#NuevasPáginas: Honoring Memories
with Mariana Ríos Ramírez author of 'Abuelita’s Gift: A Dia De Los Muertos Story'
Hey Book Franz,
Happy Love Day ❤️🥹! I know folks have different feelings about this “holiday”, and I welcome them all, which is why I prefer to call it Love Day over Valentine’s Day. Ultimately, it’s another day to wish/send love. So whatever you do today, know that I wish you love in all its infinite forms.
Also, I know I’m a few days off our regular Tuesday drop-in schedule and I missed an issue of ‘The Sunday Shelf’ but I have a couple of good reasons. My Kid celebrated a birthday and we made a wish of his come true:
My Kid not only wanted to see an alligator, but he wanted to see one in the Everglades. I have a whole The Sunday Shelf issue I want to write about that would reflect on how beautiful it’s been to have the opportunity to not only follow his interests but get to create new experiences around them. That’s coming in the future sometime, but for now, I’ll leave you with these two images. One was taken on an airboat we hopped on via the Miccosukee Airboat tours of the Everglades, and the other is catching an Alligator chilling right in the sun on the perimeter of the surviving village of the Miccosukee Tribe deep in the Everglades. Afterward, we did a whole day at the beach, taking in some sun and waves. We had such a wonderful, quick trip to Florida. It was much needed. And sharing this experience feels perfect for today’s author feature.
I will be back in your inbox on Sunday (or maybe Monday, we’ll see how the weekend goes 😅). I will leave you with special bookish Valentine’s Day cards I made to inspire you to pick up some of my favorite queer books of 2025 (so far). You can catch them on Instagram here. And I’m including one below:
In bookish LOVE (always),
#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!
Without further ado…our special guest author for today’s Nuevas Página issue is….Mariana Ríos Ramírez author of Abuelita’s Gift: A Dia De Los Muertos Story!
Could you tell me a bit about where this photo was taken? Is it special to your book in some way?
I took this photo in my backyard on the day I received the advance reader copies of Abuelita’s Gift:A Día de Muertos Story and El regalo de abuelita: Un cuento de Día de Muertos. I’m wearing an embroidered blouse which is a typical handcraft from México. I thought it was very appropriate to wear it to celebrate the special occasion since this book is about a beloved Mexican tradition.
What inspired you to write this book?
I wrote Abuelita’s Gift: A Día de Muertos Story to share a piece of México with kids around the world. Día de Muertos is a beloved tradition in my country, and it’s celebrated by many people in different ways depending on each region. However, what I love most is that it’s a time to celebrate the life of our ancestors and to honor their memories, by being joyful instead of sad.
When my family moved to the USA in 2016 due to my husband’s job, my children were faced with new traditions that we were not used to before. Since then we have embraced them, but for my husband and I, it was also important that our kids had their own Mexican traditions. In this particular case, Día de Muertos allows us to feel connected to México, but also to our family and ancestors. It’s the perfect opportunity to share with our children the memories we have of our grandparents, great grandparents, and other dear relatives. This is a tradition I hope my kids will keep on celebrating as they grow up.
For these reasons, I wrote Abuelita’s Gift: A Día de Muertos Story. To share, as I did with my kids, a glimpse of this beautiful tradition; and in doing so, it became a personal story in many ways. It doesn’t only remind me of my own family, but also of those feelings of love and connection that are always there with loved ones, even if they are not around us anymore, at least not physically.
What are two central themes in your book that you connect with the most and why?
One of the main themes in this book is that the love of family never ends. Even if our loved ones are no longer with us, the strong connection and feelings towards them transcend time and space. This is how we keep them alive in our hearts and memories even if they’re gone.
Another theme I connect with is the fact that the best gifts always come from the heart, which not only makes them so special, but it’s also how they become gifts for the givers too.
I hope that young readers will be able to take away these messages after they read the book, and that the story will spark their curiosity to wonder about their own ancestors and where they come from.
What were some of your favorite books growing up?
As a child I was a huge fan of fairy tales, and I still am today. At home we used to have books with collections of stories written by the Grimm brothers, Hans Christian Andersen, and Charles Perrault. We also cherished Aesop’s fables. I remember my mom reading these classic stories to my brother and me, and then I’d do it by myself. Among my favorite tales there’s Cinderella, Hansel and Gretel, The Little Mermaid, and the Ugly Duckling.
If a book was home, where would your home be?
My home would definitely be in México, with my extended family, which is what I miss most now that I live far away from where I grew up.
If your book was a famous musician who would it be?
Chavela Vargas would be my choice. She’s is a Costa-Rican and Mexican singer who is famous for her emotional, heartfelt, and unique interpretation of the traditional folk song “La Llorona”. This song has become associated with Día de Muertos because of its themes of mourning, loss, and remembrance which tie in with the celebration.
What comfort food could a reader pair with your book?
Definitely pan de muerto. It’s not only very traditional and delicious, but also a symbol of the celebration of Día de Muertos, as it represents the cycle of life and death. I’d personally pair it with a cup of hot chocolate.
In what ways has access (or little to no access) to Hispanic/Latinx/e literature defined you as a writer?
My career as a writer is quite recent. Although I always liked writing, it was until a few years ago that I began to consider writing for children seriously, and it had to do a lot with my own kids. For this reason, I wouldn’t say that Hispanic or Latinx/e literature had much influence in me becoming an author. However, now as a Mexican children’s book writer living in another country, I find myself wanting to share aspects of my culture, traditions, and language through my books.
I’ve realized how growing up I didn’t see myself in the fairy tales I loved reading so much; so now, through my books, I want to contribute to the increase in diverse representation in children’s literature. I hope that kids with similar backgrounds and heritage to mine get to see themselves reflected in the characters of my books. Not just in the way they might look like, but also in the type of life situations they face, the adventures they have, and the places in which their stories unfold.
At the same time my goal is that my books can be windows for children of different backgrounds so they can learn a bit more about another culture, language, and its traditions by flipping the pages of my stories.
Where can readers keep up with your work?
I’d be happy to connect through social media and/or my website.
Social Media Links
Instagram/Threads: @marianariosr
Twitter: @marianariosrmz1
Bluesky: @marianarios.bsky.social
Linktree: linktr.ee/MarianaRiosR
Website: www.marianariosramirez.com
Thank you to Mariana Ríos Ramírez 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!
Mariana Ríos Ramírez is a Mexican children’s book author who loves sharing elements of her culture, language, and traditions through her stories. She’s the author of Santiago’s Dinosaurios (Albert Whitman & Co. - 2022), Abuelita’s Gift: A Día de Muertos Story (Knopf Books for Young Readers – 2024) and it’s Spanish edition El regalo de abuelita: Un cuento de Día de Muertos. She’s a member of SCBWI, Las Musas, and Rate Your Story.
Besides writing, Mariana loves photography, traveling, and spending time with family and friends. She currently resides in Anderson, South Carolina with her husband, two kids, and a Chihuahua dog named Rogers.
Synopsis for Abuelita’s Gift:
Julieta is eager to honor her Abuelita's spirit on Día de Muertos, but struggles to find the perfect gift. A touching story that celebrates ancestors and teaches that the most meaningful tributes come from the heart illustrated by award-winning Sara Palacios.
Julieta is excited for Abuelita's spirit to visit on Día de los Muertos. She is determined to find the perfect gift to honor Abuelita and to show how much she misses her. However, her ideas fail one by one and Julieta grows worried.
It is only when Julieta embraces the memories she once shared with her abuelita, that she realizes the perfect gift comes from the heart. An uplifting story about both life and death, family, and the threads that connect us, long after we are gone.
