Children’s Author Visits Lemon Grove Library

Mara Price shared her memories of making hot chocolate with her grandmother and how they helped her publish her children’s book Grandma’s Chocolate/El Chocolate de Abuelita, during a presentation at the Tuesday afternoon.

Written by Price and illustrated by Lisa Fields, the bilingual story is about a girl named Sabrina whose grandmother teaches her about the origin of chocolate, which comes from the cacao tree first cultivated by Mexico's indigenous tribes.

“I wrote this book because I was remembering my grandmother,” Price said. “I have wonderful memories from her.”

More than a story about a young girl and her grandmother, the book shares the history and customs of the native peoples of Mexico. Price brought several cultural items to help her explain the history referenced in her book. One of the items was a molinillo, a traditional Mexican wood whisk that is primarily used to make hot beverages. Price also sang the children’s song “Bate, Bate Chocolate,” which means, “stir the chocolate.” Knowing the traditional tune, some of the roughly 25 attendees sang along.

In addition to reading her book and talking about where chocolate comes from, Price shared tips and offered advice to young authors and illustrators. She encouraged attendees to “know who you are.”

“Know about yourself, your roots, where you’re from, your culture,” she said. “That’s important for all of us.”

She also advised audience members to listen to other people’s stories. After all, her grandmother’s tales inspired her book, she said.

“It’s very important because they’ve lived their life,” she said. “They’re probably coming from another country or another city. They have a lot to tell you, so just ask questions to your family.”

Although her experiences and memories inspired the book, Price explained she had to also spend time researching the origin of chocolate.

“What you don’t know, you research,” she said.

Although Price’s articles, stories and illustrations have appeared in other publications, including Iguana magazine, Grandma’s Chocolate / El chocolate de Abuelita is her first published children’s book.

“As an author, you have to be patient, you have to be perseverant and you need to love what you’re doing in order to just keep on going and never, never give up,” she said.

At the end of the presentation, Price raffled off two of her books. Soralla Marquez was excited to win one of the books.

“I love this book,” said Soralla Marquez, a Chicano Studies graduate from UC Santa Barbara. “It’s really hard to find children’s books that are bilingual, culturally relevant and a good story.”

Her 13-year-old sister, Veronica Marquez, said their mother has used a molinillo. They also knew the song Price sang.

“It stirred memories of our past,” she said.

Soralla Marquez added: “Memories of our past? Memories of what I want to do tonight!”

Price said she hopes readers, both young and old, will learn about the native peoples of Mexico and Mexican culture when reading her book.

“I think that families want to teach the language and be proud of their ancestry,” Price said after the presentation. “It’s a big package. It’s language, culture, religion, food, festivities—it’s everything.”

Price added that the book took her about two years to research and write. 

“Chocolate is huge for us,” Price said. “For me, chocolate is important because I grew up with it. Flavors and smells bring memories. So when you’re making it, it’s just wonderful. You feel happy. That’s what chocolate does for me—it just makes me happy.”

To learn more about Price and her book, visit www.maraprice.com. 

Price's tips for young authors and illustrators:

•  Know who you are / Remember who you are
• Know the personality of your character
• Ask yourself questions
• Have a notebook or sketchbook
• Listen to stories, family traditions
• Use memories, photos
• Make sketches, drawings or doodles