Goodreads asked Cynthia MacGregor:

Where did you get the idea for your most recent book?

Cynthia MacGregor Actually the idea for MOVING DAY FOR ALEX wasn't totally mine. I had had a book published quite a few years ago called WHY DO WE HAVE TO MOVE?, a nonfiction picturebook for little kids, which was long since out of print. I submitted it to AcuteByDesign to see if they were interested in republishing it, and the publisher came back to me with the suggestion that instead of their republishing the existing book, I write a new book on the same theme but make it fictional. He suggested that the book follow one child whose family is moving, only he's not very happy about it. He also suggested that this be the first book in a series about that child. From that suggestion was born MOVING DAY FOR ALEX. Since AcuteByDesign is big on multiculturalism I made Alex's new best friend Black and suggested that the artist depict Alex and his family as Latinos. I chose a male protagonist (Alex) because girls are much more willing to read about a boy than boys are to read about a girl.
I feel the book has a much wider application than just kids whose families are moving. I think a child who is facing ANY change in his life or new situation can relate to Alex's siruation.

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