Tragedy + Time = Funny: A Q&A with Jesús Trejo & Eliza Kinkz About Mamá’s Magnificent Dancing Plantitas

A show of hands. How many of you, like myself, were howling, screaming, and giving general jumps for joy when Papá’s Magical Water-jug Clock won TWO 2024 Pura Belpré Honors? I hope whole heaping tons of you were, because it was such a blooming deserved win. I loved that book so much when it came out that, I admit, it never even occurred to me that a sequel was in the works. And yet a sequel is precisely what we find ourselves with today!

Mamá’s Magnificent Dancing Plantitas is once again by Jesús Trejo, ill. Eliza Kinkz and came out earlier this month. The plot? It’s a doozy:

“When Jesús gets home after school, he has to fill the time until Mamá can take him outside to play. It’s tough, until Mamá appoints him Chief Plant Officer—he’ll be like a big brother to her precious houseplants! Jesús does an excellent job keeping them watered, entertained, and happy—until an unfortunate accident during a dance party throws Jesús’s entire job into crisis mode! Join Jesús and a hilarious cast of houseplants as they navigate the biggest challenge of all.

The high-spirited hero of Papá’s Magical Water-Jug Clock is back with another irresistible family misadventure that will warm your heart and make you laugh.”

Yeah, I’m sorry, folks. That’s not enough for me. What I need in to talk with the creators themselves.

---

Betsy Bird: Jesús! What a delight to speak to you, albeit in a Q&A sort of way. So your first picture book PAPA’S MAGICAL WATER CLOCK goes out into the world and wins ALL THE THINGS, as far as I’m concerned. And justifiably too! So now you’re back. I noticed that your publisher is now calling your books part of the Little Jesús series, which is delightful. And I have to ask with your follow-up, did you always intend to write MAMA’S MAGNIFICENT DANCING PANTITAS as a companion to PAPA or were you compelled to after the massive success of your first picture book? 

Jesús Trejo: It’s such a pleasure to connect with you! I still remember seeing you at ALA and was excited we got to meet face to face and hug it out! 

We still can’t believe how well “Papá’s Magical Water Clock” has been received–it feels surreal to have a life long dream come true. We were thrilled to see it earn starred reviews, land on some incredible lists, and—who would have thought that it would go on to receive not just one, but TWO Pura Belpré honors. I don’t think any of us could have predicted the journey this book would take us on.

And now, here we are with book number two! (*Waves at the book in Spanish) From the very beginning, I envisioned Little Jesús embarking on a journey that would explore different facets that mirrored my upbringing. As an only child, it felt natural to start this journey with the two people closest to him, the ones who shaped his entire world: Mamá and Papá. I love the feeling that Little Jesús is here to stay, and continue his journey of mischief. My dream is that his stories will live on long after me, much like how Charlie Brown has endured beyond Charles Schulz.

Although both stories were part of the original two-book deal with Astra/Minerva (Minedition at the time), it was through the guidance of my wonderful editor, Maria Russo, that we made the tough decision to introduce Papá in the first book, followed by Mamá in the second. The first book’s success definitely set the stage for this next one, and added its own pressures, but I’m super excited for readers to dive into this next installment. This second story is incredibly real, genuine, and deeply meaningful to me for a bazillion reasons.

BB: Well, and you’re not my only guest today. Eliza! Thank you again for answering my questions! First and foremost, I must congratulate you on your Pura Belpre speech this past June. I was unable to attend, but all the attendees I spoke to commended you, saying you were freakin’ hilarious.  Would you consider yourself a professional speech giver at this point?

Eliza Kinkz: For SURE…especially considering how many Texas school board meetings I have had to speak at.  Yikes!  Although for ALA, I used the opportunity to speak about the importance of humor in picture books.  As most awards, and NOT just books, tend to honor drama.  But comedy can really pull the same weight, and I was over the moon to see how the Pura Belpré committee really honored that!  Big shout out to them, and to my toes for patiently waiting until I realized you could adjust the microphone. You can catch that moment, and enjoy the rest of my speech at my Substack!

BB: Oh yeah. I feel you there. So Jesús, was MAMA’s story as easy to come up with as PAPA’s? Did you instantly know what to write about when you focused more on her, or did it take a little more consideration?

Jesús: A big decision early on was figuring out which story would introduce readers to Little Jesús first. Papá’s story felt more fully formed at the time, but Mamá’s story holds a special place in my heart for so many reasons. 

The story came to me as I took a trip down memory lane, and tapped into the memories of my mother’s love for plants. Growing up, our apartment was filled with an unbelievable number of plants (our landlord HATED us for that reason), but there was one plant that stood out more than than any other plant in our forest tropical apartment, it was this massive pothos plant–which was my mother’s pride and joy, and which I felt at times I was competing with growing up–kinda like a sibling rivalry! HAHA!

BB: Right! And Eliza, returning once again to the world of Little Jesús, with this latest book you know the world you’re entering pretty well. Was this book easier, would you say, or harder than its predecessor for you? 

Eliza: Easier for sure as I didn’t have to figure out the character designs! As that’s always the hardest part for me. The amount of work I do beforehand explains why I’ve been so happy with all my character designs for ALL my books! As it’s seriously like birth, except the labor lasts months sometimes! AHHHHHHH! 

I just draw each character sooooooo many different ways, until they finally start emerging.  But once the character arrives, they are ready to PARTY! Here are some of my early Little Jesús sketches so you can get an idea.

The only hard part of this book was I had the cursed fate of two different book deadlines overlapping.  AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! 

I’m still face down in my studio.  Someone send cookies, por favor!

BB: Cookies are an excellent cure. Jesús, how much of this story is autobiographical, would you say? And what do your family members feel about these books? Do you ever solicit their feedback?

Jesús: One of the most profound parts of writing books is that my parents had very little to no formal education and struggled with reading and writing in their own language. For them to have a book where they see themselves represented–it means everything! That moment–when they saw the first book and saw themselves–was incredibly special for me, and it added a deep, personal layer to Mamá’s story that I hope resonates with readers.

I set out to tell authentic stories that mirror the people I grew up with—characters who look and talk like me, whose parents had jobs similar to those my parents had. The pothos plant featured in the book is actually based on a real plant my mother bought just before I was born (it’s still a cherished part of our family to this day.) I truly pour my heart into these books.

Sadly, my mother passed away last year, which has been the most difficult thing I’ve ever faced. I’m incredibly grateful that my wife and I were able to read Papa’s Magical Water Jug Clock to her before her passing, and for Plantitas, I was able to share what fragments of the story I had completed with her, too. Though it wasn’t finished, I’m comforted by the fact that I could tell her the book was coming along well and that it carried a beautiful message. The creative process is a tricky one and a bit hard to explain at times. I actually turned in the final manuscript shortly after her passing. 

I remember getting the sweetest text from Eliza when she received my updated/final manuscript:

“Hey Amigo, Just wanted to let you know that your new version of the plant funeral is so funny. Sometimes I think in times of tragedy, we can produce our best materials. It’s when our minds go into hyperdrive of trying to cheer ourselves up.”

As a stand up comedian, story teller, and writer, I’ve made it my work to take life’s tragedies and turn them into funny stories . . .kinda like a silly alchemy of sorts. [Tragedy + Time = Funny] This book is deeply meaningful to me, and so is our creative team. Each time I open it, I feel like I’m teleported back to those special moments.

BB: That’s so beautifully said. Much along those lines, Eliza, was there anything you weren’t able to do with PAPA’S MAGICAL WATER CLOCK that you were able to do with MAMA? 

Eliza: Oh ho ho ho ho, Betsy! 

Wait until you see the plant funeral.  PICTURE BOOK LIFE GOAL. CHECK. ¡¡Gracias, Jesús!!

Plus, a cavalcade of over-the-top silly plants with faces. I really lucked out with Jesús being my author, as he is always up for my ridiculousness.

BB: The sign of a great author/illustrator team, right there! Of course, a great picture book, to my mind, is one that knows how to cultivate a cacophony of chaos well. This book does precisely that with the most tragic dance party of the year. Now, Jesús, the first time you wrote a picture book, you didn’t know who your illustrator might be. This time, as you wrote the book, you knew that Eliza would be the one doing the art. Do you visualize her art as you write your picture books now, or can you keep such scenes, like this one with its tragic plant apocalypse, separate in your mind from what it might look like on the page?

Jesús: Working with Eliza on both of these books has been an absolutely amazing experience. She’s such a talented storyteller, and I had complete trust in her ability to bring my story to life. Just like with the first book, I sent her lots of photos for reference and included suggestions in the text, but ultimately, it was about trusting Eliza’s magic.While I certainly had ideas and visuals in mind as I was writing, knowing that Eliza would be the one illustrating allowed me to let go of certain specifics and focus on the storytelling. I knew that whatever she created would be incredible given how she nailed it with the first book. Her ability to capture the chaos, emotion, and funny—like in that tragic plant apocalypse scene—is a testament to her brilliance.

BB: Right? I mean, Eliza, what is it about these books that suits your artistic style so very well? And what is it about the text that appeals to you?

Eliza: I think the fact that they are written by Jesús who is a hilarious stand-up comedian. We have had many conversations about how comedy is so important to us in every form, as it’s how we each connect with our audience.  He has a great sense of timing, and I’m able to communicate that with page turns!  Now as for Jesús’s text, he really has heart in it as well as the humor. The love he has for his family really shines through, and it’s like getting a warm hug . . . but one that I have scribbled wildly all over!

BB: Ahhh. So collaboration, true collaboration, is the key to success. I see it now. Well, Jesús, you can’t say “Little Jesús series” without realizing that two books is a duo. Not a series. Can we expect more from you in the future?

Jesús: You can DEFINITELY expect to see more from me—I’m not going anywhere! I worked hard to get to this point, and I’m so honored and grateful to have arrived with my first two books. Now, the real work begins. My hope is that Little Jesús outlives me, continuing to grow with both new and longtime readers and with additional stories. I want to keep collaborating with my wife to continue creating and celebrating bilingual stories and I love collaborating with Eliza Kinkz. We all care about preserving the authenticity and nuances of immigrant language and culture, something that is often lost with direct translation. I want these stories to play a meaningful role in readers’ formative years, and through the love of jokes, storytelling, and imagery, I hope these characters live on forever. I plan on doing this till the water in the water jug-clock is gone…

BB: That’s great! And Eliza? To finish us off, what else do you have coming out these days? What’s next for you?

Eliza: Ohhhhhhhhh I can NOT wait for you to read my author/illustrator debut ¡MISTACO! that comes out in April 2025!!

It’s obviously a very serious dramatic picture book full of serious drama, and a compelling serious comment on society . . . JUST KIDDING!!

In truth, it’s about a girl named Izzy who learns that sharing your mistakes can be a tasty solution, especially when you can make a MISTACO out of them!!

Definitely a love letter to not holding everything in, celebrating our mistakes, and making tortillas with my own Lito & Lita aka MY GRANDPARENTS!

Thanks so much for the opportunity to chat, Betsy.  Appreciate it 🙂

---

That is some good stuff. Well, big thanks to both Jesús and Eliza for taking so much time out of their day to answer these questions in such extravagant detail! Mamá’s Magnificent Dancing Plantitas is, as I say, out on store shelves now. Special thanks as well to Deborah Sloan and the team at  Minerva/Astra Books For Young Readers for helping to put this all together!

Filed under: Interviews