Erin Dealey

Today we’re celebrating the recent Book Birthday of All of Apolonia,

written by Patty Cisneros Prevo,

illus. Mirelle Ortega

(Abrams BFYR)

About the Book:

Wheelchair basketball + cultural identity + a Birthday party!

In this beautiful bilingual story, two-time Paralympic gold medalist Patty Cisneros Prevo and award-winning illustrator Mirelle Ortega explore the fears many kids have about fitting in and recognize the joy of being celebrated for exactly who they are. 

“A heartfelt, relatable story that celebrates friendship, family, and self acceptance, this picture book offers readers both emotional resonance and strong representation of disability and cultural identity.”―Booklist

About the Author:

Three-time Paralympian and two-time GOLD medalist, Patty Cisneros Prevo is the author of Tenacious: Fifteen Adventures Alongside Disabled Athletes highlighting 15 disabled individuals and their major life and athletic accomplishments, for which Patty received the Lee & Low Books New Voices Award Honor.

We are so excited and honored to learn more about her latest picture book, All of Apolonia, given that she was a member of the U.S. Women’s Wheelchair Basketball Team for 10 years. AND, as captain in 2008, she led Team USA to its second consecutive gold medal after winning gold in 2004.

In 2021, Cisneros Prevo was appointed to the Congressional Commission on the State of the U.S. Olympics & Paralympics. WOW!

Let’s ask some questions:

Q 1. I love that this book is truly in your wheelhouse (no pun intended), since you were a member of the U.S. Women’s Wheelchair Basketball Team for 10 years, including team captain and two-time Paralympic gold medalist. When and how did you begin this project that became All of Apolonia? Has it been a book idea of yours for many years? Did it start as a pitch or full story?

Patty Cisneros Prevo: I think All of Apolonia has always been a story brewing for me since starting in the sport of wheelchair basketball.

I had always felt a bit “different” from my mostly white teammates, but couldn’t quite put a finger on it. And, I didn’t have the language around identities and intersectionality like I do now as a Manager of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI).

And so, as I retired from Team USA and began a career in DEI, it all came together for me. All of Apolonia actually started as a nonfiction story (similar to Tenacious), but with the wonderful guidance from Ana Crespo, we transformed it into this beautiful fiction story based loosely on my own life and identities.

Q 2. They say each of our books are a bit autobiographical. Did you grow up navigating between multiple cultural identities, like Apolonia? Did your experiences as a wheelchair basketball player influence or inform your approach to All of Apolonia? 

Patty Cisneros Prevo: Yes, absolutely. I still feel like I have to navigate between my multiple historically marginalized identities- disability, female, first-gen Mexican-American, child of an immigrant.

I am rarely in spaces where there are others who share these same identities. And, All of Apolonia was a way for me to encourage belonging for everyone no matter how you show up in spaces.

I think I needed that belonging in some of my wheelchair basketball experiences because we want people to bring their full, authentic selves. All of Apolonia shows us how to do that.

Q 3. Did the story always have Spanish words and phrases sprinkled throughout? Can you share how your early drafts/story ideas grew into this version?

Patty Cisneros Prevo: Yes, I sprinkled Spanish throughout All of Apolonia from the start because that’s sort of how I grew up speaking Spanish.

Unfortunately, I am not fully fluent, so I wanted to use English and Spanish in a way that reflected my own childhood experiences with language. I will say I am very proficient in Spanglish! ; )

Q 4. What was one of the surprises or discoveries you made while working on All of Apolonia?

Patty Cisneros Prevo: All of Apolonia was a very emotional experience for me. Writing, revising, reviewing the art, reading it aloud- all of it. I felt like I cried a lot, but in a beautiful way. Representation will do that!

What surprised me was this deep connection to Apolonia and how excited I was to share her experience and hopefully provide a story that would resonate with many, not just disabled readers.

Q 5. What surprises did Pura Belpré Illustrator Honor illustrator Mirielle Ortega (River of Mariposas and Magic: Once Upon a Faraway Land) bring to the project?

Patty Cisneros Prevo: I was so honored (and shocked) Mirelle agreed to take Apolonia on! She’s on a different level, and I was unsure if she’d take this story on since she is not disabled herself.

Capturing disability and adaptive sports can be tricky, but she did it so authentically and so masterfully. And, she was very open to my feedback on these edits around the wheelchairs, the way disabled bodies look, how Apolonia moves, etc.

I am so grateful she took a chance on Apolonia! : )

Q 6. What’s next for you?

Patty Cisneros Prevo: Elliot’s Chair published by Charlesbridge will be coming out summer of 2027. It’s a part of their storytelling math series. I’m super excited to be a part of that series and the wonderful books representing diversity and math.

I’m currently working on a board book series all about disability. Board books are a whole different kind of craft so I am both excited and nervous about this work.

Many thanks to Patty Cisneros Prevo for joining us on the blog today,

And Happy Book birthday to All of Apolonia!

To learn more about Patty’s work, check out her website: pattycisnerosprevo.com 

And follow her on these socials:

IG- Patty_Cisneros_Prevo_PLY

LinkedIN- Patty_Cisneros_Prevo_PLY

Next up on the blog:

Hooray!!! We celebrate the April 7th Book Birthday of Squirrel Draws BIG Feelings

–written by Erin Dealey (that’s me.)

with questions for the amazing illustrator Luciana Navarro Powell.

(Beaming Books)

Can’t wait!