Two more manuscripts I’ve been working on that Ralph left behind are Fractured Fables and a Spanish translation of The Horse in the Kitchen. I have plenty of help in this collaborative effort.
For Fractured Fables, Ralph’s quirky variations (for adults and young adults) on Aesop, friends and family made illustrations, and drawings from places as far apart as Arizona and New York as well as as close as the Rio Grande Valley have arrived. My cousin Alice Rhodes, as well as illustrating many of the fables, offered suggestions for revision to illustrators, and Dolores Martin has consulted with me throughout the process. Early on, Dolores and I met to discuss layout, and she showed me a book she and her kids had made that has been my inspiration. Now Ella Brown, after designing the covers, has taken over interior layout. It seems to me the varied styles will enhance the appeal and originality of the fables. I’ve decide to let Fractured Fables stand alone rather than add a second part, Ralph’s Moral Tales and Ruminations, more serious musings less adaptable to visual aids. I’ll save that project for another day.
All the stories in Horse in the Kitchen have been translated by Patricia and Andrea Padilla, and most were typed up by Emily Crowder and Andrea and corrected by Patricia and me. A sample, “Quién vive,” translated by Patricia Padilla, now appears on the Home Page and in Books in Progress. El caballo en la cocina is available on Amazon and soon will be available as an ebook and also distributed to book stores and libraries by IngramSpark. If you know of a Spanish teacher who might want an examination copy, contact me at geriraf@nmia.com. Thank you.
Ralph M. Flores books 