A great number of our Mom’s Choice Award® Honorees and Distinguished Alumni start their journey with two things:

1) an idea, and
2) the motivation to make their idea a reality!

Luis Rodriguez’s journey started the same way, too. His idea? A cuddly koala toy!

What he discovered in his journey, though, is that cute plushy marsupial would lead him to expand even further and write a book as well.

Here to tell us more about his story is Luis himself!

MCA: Welcome to the spotlight Luis! Can you please tell us about what motivated you to create The Klampie Mystery?
Luis: It is going to sound cliché and corny, but it was fun. Just the sheer fun of writing motivated me. I started the story, and the fun started. The story then practically finished itself!

The idea for Klampie, a plush koala toy came first. This is a toy that can clamp onto almost anything. During a visit to a toy store, I realized that some plush toys are bundled with books. I said to myself you have to write the Klampie story.

Soon after that visit, I started writing. The story turned out to be a mystery, and I had a lot of fun writing it, co-illustrating it, and getting involved in all aspects of production. The plush toy is still in incubation, but I want to hopefully make it one package with the book in the near future.

MCA: that sounds so cute! We are looking forward to the new book-toy combo. Now that you have an award-winning book, what are your goals for the next year?
Luis: To keep promoting The Klampie Mystery. I want to take it to a point twhere I can focus on publishing at least one of my other stories in manuscript. I also need to finish writing two more stories that are just sketches in my mind.

MCA: Wow! You’ve got lots of things for us to look forward to. Staying in the present for a minute, have you given any thought to ways that your Mom’s Choice Award® will help you attain your goals.
Luis: The three ways are really one and the same: promotion, promotion, promotion! It always comes back to promotion.

Winning a Mom’s Choice Award® also helps open doors, and takes the project to another level. Also, it helps project credibility for the book and the author – Me!

MCA: Can you share with us what you learned about yourself as an author in creating your award-winning book?
Luis: I have worked in different creative areanas all my life, from advertising to new product development. I enjoyed them all, but I have never had as much fun as I am having with The Klampie Mystery. Every time I write or talk about Klampie, a smile just lands on my face.

I don’t know, I guess I’ve learned that I really enjoy writing for children.

MCA: We love it when our alumni love what they do! Since launching your book, what has been your most rewarding experience in promoting or sharing it with the public? Do you have a favorite memory?
Luis: There have been many great experiences, starting with the pride and joy it gave my wife. She was very happy, when she saw The Klampie Mystery printed. 

The generosity of some nice critics, the praise from some parents, and some really, really nice fan mail from some first graders are excellent things too! And then, the Mom’s Choice Award®, of course.

MCA: As a new honoree, do you have any questions you’d like some of the “old hands” to answer for you?
Luis: Suggestions on how to best relate to the award on marketing efforts? Thanks!

MCA: Thanks for chatting with us, Luis! Let us know, MCA alumni – share your best marketing tips with us!

Mom’s Choice Awards® Honors

The Klampie Mystery
by Luis Rodriguez
Juvenile Books (Level 1)
Silver – General Fiction

Contact, Connect, and Network with Luis

The Alumni Spotlight is a periodic feature on the official Mom’s Choice Awards® blog. It is part of our ongoing effort to “shine the spotlight” on you and your award-winning, family-friendly products, services, and media.