Book excerpt: Muchas Gracias Maria is a children's picturebook written by Luke Lowenfield and illustrated by Hal Marcus. The story features the relationship between Maria and her grandson, who is celebrating his birthday. Maria lives in Juarez, Mexico, and brings the festive traditions her country across the border into El Paso, Texas, to make the young boy's birthday his best one ever. The original artwork of Hal Marcus fills the pages and invites readers to experience the bright, happy, and lively borderland of the El Paso-Juarez region. This book celebrates the union of two cultures and the joys of multigenerational relationships.