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 You just never know until later how someone’s artistic talent is going to affect you.

My mother was an elementary school teacher.  She exposed me to many books, and I loved to read.  Leo Politi was one of my favorite authors as a child.  He wrote and illustrated children’s books, and was prolific!  He lived in the Los Angeles area, and although he was Italian, he wrote many stories about the Mexican culture.

Since I grew up in Los Angeles, I was able to experience—feel and smell—many of the sights that he wrote about in his books.

He wrote about Olvera Street, Bunker Hill, the parks in the LA area, stories about the swallows, the blessing of the animals, and so many other things familiar to California.  He even was awarded a Caldecot Medal in 1950. 

They even named an elementary school after him.

At any rate, I have carried his illustrations and stories with me to this day.  I have been very affected by how much he loved and inspired children, including me!