I am Barbara’s husband. Last week marked three years since Barbara passed away at age 45, but it is my sincere hope that her spirit continues to touch the
lives of children through her books long into the future.

A few scattered notes of possible interest:

As I suspect you are aware, her website has some author’s notes about the origin of each folktale, as well as some insights into her process in turning these cultural treasures into picturebooks. Barbaraknutson.com

She first encountered this folktale while we living in Peru, finding various versions throughout the Andes. We hiked deep into the mountain regions of Ecuador, Peru, and Boliva during her research. While she conducted most research for L&RC in Spanish, she also learned as much of the story in Quechwa and Ayamara as possible, the languages spoken in the highlands. She enjoyed the trading of folktales and the exchange would often fuel the evening conversations around steaming bowls of potato soup.

Barbara loved language as well as art, frequently reading her pleasure novels in French and Spanish.

Nature was also a passion, and was meticulus she was about the authenticity of her illustrations in this regard. Careful scrutiny of her books will show the stars as they appear in the southern hemisphere, the plants and animal species to be those that she had observed. She kept detailed sketch books to record her observations. I know she felt it essential to convey multiple aspects of the culture in retelling of the folktale, even the cadence of the prose. (She was an accomplished flute and recorder player, so I think language was something she observed and felt as well.)

I hope some of this is interesting and informative to the discussion.