Seré la luna named Honorable Mention
In what could only be described as a "pinch me" moment, I'll Be The Moon - A Migrant Child's Story has been named a Finalist in the 'Most Inspirational Children's Books - English Category' by the International Latino Book Awards.
The Spanish version, Seré la luna - una historia de de inmigración, was named as an Honorable Mention in the 'Best Children’s Picture Book Translation - English to Spanish' category.
The awards ceremony will take place on Saturday, October 19 in Los Angeles.
I recently posted on social media that I'm still trying to process this unbelievable honor, as I am truly beyond excited right now. But as nice as this news is for me on a personal level, I am most excited to know that more people will hopefully get a chance to read the story as a result of this award. And my biggest hope is that people will be able to see the migrant plight from a different perspective - a child's perspective.
I know that I won't have an opportunity to give a lengthy speech at the awards ceremony next month (if there's even an opportunity to do so at all). But if I had that opportunity, this is what I'd say:
The migrant child in this story is NOT:
A criminal
A rapist
A drug dealer
A job stealer
A mental patient
A village attacker
An alien
An eater of pets
A gang member
The little girl in the story is a daughter that misses her dad, who has already made his way to the US. And she and her mother want to reunite with him. I know the subtitle says that this is a migrant child's story. But I've always described this as a love story. And I firmly believe that any decent parent, no matter what their politics might be, would move mountains for their children - the way the mother in the story is willing to do.
We have a long way to go to improving the current immigration system in the United States, but maybe if we can stop the dehumanization of people that are looking for better lives, well, that'd be a good start.
It goes without saying that I am truly thankful to everyone who played a role in helping this story see the light of day. The true believers that helped shape it, mold it, and package it for everyone to enjoy.
I can't wait to show you what's next!
- PDC
The Collective Book Studio, a woman-owned, independent press based in Oakland, CA, publishes high-quality lifestyle, gift, and children’s books. Their books are distributed by Simon & Schuster, a global leader in general interest publishing, dedicated to providing the best in fiction and nonfiction for readers of all ages. For more information, visit www.simonandschuster.com.
The International Latino Book Awards celebrate literary excellence within the Latino community, honoring authors, illustrators, and publishers who enrich the world through their storytelling. Over the last 24 years the International Latino Book Awards has honored 3,470 books and, in the process, changed the impressions tens of thousands of people have with books by and about Latinos. Winning an award or honorable mention from this esteemed organization marks a significant achievement in the world of Latino literature.
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