Children’s stories often leave a lasting impression by combining memorable characters with meaningful life lessons. Author Mar Andersons created Pablo, an illustrated children’s book that follows the adventures of a Mexican street dog while exploring themes of family, resilience, compassion, and emotional growth through a bilingual narrative. In this interview, Mar Andersons reflects on his creative journey, the inspiration behind his storytelling, the collaborative process of developing a children’s picture book, and the experiences that continue to shape his work and aspirations as an author.

Editor’s Note: The interview includes the author’s personal reflections on grief and loss, as well as subjective descriptions of the book’s reception and award significance. These comments are presented as personal experiences and opinions rather than objective claims.

Mar, thank you for taking the time to speak with us. To begin, could you introduce yourself, tell us about your background, what you do professionally, and what you hope your work contributes to readers?

Hi! I am Mar! I am a proud Canadian living in Vancouver, have worked in the film industry in various capacities for over thirty years, and have just begun my author journey. I currently act on camera in some film and TV shows you may have heard of, and do a lot of voice-over acting for cartoons, video games, and some of the biggest brands in the world. I am also currently one of the lead characters in a new animated series out of Los Angeles.

I would hope that my work contributes laughter, joy, and a new way for children to learn about, discuss, and process grief. I wrote PABLO after my mother passed away and incorporated the five stages of grief into the book for one very important reason. I thought, “If I can just help one child deal with their emotions like I am currently having to deal with mine, it will all be worth it!”

Every creative journey begins somewhere. What experiences first inspired you to write stories for children, and how did those experiences influence your approach to storytelling?

I had a very good old friend challenge me to write something for children. At first, I was hesitant because I had never done anything like that before. I have written hundreds of ads, and the thought of writing a children’s book had never crossed my mind. But one day, I had the entire idea for PABLO come to me in a flash, an instant! I have experienced a tremendous amount of grief and loss with friends and family over the years, so subconsciously, the idea was already in me. I think I just needed that challenge from that good friend to motivate me to write something.

Your work brings together adventure, emotion, and learning. When developing a children’s story, what principles guide your decisions about the themes and messages you hope readers will discover?

Exceptional characters, a wonderful theme, and a good story were the three pillars of excellence I tried to achieve with PABLO. I also wanted to advance the story in an engaging way for both children and adults, making the reader want to turn the page while also giving our wonderful artist Irvin Walkes endless visual possibilities.

I also researched Theodor Seuss Geisel for months. I wanted to try to understand him and his process. In short, what I learned was there are no rules, no end to creativity, and to be fiercely courageous! Do things outside of convention, take that chance, and do not listen to the online “Experts” telling you how to write a children’s book!

The central journey in your book explores family, resilience, and compassion. What drew you to these particular themes, and why do you think they continue to resonate with readers of different ages?

Family is everything! And tacos… Tacos are everything! – Pablo 2026.

I feel that empathy and compassion may slowly be diminishing in this ever-changing, technology-laden landscape. The underlying themes of family, compassion, and resilience are the cornerstones of storytelling since the dawn of time. That is why these themes resonate with adults and children alike! I did not reinvent the wheel, I merely tried to put some fresh air in the tire.

The story naturally introduces readers to English and Spanish together. What inspired this bilingual approach, and what did you hope children and families would gain from it?

I have spent a lot of time in Mexico. I love the country, its people, and the culture! When I had the idea for PABLO, I knew right away that I wanted to write the standard thirty-two-verse poem in English with Spanish words and phrases. This proved to be quite challenging and took quite a while. What words or slang is used in northern Mexico is different from what could be spoken in central or southern Mexico. So, I was fortunate to have three different Mexican Spanish editors to help me make sure the words I used in the book were universally spoken throughout the country. Pablo in the north, Juan Pablo in the Yucatan, and Javi in Mexico City. I could not have done it without them.

I hope that children and families not only have the ability to learn some Spanish words and phrases, but perhaps PABLO will inspire them to learn more about the language, the culture, and the wonderful people of Mexico.

Children’s books often become collaborative projects involving writers, illustrators, editors, and many others. What did this collaboration teach you about bringing a story from an idea to a finished book?

This being my first book, this collaboration taught me that it truly does take a village of exceptionally talented people. The “PABLO Pack” hails from all over the world. Artist Irvin Walkes, designer Rob Berg, publisher Jay Brown, and myself are all in Vancouver, so that made things a bit easier. For three years, we worked tirelessly on the hand-drawn and painted art. The process was not unlike Disney films of old. If we agreed we wanted to make a change or go in another direction, Irvin started from the drawing board (See what I did there?). He must have done thousands of boards and panels to land on the forty-ish pieces of art we used for the book.

Our English editors Lee and Shannon are both in Los Angeles. Lee was an editor for the LA Times and Shannon was a publicist. This father-and-daughter editing team helped me become a better writer with every keystroke. Then there are the three Spanish editors in Mexico, and our print designer Edgar, who really took our raw materials and made them really pop! Lastly, our print consultant Tad, who tragically passed away from cancer just before we went to print, was instrumental in helping us create a deliverable that we feel is a differentiator in the children’s book space today.

Working with all these wonderful people from all over the Western Hemisphere taught me that you cannot do something like this alone. That everyone involved in PABLO contributed so much, in so many different ways. I was very fortunate to have this group of amazing people agree to work with me to bring PABLO to life! PABLO is only what it is because of them.

Throughout your creative journey, what milestones, recognitions, or accomplishments stand out most to you, and what have those moments meant personally and professionally?

The first award we received, called The Christopher Award, was far and away the most meaningful recognition. It is an award in New York that has been around since 1949, awards books that “affirm the highest values of the human spirit, and have the potential to influence a mass audience positively”. This award is free to enter, is not a so-called “pay-to-play” award, and is quite prestigious.

After working on bringing PABLO to life for over three years, when we were notified of the award, I got very emotional. Not because of ego, or the actual winning of the award… I shed some celebratory tears because we all worked so hard to make PABLO the best it could be without any mentorship, guidance, or advice from anyone in the book world. We did it all ourselves, on our terms, in an office and virtually. Those tears were tears of validation. Confirmation that all the years of hard work, all the chances we took every step of the way, the “rules” we broke, were all one hundred percent worth it!

Readers often connect with different characters for different reasons. Without revealing major plot points, were there particular characters whose development surprised you during the writing process?

Yes! Great question! Joan, who has lost her husband, started as a conduit to help PABLO on his journey. However, after my mother passed away and I had the idea to incorporate the Five Stages of Grief into the book, her development flourished. Not only was Joan lost emotionally, she was lost in life. She and PABLO are both lost and help each other with each other’s journeys. Without that Joan arc, PABLO would be flat.

Many stories invite meaningful conversations beyond the final page. What kinds of discussions or reflections do you hope families, educators, or young readers will have after experiencing your work?

While writing PABLO, we tested the written word on children aged five to fourteen for a year and a half. The art took a long time, so we had that time to meet with and discuss the book openly with children and parents in real time. Those parents and children were essential in helping me make PABLO what it is today, and I cannot thank them enough.

We have been fortunate to have feedback from teachers telling us, “It is a beautiful story with a real depth of emotion. A gentle story of grief that you have deftly woven into a vibrant, dynamic and beautiful story.”

Librarians at the ALA conference in Chicago at the end of June shared that, “This book is important! It fills a much-needed hole in every library today.” Some were even kind enough to share stories of their students who have had a death in the family, and how there is nothing like PABLO in their library, and how it needs to be in every library.

However, children’s reviews have been some of the most rewarding to me. My personal favourite is from Ella, who is seven… “The story makes me never want to give up and family is everything and the book makes my heart happy. And Pablo is the cutest dog in the whole world!”

All of the response has been amazing, and at times, overwhelming, but in the most wonderful way possible.

Looking ahead, how has creating this book influenced your perspective as a storyteller, and what kinds of creative challenges or opportunities are you most interested in exploring next?

PABLO influenced my perspective as a storyteller in so many different ways. I had to learn how to develop characters with heart that readers actually care about and connect to in a very short amount of time. It changed the way I think about any media I watch or read. I now find myself digging deep to find the root of the who, what, when, and why with everything I consume. I think this book has made me challenge all my previous perspectives as a consumer and storyteller, and I hope that can make me a better writer in the future.

I have been writing ads, and film and TV projects for many years. Writing PABLO was by far the most challenging thing I have ever written. Writing a children’s book is one thing, but writing one that rhymes, in two very different languages, while incorporating the five stages of grief, is another.

Adapting the book into PABLO: The Video Game, that kids can play for free on any device, was definitely one of the most challenging things I have ever worked on as well. I now know why major video game titles cost so much to make and take as much time to release as they do. Our game pales in comparison to a large title, but even making it was an eye-opening experience!

I am really looking forward to learning more about the publishing landscape, especially distribution and potential foreign rights sales. I love learning about that side of the business. It fascinates me.

PABLO has a number of Easter eggs in the book, including maaaaybe a setup for a sequel… IF you can find it! I am exploring that idea, and others daily! Excited about them all!

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Pablo by Mar Andersons