BookWorthy Chats with Jerah Alvarado

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Valerie - Welcome to Bookworthy. Today we're talking with children's author, Jerah Alvarado. She is the author of the bilingual book, Would You Rather? Bible Water Adventure Edition. This playful picture book adopts the style of Would you rather game books while a reader picks a scenario with a twist. This book prompts the children to choose whichever biblical water adventure they would prefer. Welcome to Bookworthy Jerah.

Jerah - Hi, hi everyone. Thank you for having me, Valerie.

Valerie - It's a pleasure to get to meet you. You've been on my list of people to bring on the podcast for a while, so I'm glad we're finally getting to have a conversation. To start us off, I thought we'd start with our random question of the week, which is, would you rather be the tiniest mammal on earth, which is a bumblebee bat, or would you rather be the largest animal on earth, which is a blue whale?

Jerah -I would like to be a blue whale.

Valerie - I kinda guessed that with the water theme of your book, but why a blue whale?

Jerah - You know what? The funny thing is that I do not know how to swim and I love water. I love going to beaches, but I have a phobia of going underwater I will sit in the sand and I will walk in the water, but I will not get if my face gets wet. I'm like gasping for breath and drowning even if I'm out of the water already. So it will be nice to be able to swim with freedom in the deep, deep blue sea.

Valerie - I can definitely get a sense of that. have some friends whose kids kind of have the same struggle and it's interesting to try to teach swimming to someone who doesn't want to get wet, but it's always still fun to be around the water and at the beach and all those fun things.

Jerah - For sure, for sure.

Valerie -Well, Jerah, tell us a little bit about the inspiration behind your book.

Jerah - Well, it was actually inspired by my daughter. She is now nine. But when she was younger, I had a hard time having her read. She didn't like reading time. Ever since she was a baby, like my first daughter, you know, I do flashcards and she sits there for half an hour just watching me do flashcards. My middle child who is now nine when I would do flashcards with her she did yank them out of my hand and toss them across the room like she never liked to do anything she never likes to sit still so it came to a point where she was growing up a toddler and to me I was like okay she doesn't want to read that's fine but she does need to learn about the bible and so it kind of started from there where how can I make the bible fun for her And that's kind of where this series began.

Valerie - That's really neat. Of the would-you-rather prompts that you have in your book, which one was the most fun for you and your daughter to think about?

Jerah - So I didn't sit down and write this one with her actually the second one she had a lot to do with it, but in this one For me, I love the illustration of Jesus in the boat. That's like my favorite illustration and I love the illustrator she did amazing and Also Moses in the Red Sea, but for me the one that spoke to me was Peter getting out of the boat.

And I think it was, you this was my first book. So I think a lot of it had to do with that. Like it's scary to get out of your comfort zone and put yourself out there and put your baby book out there. And there are so many things and that was kind of my thing of, okay, I need to step out of the boat like Peter. And I would tell myself that. And so that just really spoke to me during the writing process of that book.

Valerie - Yes, indie publishing definitely is a leap of faith and God is faithful to drag us through kicking and screaming sometimes. So what is the age range for your book?

Jerah - So I would say between five and eight, maybe even nine. So the good thing is my four-year-old, likes it, but I don't know if she finds it too long, but she loves the characters and stuff. She's four years old, my youngest. But what I like is that it's bilingual. Like even my oldest child, likes trying to read the Spanish paragraphs and stuff. So I think It's for five to eight or five, nine-year-olds, but I think older children will enjoy it, especially if they're trying to learn Spanish or they have fun looking at different languages.

Valerie - That's one of those things when you're learning a different language, whether that is learning Spanish or learning English to see it and attempt to read it is different than speaking it. And so it's neat to have those resources to be able to look at stories that are familiar, like, you know, Peter and the boat and Jesus walking on water in the Red Sea. To see what that would be like in another language really helps with fluency and growing that knowledge of another language, even for teenagers who are in Spanish too and struggling a little bit. Well, in your books, what's kind of what you hope to communicate to these kiddos who read your books? What are you hoping they walk away with?

Jerah - So I want them to come out knowing the Bible is fun, it's not boring. And also just knowing how big and mighty God is. Because in all of these stories, they're not normal stories. When does a Sea part? But it's just showing God's power that he's able to do things. And I want them to see all the miracles that God does. And you know what? Things do happen when God's involved. And I want them to see that, I hope they see that in every story.

Valerie - I love that to see these stories and see that God is involved both in Bible stories and they can be, and God is still involved in our own lives too. I love that message for kiddos because it can get a little overwhelming and big and hard. And it's good to see those reminders of God's faithfulness and power. That's fun. Now, when did your writing journey begin, Jerah?

Jerah - So I've always liked writing and journaling when I was a teenager, but I think it wasn't until maybe 2016, or 2017 around there. I started blogging and I was doing book reviews and stuff. And then I was reading a lot of books and I was like, you know what? I want to write a book too. And so that's kind of when it started when I started doing like craft classes that involved writing craft and stuff like that.

Valerie - Very neat. Now, did you set out to write bilingual books, or was that something that just kind of happened or were inspired to do?

Jerah - It kind of happened. So I knew I wanted a Spanish version. So and the funny thing, this isn't my first book. My first book is, you know, it's on a desk somewhere after several rejections. But now that I've learned so much, I'm like, I need to pull it out and fix it, you know. So now I know why they were rejected. It's not because they were being mean. It's like it needed more work. But I always knew I wanted to have it in English and Spanish. So my mom's from Mexico and I lived over there like 13 years and the Spanish language is very important to me. And so I, you know, I wasn't expecting to be bilingual. I was thinking of different books, but at the end I was like bilingual is pretty cool.

Valerie - It is cool to see things side by side and to grow in confidence, especially for those young kids who might be stepping into school for the first time and, you know, either English or Spanish is their first language. And so to have different books that give them the opportunity to have understanding, but also learn at the same time is so sweet and something definitely needed. We're both in Texas, so we have a lot of families that do speak multiple languages and to have them feel like they belong, help them feel like they matter, it's just included in the community, in the book community as well, is just really important.

Jerah - Yes, it is. And like you said, here in Texas, like there's a lot of Spanish-speaking children and I love that. Also, my parents go to Mexico a lot. So I love being able to have something to send with them too. Like here, send my books. And that's been great.

Valerie - Our parents are our biggest fans, right? They seem to get our books to places we don't think we would get them. Now Jared. Now Jareh, did you always want to be an author?

Jerah - No, I don't know that I ever said I wanted to be an author, but I did always want to work with books. So I do remember when I was a teenager when I was younger, I would say I wanted to work at a library. I don't know if you remember back then they would scan the books and I would hear the beep beep and I said, I want to do that. That seemed like so much fun. I grew older, a teenager, and I would read more fiction and I just love the smell of books. I'm one of those weirdos who will open the book and sniff it. And I would say I want to work at a publishing company where I can smell books. Like, I don't know if I imagine people standing by a printer just, I say they'll print out and I'll smell each one. I don't know. But I guess I've always had a love for books. And so here I am. I never imagined writing one, but here I am.

Valerie - It's amazing where God will bring us when he puts a passion in our hearts. And what is it with, I remember the power of the library card when you're like six years old and just the world seems so big. And I, I love that feeling. My kids are always like, when are we going back to the library? I'm like, let's go. So, usually, if we go to the library, we bring home the maximum amount of books that are allowed and it's usually a quiet afternoon for everybody.

Jerah - Those are always fun days, the same with my kids. Know, we go and especially in the summer, we stock up and we come back and it's like shopping, but you're not spending money.

Valerie - And what is one of the most impactful books in your life, Jerah, other than the Bible?

Jerah  - That's gonna be that's hard because I read in different genres That's very hard I Could tell you for my writing Yeah, yeah and for my writing and I think and I won't I won't name specific books but like Lisa Wingate was a big inspirational inspiration to me in when I started writing and I liked her humor, but I also liked her how deep she got into stuff. So I know I have my children's book right now, but I have a women's fiction sitting there too in my desk file. So Lisa Wingate is a lot someone that was, like, can write like her. You have your little. You're the little person you look up to even if she doesn't know you, but yes.

Valerie - And what is it, one of those famous interview questions of what five people would you want at your dinner table for an evening? And I think as authors, as we've got like so many like authors we'd want to just sit around and just, you know, glean, can I just sit here and hopefully like osmosis will happen and I'll just get all your knowledge.

Jerah - Can I rub your shoulder and be able to write like you?

Valerie - Yes, exactly. Just wanting to be in the presence of greatness is exciting as an author. Don't know. Just like, could talk about that forever. Now, what is your favorite genre to read in?

Jerah - So yeah, I read in so many. I like, I think it depends, I'm like a mood reader. So sometimes I like historical fiction is one, one I read a lot, but suspense also, rom-com I do some, I usually do that if I'm feeling like a bum and I just want something lighthearted to read and then I'll pick up a rom-com. But I think historical fiction and suspense. Romantic suspense is my favorite and then after that, I kind of go women's fiction, rom-com, and a little bit of sci-fi not too much but I do dip my toes a little bit sometimes once or twice a year.

Valerie - Gotta get adventurous every once in a while, right? Now what are you reading right now, Jerah?

Jerah - Ooh right now I'm reading this book called The Rhino Keeper. It is a time, like a split time, what do they call those split-time novels and stuff? It's so it's historical. Yeah, I do a timeline. Yeah, so it's great. I'm enjoying it.

Valerie - It's always, those always are really interesting in getting different perspectives on in the same situation, you know, whether it's at a different time in the same place or same time. And I know those are always really entertaining, I find. So it's neat to look at things from two different perspectives.

Jerah - I like trying to connect throughout the whole time I'm reading it, I'm trying to see how is it going to connect to the current time. So, you know, if it's reading in the 17 or 1800s, how's it going to connect nowadays? So I'm trying to figure out if they're connected through, you know, in this case, I'm assuming the rhino, but sometimes I'm like, are they connected through blood, through like ancestry, through, you know, whatever, an object of clothes? I'm always trying to figure it out in my head. Like I want to solve how.

Valerie- Are you one of the readers who will read the last chapter before you actually get there, or must you have the journey?

Jerah - Right now, I must have the journey, but growing up, it would annoy the heck out of my sister that I would always go to the back. And then I would say, "Nope, it's not good enough to read." That would determine whether I would read it or not. For example, if I didn't like the ending, I wouldn't touch it. No. So yeah, but I don't do that anymore.

Valerie - There is some wisdom in that. There's been many a book, so I get to the end and I'm like, I was a wasted few days, but I will. Well, Jerah, what can we expect next from you?

Jerah - So my second book comes out in June. It's also Would You Rather? And this one, my daughter, she had a lot to do with it, my nine-year-old. Because I was searching. So actually, when I started the series, I was planning on indie publishing, but last minute I got picked up by a small press. So it was a really small press and they offered me a Three-book contract. So I was like, okay, I had two books, but one of them, I had two books, two books and a half, but I was not happy with that half one because I just, I like tying the beginning with the end. So in all my books, I have like, or in these books, I have the creation Adam and Eve ending with

heaven and the, so the new creations. And I was having a hard time tying that one.

And I remember just thinking, how am I going to tie this? And I was like getting frustrated and maybe I should write a new one. And then she says, why don't you do an animal one? And I was just like, why don't I do an animal one? There are so many animal stories and like, oh my gosh, you're a genius. And she loves animals. So she's like, me which ones you want in here. So she started writing down the ones she wanted in there, which she picked about three or four. She picked Daniel and the Lion Den one of her favorite stories forever. I have no idea why she finds it hilarious is a dream Pharaoh had of the seven skinny cows eating the fat ugly cows and she's always thought that hilarious. So she's like that has to be in there and I'm like, okay, we're gonna have seven skinny cows and seven

fat cows in there. So it's been fun and I'm so excited that it's coming out in June Hopefully this will appeal to all animal lovers because I think a lot of children love animals.

Valerie - There are a lot of animals, stories, and events within the Bible. What is it? Last year, I read through the whole Bible, and I was surprised to find ostriches and hippopotamuses mentioned in it. I would have never guessed those were in there unless I actually read it. So it's that God uses all of his creation to communicate to us, whether we are listening or not.

Jerah - Yes, during my research or while doing it, I vaguely maybe remembered hearing something about it. And so I wanted to use different animals. I said, don't want everyone to, I don't want to be a sheep in every one or a horse in every story. And so I said, I, I'm trying to use like very different. And I came across the story of, Samson and, and the foxes when he ties

their tails together. And I was like, I'm not sure. Like I vaguely remember there were foxes, but I didn't remember the story until I started. I'm like, my gosh, that sounds dangerous. But now that's in my story. And so I'm excited, you know, for all the stories that are in there.

Valerie - It's neat to find those hidden gems within the Bible that don't get a lot of time in Sunday school, but they are powerful. And even like Balaam and the donkey and several others just to kind of Jone in the whale. I was wondering if Balaam was in there, but yeah, just, God's going to use everything to communicate with us. Even a donkey, if he needs to. Well, Jerah, where can people find out more about you and your books?

Jerah - So if they subscribe to my newsletter, they will get monthly updates and I usually do monthly giveaways too from other author friends. They write picture books and my website is www.jarahalvarado.com or they could follow me on any of my social media. I go by jar writes on Instagram and Jarahwrites on Facebook as well. I'm not as active there, but I do pop in when I have like important news.

Valerie - I'll be sure to have those links in our description so people can find you easily for sure. Thank you so much for being with us today, Jerah.

Jerah - Thank you for having me Valerie, it was so much fun.

Valerie - It was a joy and thank you for joining Jerah and me on this episode of the Bookworthy podcast. Check the show notes for any books or links that we discussed and let us know in the comments if you'd rather be the tiniest creature on the planet or the largest. Be sure to join in this Bookworthy summer reading challenge also and you can find out more information about that at www.valeriefentress.com.

Happy reading!