When I met with my publisher, Angus Yuen-Killick at Red Comet Press, we kicked around ideas to promote all the Red Comet Press authors in the Boston area, who are also friends of mine. It seemed too ambitious to set up Storytimes or Author Visits. Angus suggested that we contact bookstores in advance to see…
I used the Boston Public Library’s children’s book lists for years when my children were young. We used to read ten picture books every night because picture books worked for all three ages, and my kids expected each book to be outstanding. This meant that I had to seek out award-winning books so as not…
Let’s fold origami fortune cookies as an activity for my picture book, Fortune Cookies for Everyone! (Smithsonian): The Surprising Story of the Tasty Treat We Love to Eat, illustrated by Colleen Kong-Savage. This is the true story of who invented the fortune cookie. Spoiler alert: it’s a mystery, and the reader gets to decide! [nonfiction…
Dorktales Podcast’s Hidden Hero of History series features Makoto Hagiwara from picture book Fortune Cookies for Everyone! A tale of artistry, innovation, and lasting legacy! Makoto Hagiwara, a Japanese American landscape architect, transformed a World’s Fair exhibit into San Francisco’s Japanese Tea Garden. It’s the oldest public Japanese garden in the United States, still cherished…
Today is my book birthday! To celebrate, I’m giving away 5 signed/inscribed copies! To enter, please leave a comment below! Fortune Cookies for Everyone! (Smithsonian): The Surprising Story of the Tasty Treat We Love to Eat by Mia Wenjen, illustrated by Colleen Kong-Savage, published by Red Comet Press Junior Library Guild Gold Selection An investigative…
I have made picture book trailers myself in the past, but this is the first time that I have done a voice-over. Usually, I just use the illustrations to create the video, but I realized that the story is too complicated to understand with just a few of the illustrations. I decided to write a…
I am so excited to announce that Fortune Cookies for Everyone, illustrated by Colleen Kong-Savage and published by Red Comet Press in collaboration with the Smithsonian, is a Junior Library Gold selection! Fortune Cookies for Everyone! (Smithsonian): The Surprising Story of the Tasty Treat We Love to Eat by Mia Wenjen, illustrated by Colleen Kong-Savage…