Interview with author and illustrator, René Colato Laínez
by Aline Pereira*

René Colato Laínez was born in El Salvador. At the age of fourteen he moved to the United States, where he later earned a bachelor's degree in Liberal Studies from California State University at Northridge, and completed the MFA program in Writing for Children & Young Adults at the Vermont College. A member of the Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators, he is also a bilingual elementary teacher at Fernangeles Elementary School, in Los Angeles County, California.

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The experience of coming to the United States in 1985, fleeing the civil war in El Salvador, has clearly influenced (determined, maybe?) your writing. You write very authentic stories of Latin American children living in the United States. What motivated you to try to publish your stories?

Since I was a child, I had two dreams: to become a teacher and to become a writer. As a child, my great-grand uncle, the Salvadoran writer Jorge Buenaventura Lainez, inspired me to write. While in college, I wrote some novels and short stories. But it was only when I became a teacher at Fernangeles Elementary School, in Los Angeles County, California that I discovered the beauty of picture books. Unfortunately, many of the books I was reading then did not reflect the culture of my students. So I decided to write them my own stories, and soon enough I had over 25 books in my classroom. In the year 2001, Alma Flor Ada and F. Isabel Campoy visited my school and seemed impressed by my books. They told me that I should submit my stories for publication. Amada Irma Perez also pushed me to send my manuscripts to publishers. I thank them all for that.

Please tell us about your heritage and the role it plays in your life as a teacher and as a writer.

I was born in El Salvador, in a humble house. El Salvador is known as 'Pulgarcito', little thumb (a reference to "Tom Thumb", the fairy tale), because it is the smallest country in the Americas. When I left El Salvador, at the age of fourteen, I brought that 'pulgarcito' with me, in my heart.

El Salvador is a land of great volcanoes, beautiful lakes and ancient Mayan ruins, but the most beautiful thing about it is still its people — people who have suffered through a terrible civil war, and who, in many cases, had to leave the country to try their luck some place else. My books Waiting for Papá and I am René, The Boy tell stories of Salvadoran children who love their country and are proud to be who they are.  In each story, I try to show the heart of Salvadoran children and a little of my country — which, in spite of being small, is full of treasures and hard-working families like mine.

My parents did not have the opportunity to get a higher education but they instilled in me a love of reading and writing, and supported me all the way through college. This in itself is a family treasure, more valuable that all the gold in the universe. I came to the United States with a backpack full of dreams: I wanted to learn to speak English, to finish high school, and to go to college to become a teacher and a writer. Now I can say I have accomplished all my dreams.

Congratulations on the 2006 International Latino Book Award for Best Bilingual Picture Book you received for I am René, The Boy. How does it feel to have your work recognized at such a level?

I am thrilled and honored that the International Latino Award committee picked my book among other great and beautiful works published in 2005. Now more children will have the opportunity the read René's story and his message of love for his language and culture.

I am René draws on your experience in high school, when you realized that in the United States your name could also be used as a girl's name. It is a "joyful immigrant story", as one reviewer has put it. Can you say a few words about the event that inspired the book?

One morning, my teacher was calling roll. When she said "René", I raised my hand and said "Here". Someone else also said "Here", in the back of the room, and everyone laughed. Then the teacher said "René", again, and this time she pointed at me. "This René is you," she said. The laughter was even greater. After school, my classmates teased me, "René has a girl's name." That year, Renee, the girl, became my best friend. I did not speak English yet, so we communicated using drawings and gestures. It was a meaningful friendship. This episode, in spite of having been painful at the time, helped me discover that the importance and power of a name is closely related to one's culture.

All your bilingual stories of children struggling with language and cultural change seem to encourage children to chart cross-cultural differences. Is this outcome intentional? Many authors claim not to have a particular goal in mind while writing a book. How does it work for you? Are you ever surprised by what people take away from your books?

I write from my own personal experiences, which seem to mirror those of many immigrant children in the United States. Identity issues, separation from a loved one, fear of speaking/learning a new language, embarrassment of speaking their native language in their new country: these are all problems that immigrant children deal with all the time. I write from my heart, and always try to send a message of hope to my readers.  People have told me countless times: "Thank you for writing my story", "My children are speaking more Spanish now because of your books." I am glad that my books are touching many lives.

Judging by the fact that you've published three bilingual titles in 2005 alone —an admirable feat— (Playing Loteria/El Juego de la Lotería, Waiting for Papá/Esperando a Papá, and the award-winning I am René, the Boy/Soy René, el niño), life seems to be going well for you as a writer. What was the road to being a published author like?

It was definitely rocky and challenging, but all the rejection letters that I received did help me to craft my stories and make them better. I did not give up: I went to Vermont College and got a masters in "Writing for Children and Young Adults". I might not have had any of my books published if it weren't for those letters, in a way.

From a very early age you've known you wanted to be a writer, and here you are now, doing what you love and receiving praise and recognition for it. What is the most important thing young people who dream of becoming writers should keep in mind, in your opinion?

My message to my students, and to my readers in general, is: never give up. Dreams come true if we believe in ourselves and do our best. Education, in my opinion, is the key to fulfilling one's dreams. Young writers should start by calling themselves "writers". If you write stories, letters, notes to friends, etc, you ARE a writer. That's all good practice. But it's also important to remember that revision is the most important part of the writing process: professional writers need to revise their stories many times over before they're ready for publication. Then, if they understand that and are passionate enough about writing, they should believe in their dream, and fight for it.

What would you say is the main difference between a story book about a particular immigrant experience, and a factual book on immigration?

Many times factual books are full of dates and data but they lack personal testimonies. The telling of personal experiences is what touches the heart of readers, in my opinion. Story books are great because if a person sees his/her own life reflected on the pages of a book, the book instantly becomes a family treasure.

How does "the teacher full of stories", as you are called by your elementary school-age students, approach teaching young children to be aware and mindful of our diverse world?

Myself and other teachers in my school conduct parent classroom workshops, in which families have the chance to write family stories and turn them into books to be shared with the classroom. What a beautiful thing it is to see a family having fun creating a book about their own life! Through this activity families begin to be aware of other families' histories, and this helps us create a diverse, close community at school. A skill they can, hopefully, apply to the world at large.

What would you say was the most touching moment of your career as a writer so far? And as a teacher?

The most touching moment as a writer was during the culmination of our a "Authors in the Classroom" workshop, lead by Alma Flor Ada and F. Isabel Campoy. Isabel told me: "That lady wants to speak to you" — and she pointed to a woman who was crying, holding our only copy of "Dear Journal: My Dream of Being a Teacher." I walked towards her, and, with tears in her eyes, she told me that the book had touched her profoundly, and that she wanted to buy a copy of it. Unfortunately I had to tell her that the book was a classroom project and, therefore, not published yet. But now I know what to write in the dedication, when I publish it.

As for the most touching moment of my career as a teacher, it was during my second week of work. Angel, a young boy, had to be moved from my classroom to another, and on the way out, he started to cry, holding my waist in a strong hug. "I don't want to leave Mr. Colato, he is the best teacher in the world!" he said. As a new teacher, this incident really touched my life and made me understand the impact teachers can have in their students' lives, and the great responsibilities associated with the job.

Can you please give us a sneak peek of your forthcoming book?

I'm working on My Shoes and I, the story of a young boy from El Salvador who gets a new pair of shoes before moving to the United State to begin a new life. The shoes make the trip with him and, together, they have great experiences. The book will be out in 2008, by Boyds Mills Press.

*Aline Pereira is PaperTigers Managing Editor and Producer

Posted September 2006

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