As a writer, my goal is to have my books reach as wide an audience as possible. Sometimes I have a little difficulty doing this. There are lots of talented children's authors out there so finding the children that will enjoy my books can be a daunting task. I was discussing theis problem with my mom the the other day and she suggested that I might get some of my books translated in Spanish; thus reaching a new, world-wide audience. It was a brilliant idea, but had one, small flaw...I don't speak Spanish! My mom laughed when I explained the problem to her. Her reply was simple, "Irwin, you're a frog. There are frogs, and thus relatives, all over the world. Why don't you contact your cousin Elena la Rana in Columbia. I'm sure she could help you." And so I did. I sent Elena an email and she answered right away. She wanted very much to help me with the English to Spanish translation and said she's take the next flight to Land of Lily Pad.
Much to my surprise, she arrived late yesterday afternoon and is eager to get started on our joint project. What did I learn from all this? I learned that sometimes the easiest, and simplest, solution to a seeminlygly insurmountable problem can be found right there in front of us. If you don't believe me, ask your mom!
(photo: me and my mom)