From Myth to Moonlight: Creating the World of The Rabbit in the Moon
After months of rewriting, experimenting, and learning from past drafts, I can finally say it:
I’ve written an original story with characters I truly love.
This version of Yabbit the Rabbit, and ultimately The Rabbit in the Moon, feels alive, emotionally rich, and filled with meaning. The process of starting over gave me the freedom to explore mythology, culture, and my own family history in ways I never expected.
Building a New World from Scratch
I live in Mexico City, a country my mother loved dearly. When I began world-building, I started by researching how rabbits were portrayed in ancient mythologies, both Aztec and Greek. I wanted to know:
How did these civilizations perceive rabbits?
Were they symbols of bravery, curiosity, or transformation?
What I discovered changed everything.
🎥 You can see my genuine reaction in my YouTube documentary:
Discovering Ancient Myths
While researching rabbits, I stumbled upon other fascinating animals that appeared in myths, each one with traits that mirrored emotions I wanted my characters to embody.
Then I came across the Aztec legend of Tecciztecatl and Nanahuatzin, which tells of a brave rabbit who sacrifices himself to bring light to the night sky. I was instantly hooked.
This myth, known as El Conejo en la Luna (The Rabbit in the Moon), became the creative foundation for my book. It perfectly captured the themes of courage, humility, and transformation that I wanted children to feel.
From Space Camp to Storytelling
As a child, I attended Space Camp twice, dreaming of becoming an astronaut. That fascination with the night sky never left me. To this day, I find myself staring up at the moon, thinking about how every culture has its own explanation for what lives there.
By blending this childhood curiosity with Aztec and Greek mythology, I found the tone of my story, a bridge between ancient wonder and modern emotion.
Character Development: Snail, Bat, She-Wolf, and Owl
Each supporting character in The Rabbit in the Moon comes from a mix of mythology and family inspiration:
Snail was directly inspired by the Aztec tale of Tecciztecatl and Nanahuatzin, and emotionally grounded in a personal story from my grandfather.
Bat, She-Wolf, and Owl each draw from ancient beliefs across Aztec, Celtic, and Barbarian tribes, creatures of the night who embody courage, mystery, and transformation when the moon is brightest.
By combining myth with personal history, these characters took on layers of meaning that made them feel timeless.
Embracing the Lessons of the Past
I don’t see any of the seven earlier versions of Yabbit the Rabbit as failures. They were essential steps, each draft taught me how to become a stronger writer, rhymer, and researcher.
Sometimes you have to lose your way creatively to find your story’s heart.
With The Rabbit in the Moon, I finally found mine.
Closing Thoughts
This story is more than a picture book. It’s a reflection of my mother’s imagination, my father’s stories, and the ancient myths that connect us all under one moon.
It’s a journey that celebrates courage, curiosity, and the beauty of starting over, again and again, until the story finally feels right.
