The Joys of PLÁTANOS GO WITH EVERYTHING with Lissette Norman

Five Questions with Lissette Norman, author of PLÁTANOS GO WITH EVERYTHING, illustrated by Sara Palacios

From idea to pub date, how long did it take to cook up your book?

April 2020 to January 2023.

Describe your book in 3 words.

Food, family, joy.

What “ingredients” make a kidlit book “delicious” to you?

A fun read-aloud with heart and lyrical language.

What is your favorite plátanos dish and why?

Fried plátanos (tostones) are my favorite, but I don't have them often because they're fried. I also love mangú, which is boiled and mashed plátanos.

You just launched another book into the world, ABUELA'S LIBRARY! Tell us a little about the "ingredients" in your new book.

The main ingredient in this book about literacy, creativity, hope and community is its emotional resonance. Then there’s the beautiful, engaging art by Jayri Gomez, who includes step-by-step illustrations for building a little community library.

Two Questions About the Book with Gennie and Audrey

What is your favorite ingredient of this story? 

G: I love the message that stories are the secret ingredient in delicious foods! 

A: I love the poetry of the similes and the stories woven through them.

Question 2: What food did this story inspire you to make? 

G: I followed the recipe included in the book! I’ve had sweet plantains before, but have never tasted them prepared as a savory dish. My mangu turned out delicious! It was a great recipe! :) 

A: I love maduros and since Gennie was making a savory dish, I wanted to make something sweet! I love how versatile plantains are so I made plantain fritters, which are crunchy sweet dollops of fried dough, dotted with chopped plantains and spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg. I finished them off with a vanilla icing and powdered sugar.

Find more about Lissette on her website.

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