more about a topic.
N: NOURISH YOUR CREATIVE SELF: I love the health and creative benefits of walking outdoors and pausing at a “Sit Spot” along the way to connect with nature. What are ways that you nourish your creative self?
I nourish my creative self by centering on play. For me writing - creating - is a joyful experience. I don’t believe in suffering for your art, I believe in nourishing yourself by creating art, by honoring that inner spark. When I write and create I feel the most myself.
T: TAKEAWAY:
What is the vital idea, takeaway, or message your readers will come to understand after reading your book?
I hope it will inspire others to get outside and play with their families. I had a lot of fun coming up with all the puns in the story, so if it inspires others to write punny or gets kids to have fun with language that would be just delightful.
VIEW: What’s next for you, Sara?
My nonfiction picture book biography Alberto Salas Plays Paka Paka con la Papa: Join the Quest with Famed Scientist and Potato Expert, lushly illustrated by the fabulous Caldecott-honoree Juana Martinez-Neal, comes out on March 18, 2025. It is my love letter to the Andes, its people, and the gifts they offer the world. While it’s a very playful book, it also covers serious topics, climate change, and global food security.”
“As a little girl growing up in California, my father painted vivid portraits of the Andes through stories, music, and impassioned lectures on the Quechua language and culture. His talks often lingered on the richness of the land, particularly the thousands of varieties of potatoes that sprout from its fertile soil. At the time, I longed for a picture book that reflected and celebrated this aspect of my heritage. I could find none. But years later, when I first met Alberto, his eyes twinkled with a familiar joy and pride when he spoke about the Andes and his work. This book is my love letter to the Andes and its people. Through these pages, I hope to honor the value of an Andean childhood, the wisdom embedded in the Quechua language, and the extraordinary gifts they offer the world.” Sara Andrea Fajardo
I noticed Paka is getting lots of attention! Here’s what Betsy Bird of School Library Journal wrote on January 10, 2025. Congrats, Sara Fajardo and Juana Martinez-Neal!
A star from Publisher’s Weekly!
Wow! You have even more exciting news!
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“The most meaningful way to succeed is to help others succeed.” ADAM GRANT
I want to thank you, Sara, for spending your extremely busy time with us. Your books are as beautiful as they are fun and important. I can’t wait to see what comes next for you!
Thank you so much for sharing your ebullient spirit, Sara! You are indeed fortunate in your family and in what sounds like an upbringing of cultural wealth. And by sharing, you have enriched us all. Many thanks!