When Jeff and I found Martin in a bookstore at the Phoenix airport, we had no idea he came from a children’s book series called Dragons Love Tacos.  I was just thrilled to have found a new stuffed animal—especially since we had recently lost Travel Monkey, our long-time travel companion.

Even better? We were headed to Asia, and the stuffie we spotted was a red dragon… holding a taco.

We live in Mexico. We were going to Japan. I swear, the universe aligned at that very moment.

So off we went—Martin in tow.

In 2022, we toured Japan by tandem bike, exploring the islands and spending a few days in Tokyo. In 2023, we rode through Tahiti—10 days of island cycling, with Martin making appearances in photos and hydration breaks alike. In 2024, we traveled through Cambodia and Vietnam. Martin was there for monasteries, tombs, museums, and more.

We took gobs of photos and shared them with friends and family through messages and social posts. Somewhere along the way, someone said:

“You should write stories to go with these.”

And so the idea of Martin’s Adventures was born.

By then, we knew about the original book series by Adam Rubin. We realized we couldn’t publish stories featuring that Martin—so we found a new one. Same color. Same size. Slightly different.

But how do you explain that a beloved dragon has changed… without breaking the magic?

Well, Martin turned 2 this year on April 19. And that felt like a good time for a change.

Not just a birthday, but something deeper. A transformation.

Like a dragon’s version of growing up—or a caterpillar becoming a butterfly.

Thus came the scrap hoarding. The pouch-making. The cocooning.

Martin decided he’d wait until after Easter (a soft nod to the passage of spring) before starting his change. He celebrated his birthday first, and at the end of the party, we had a spectacular surprise.

After the celebration and a little rest, Martin climbed into his pouch to begin his metamorphosis.

And now, 10 days later—on Cinco de Mayo—he hatches from his pouch, refreshed and renewed – just like his garden in the spring.