Celebrating Día in Vallejo

Posted on April 29th, 2010 by Maya Christina

Saturday, April 24th, we drove up to Vallejo. I didn’t know it was so very water-y around there. I’ve only lived here for 16 years and driven over the Carquinas bridge countless times! I now understand that the San Pablo Bay is enormous and stunning on a sunny day. Water, water everywhere!

When we arrived, we walked into the full swing of Día events at JFK Library. The big room was packed with families watching the tail end of a puppet show. Then we watched as the rows of chairs were strategically moved about to include tables and a great feast began. After we were all full of tamales and salsa (they even had a salsa that had a bit of a bite to it!) I asked the children to join me on the floor. I had decided on the drive there that I would focus on everything that is “hidden” in my books and then we would make art with something hidden in it.

I love it when a good idea falls into my brain. Certainly not all, but many of the kids were littles, and blabbing on and on about my art rules and how I became an artist/author and this and that and also this other thing and on and on… can sometimes be just that, blahblahblah…but looking for secrets! Now that’s another thing altogether. We searched through Laughing Tomatoes, Iguanas in the Snow, Nana’s Big Surprise, and My Colors, My World. One girl even told me about a secret in My Colors, My World that I had totally forgotten I hid in there! Ha!

We explored the imagery a great deal in Nana’s Big Surprise. The kids had a lot to say and a lot of insight about the journey of the heart visible in that book. Everyone said amazing things, but one girl in particular had her finger on some wisdom. She was maybe 7. She spoke very seriously about how sometimes we have to hide or protect our hearts and that we don’t always want them to show until it’s the right time. So often there are kids that I meet that speak simply and eloquently about life, about their life. I always listen.

Then we made art. Sometimes the kids would make me guess what was hidden, some whispered a clue in my ear, others tortured me with the secret until the bitter end. It was fun and often funny. We laughed and we teased. More of the bigger kids showed up later and I had the chance to talk with some of them over my original art that I had laid out on the stage. One gal said she did not make art, but ironically admitted that she drew all the time. I could feel how much I wanted to go off and make art with these kids and talk about reflection and the power of creativity, but before I knew it I was surrounded with folks wanting signatures. I love Día events mostly because kids get free books. I never got a free book as a kid. I would have LOVED it, especially one that looked and sounded like me!

I used to feel shy about signing books. Not that I don’t want to claim my part in creating a book. I love that. As many know, it’s in drawing into the empty pages of books as a child that started my career as an artist. But what allows me to come forward more to sign a book is that I understand now that it is clearly more about getting to connect for a personal moment with each person than writing my name or a dedication or a little note. It is a private meeting in a way that leaves a small mark to remember that we met. The connection is what’s important. In fact, it is often more of an opportunity for the kids to tell me a story of their own. And I love a good story. I met many parents too and heard many of their tales as well. And finally I got the chance to meet the mother of the heart-girl. I shared that her daughter was very wise and had a lot of insight into hearts.

At this library I met folks who had been using my books for years, as librarians and nannies. I cannot express how happy this makes me. I fancy that my books often have lives up and out in the world that I can only imagine. And I do imagine. Each time I create a book, I try to imagine who will hold it, what eyes will see it, who will they pass it on to, who will I meet in person, who will become (or already is) an artist, or an author or an educator or librarian or parent??? I can see the web of life and how we are all connected one way or another. Sometimes, it is through books.