Here are pieces I illustrated for a an English textbook geared
towards giving 5th graders more courage to write, They accompany an essay by accomplished Cuban-American poet and writer,
Richard Blanco, who's family emigrated to the United States in the late 1960's.
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| Richard learned to make paper-plate turkeys in school. |
As a child attending school in Miami, he learned about the American
tradition of Thanksgiving. Richard attempted to introduce his family to
this unique celebration, but their deep roots in Cuban culture
made this endeavor a challenge. His family didn't exactly adapt to a
classic Thanksgiving dinner, but they ended up having a joyous celebration
anyways.
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| He ventured to the super market to purchase a turkey and fixings. |
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| While at the market, Richard got a strong taste of consumer advertizing. |
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| Attempting to ride home with a frozen turkey on his bike handle-bars proved to be a challenge... |
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| Richard's attempt at a traditional table setting turned into a crazy mish-mash of styles. |
Richard Blanco became the first immigrant, the first Latino, and first openly gay person
to be the U.S. inaugural poet (at President Obama's 2013 inauguration).
A special thanks to art director, Carmela Stricklett,
at Amplify for this really fun opportunity.
You can view my drawings accompanying an essay by the great
Rosa Parks, here.
