A single-family home
with Gabriela Orozco Belt, Costa Rican-American children’s book author of 'Only For a Little While'
#NuevasPáginas is a space that aims to amplify and spotlight Hispanic/Latine/x authors with newly published books. The goal is to connect readers to their next favorite Hispanic/Latine/x authored book through a mini casual get-to-know-the-book-and-author interview. So please help me connect to more readers. So that together we can continue to build the love/support of Latine literature!
Hey Book Franz!
This week we have back-to-back author interviews. I am a little behind on sharing them because LIFE happens and I’m just one person trying to keep this newsletter going. That said, I am so grateful to connect with so many amazing Latine authors with amazing books. Connecting you all (my readers here) to those authors is what keeps me going like a little energizer bunny. So thank you for being here!
What is Lupita reading this week?
I know this section is always full of what I’m reading and it seems like I’m reading just fine but to be fully transparent, these past few weeks/months have been hard. I don’t feel like I can find or that my brain wants to find the time to read the way we use to — before bed, for at least an hour or really finding any time to sit down to read. But I think that has thankfully changed(!!!)
I can safely admit I was going through a reading slump even though I was still sort of reading. I think I often think of reading slumps as moments when readers just don’t vibe with any book and don’t read at all. But the reality is a reading slump can be or feel like anything that prevents you from doing the one thing you love - reading!
All that to say, my brain devoured a book (Where There Was Fire by John Manuel Arias) over the weekend that I haven’t stopped thinking about or analyzing. The characters were so strong, the plot was so good, and the vibes were all there with sentences that landed inside of me like magic tricks! Such a good book.
And sometimes that’s all it takes to push you out of a reading slump — continuing to read until the skies part at the right time and the right words reach you.
📕 Physical book I’m reading now and which is equally captivating to me (I’m talking I’ll probably finish it later tonight)- In Vitro: On Longing and Transformation is a collection of intimate vignettes about the author’s experience with IVF, thoughts about motherhood and so much more.
For #LupitasBookClub Besties:
I finished reading THE CONSEQUENCES by Manuel Muñoz and OMG what a collection yall! I can’t wait to discuss this one. There are so many layers to it. Expect discussion questions from me soon!!!
Without further ado, our special guest author for today’s Nuevas Pagina issue is……Gabriela Orozco Belt author of Only For a Little While!
Could you tell me a bit about where this photo was taken? Is it special to your book in some way?
This is a picture of my parents reading Por un ratito for the first time. It was so important to have this story in both English and Spanish so they could be able to read it.
Tell me about your book without telling me about your book - share any literary inspirations behind your book! If there are none, the gap you wanted to fill in the literary canon with your book
Only For a Little While is a story about family, adjusting to new situations, and love. I'm not sure what spot it will fill in the literary canon, I only hope it fills some spots in kid's hearts. That they'll be able to see themselves, their families, and their situations and know they aren't the only ones going through it.
What are two central themes in your book that you connect with the most and why?
1. Family. I was part of a large extended family growing up, and the memories I have with my cousins are some of the most special ones I have. Raising my kids in their large extended family and seeing them make their own special memories has been such a joy.
2. Perspective. Like the characters in the book, there were times when we lived with family or family lived with us. As a kid, I never understood why and didn't ask; it was just fun to be with my cousins. How you look at things can really change how you process things.
If a book was home, where would your home be?
It would be a simple, single-family home that could open its front door to hold multiple families when needed.
If your book was a famous musician who would it be?
I'm not sure how famous he is outside of Costa Rica but Gilberto Hernandez. The sounds of my childhood Saturday mornings.
What comfort food could a reader pair with your book?
Arroz con leche, with cinnamon sticks that you can use as a makeshift spoon.
In what ways has access (or little to no access) to Hispanic/Latinx/e literature defined you as a writer?
Having limited access to Hispanic/Latinx/e writers growing up makes me so excited to be a part of the shift taking place now. It also makes me worried that our stories have to fit a mold to be told. There are so many voices in this space with different experiences and they all deserve to be honored.
Where can readers keep up with your work?
I'm on Twitter and Instagram (mostly IG) @thegreatgabsie or at gabrielabelt.com
Thank you to Gabriela Orozco Belt for taking the time to chat with me about her book! Please please make sure you purchase a copy (or request your local library carry a copy) #SupportLatinxLit!
Gabriela Orozco Belt is a children’s book author who lives in a small town in the Mojave Desert. Inspired by her experiences of growing up bilingual and bicultural, she writes stories for children so they can see themselves in books. Gaby’s debut picture book, Only For a Little While serves to soften and process the feeling of being uprooted and see change as a temporary difficulty that families can overcome with mutual support. When not teaching, writing, or reading, she can be found spending time with her husband, three children, and extended family.
Synopsis for Only For a Little While from the Bookshop website:
When Maribel's family has to move in with Tía Carmen because Papi lost his job, Maribel and her sister feel unsettled.
It's not always easy sharing a room or being in a house full of loud cousins, but Papi reminds the girls that it's only por un ratito--just for a little while. In the meantime, there is always someone to play with, the mealtimes are filled with music and laughter, and bedtime is for snuggling in tight. Maribel realizes that maybe being there por un ratito isn't so bad after all.
From debut author Gabriela Orozco Belt and artist Richy Sánchez Ayala comes a moving story about family and change--and how love is always the constant.