“When there’s room in the heart, there’s room in the house,” Rosa Maria proclaims in Pam Muñoz Ryan’s picture book Mice and Beans, illustrated by Joe Cepeda. Much like this lovable character, Pam makes space for all the people and passions she holds most dear, and they all influence her work as a writer. She lives a big life, and it’s one of the things I have always admired most about her. Our creative partnership over nearly thirty years — and the eighteen bookmaking journeys we have taken together — have enriched and enlarged my own life.