Andrea Wang and I have an Asian Culture and KidLit series. Today, I am releasing the cover of my debut picture book, Sumo Joe, illustrated by debut picture book illustrator Nat Iwata. I want everyone to meet my awesome illustrator, Nat Iwata, so I have interviewed him below. Asian Culture and KidLit series with…
Category: #OwnVoices
Cover Reveal for AMY WU & THE PERFECT BAO
Cover Release for AMY WU & THE AMAZING BAO & Giveaway!
Jason Reynolds’ Track Series
I think there should be Newbery type of award for middle grade book series. Have you noticed that there are no awards for book series? Why is that? I’d make the criteria: The book series has to be completed. The book series must have between 3-7 books. (I hate those endlessly long series that are…
A Selection of 11 #OwnVoices Native American Stories
I’m so happy to be kicking off 2019 with #OwnVoices. I am going to focus my blog on #OwnVoices children’s books and in a few months, you’ll know why! Today, I have Anthony Perry as my guest author. He writes as a citizen of the Chickasaw Nation and the United States, as well as an immigrant…
20 Children’s Books about Native American Residential Schools
The recent family separation of some 14,000 children is not a new policy in the United States. Involuntary assimilation was a policy during the late 19th century when the U.S. and Canadian governments forced nearly 150,000 Native American and Indigenous children into Residential Schools reminiscent of Oliver Twist’s orphanage. In fact, the Residential Schools’ conditions…
SUMO JOE Illustrator Nat Iwata
Did you know that picture book authors and illustrators do not communicate until the project is completed? I think it’s to give the illustrator some creative space to bring the words to life. No one likes to be micromanaged by someone else’s vision. My debut picture book, SUMO JOE, with illustrator Nat Iwata is not…
Meeting My Editor for SUMO JOE
Attending Kweli’s The Color of Children’s Literature Conference brought me to New York City, with just enough time to squeeze in a visit to meet Kandace Coston, my editor at Lee and Low Books for SUMO JOE, illustrated by Nat Iwata. The office building is secured, so I had to have the security guard call me…







