I’ll be at the Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival in a few weeks and I’ll be interviewing three authors there on behalf of KidLitTV: Phil Bildner, Sandra Neil Wallace, and Joyce Wan.
Today, I’m researching Joyce Wan. Let’s get started!
Award-winning author-illustrator, Joyce Wan, designed her first greeting card when she was in first grade for a city-wide greeting card design contest. The design won first place and was subsequently sold through a major department store chain. Twenty years later, that design would inspire a line of greeting cards and eventually a design studio called Wanart. She has published 25 books for children including the best-selling YOU ARE MY CUPCAKE. Her books have now sold a combined total of over one million copies worldwide.
I’ve been reading Joyce Wan’s board books for a while now, and have included her in my AAPI (Asian American and Pacific Islander) KidLit round up which how I celebrate May’s AAPI Heritage Month. Her books are sold at Target and her illustration style is widely appealing. I also like how she subtlely will include Asian American references.
This is just a partial list of Joyce’s books:
Her newest book is Dream Big.
A bold, inspiring message for little graduates of today with a heartening homage to female trailblazers of the past from beloved creator Joyce Wan! With a tender message of encouragement and hope, this special board book is a gift to be treasured and shared for years to come.
Featuring heartfelt tributes to:
– Rosa Parks
– Junko Tabei
– Frida Kahlo
– Amelia Earhart
– Zaha Hadid
and many more! [board book, ages 2 and up]
Wow! Joyce Wan’s career began in first grade! I love that! What else do you want to learn about her? Here are my questions but I’d love to include yours too!
- Your greeting card career began at age 6. Tell me about how you’ve grown this portion of your business since then.
- From greeting cards to children’s books … what was your journey?
- I noticed that you also create wall art. How did you get into that?
- What advice would you give to new illustrators?
- What are you working on now?
I’ll be interviewing Phil Bildner, Joyce Wan, and Sandra Neil Wallace from 3:30-4:00 pm EST on Saturday, Oct. 4th at Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival where it will be live streaming through KidLit TV’s Facebook!
To examine any book more closely at Amazon, please click on image of book.
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3 Amazing Wordless Picture Books
I love these wordless picture books by Asian and Asian American authors/illustrators so much that I made videos of them on my Instagram.
Follow PragmaticMom’s board Multicultural Books for Kids on Pinterest.
Follow PragmaticMom’s board Children’s Book Activities on Pinterest.
My books:
Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Food for the Future: Sustainable Farms Around the World
- Junior Library Guild Gold selection
- Selected as one of 100 Outstanding Picture Books of 2023 by dPICTUS and featured at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair
- Starred review from School Library Journal
- Chicago Library’s Best of the Best
- 2023 INDIES Book of the Year Awards Finalist
- Green Earth Book Award longlist
- Imagination Soup’s 35 Best Nonfiction Books of 2023 for Kids
Amazon / Barefoot Books / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Amazon / Scholastic / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Hi Mia,
Thank you for these wonderful titles. Some of them are my favorites but many are new. So happy to discover your blog from the NESCBWI newsletter.