A Sweet Launch Party for a Children's Book

My friend Elly, from Montclair, once hired a babysitter--a lovely 19-year-old from Colombia named Catalina, who barely spoke English. Elly's boys, Henry and Sam, who seem like classic boys out of a storybook, were 5 and 3; now her Henry is a college freshman. 

Elly and Catalina kept in touch over the years--because as every mom knows, a loving and true babysitter can turn into a loving and true friend. 

This afternoon, Catalina Sánchez--who now has two young girls of her own--had a launch party for her self-published book, Lucia and Her Mysteriously Curly Hair. It was at her friend Alisa's house in River Edge, and Elly took me and Punchy along. 

We all enjoyed it, from the fresh fruit to the cupcakes on Hello Kitty paper dishes. I counted 17 young children, mostly girls with a couple of boys thrown in to keep it real. Their moms milled around happily, sipping coffee, wine or water. Catalina read the book and showed the acrylic paintings she had done for it. The story revolves around a girl who has curly hair and feels self-conscious about it. She learns to love it by the end. It touches on self-esteem, and believing in yourself and your god-given assets.

I noticed Punchy listening intently from her perch on the couch. I ordered the book on Amazon for bedtime reading. [It's available in Spanish, too: Lucía y su Misterioso Cabello Crespo.] The children scooted down to the play room and happily interacted, accepting each other in their differences as good children should.

Catalina has curly hair, as you'll see in the photo below. But this is part of myself, she told the children with confidence. She said that as a girl [the youngest of four siblings], she ate a tangerine and her sister told her a tangerine tree would grow out of the seeds in her stomach. I thought all my curls were tree branches,she said.

Here's to clearing the air for our kids and celebrating our hair, straight or curly, kinky or smooth as Marcia Brady's. Good night to you.

Catalina's friend Kim Hargrove of nearby Harrington Park made these adorable cake pops with curly chocolate-brown hair! I had one and have to say it was deliciously moist and rich.

The acrylic paintings tell the story.

Catalina and Elly.