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By Audrey Panichakoon Crone10 Questions for Children's Book Author and Illustrator, Grace Lin
Author and illustrator Grace Lin has given young readers creative stories about Asian
American culture. Her first picture book, The Ugly Vegetables was
published in 1999 when she was 25. Nine years later, with 11 plus
books and novels under her belt, Grace Lin continues to make
her mark in her industry as well as influencing
young minds. She took time to answers some
of our questions.
Tell us about one of your childhood memories? My parents, English being their second language, didn't read to me or my sisters a lot when we were kids. But they did want to encourage us to read and love books, so my mother bought me one of those books with a recording that "reads" the book along with you. I remember loving it, laying on my stomach with Virginia Burton's ,The Little House, listening to the recording over and over again. Back then, the recording s were done with low quality, floppy , very thin vinyl records; and after playing it a few times the sound became warped and distorted. But I didn't care; I kept playing and listening to it even when the narrator began to sound like an alien. You've written quite a number of children's book with Asian related theme/characters, is there pressure for you to produce more topics? Most of my books are Asian-themed, mainly because that I'm interested in that and I enjoy the reception those books receive. I used to pressure myself, thinking that I had to branch out and create books in other genres to "prove" I wasn't just an Asian-American author/illustrator. But as time has gone by, I have relaxed about labels and have just created books that I personally enjoy making; and most of them are Asian-American. 
How do you come up
with the subjects for your
books?All of my books have some sort real life inspiration. The Ugly Vegetables was based on the memories I had of my mother growing Chinese vegetables. Dim Sum For Everyone! is based on memories of my family eating dim sum in Chinatown. My novels The Year of the Dog and The Year of the Rat are almost memoirs. It features my family, our family stories and memories-though a bit fictionalized! So, really I just gather the threads of my life and see what can be woven together to make a book. Is there something in particular you are trying to evoke from your readers? Mostly, I'd just like my readers to enjoy my books; if they are able to see themselves or others and come to a new understanding (or a reinforcement of previous insights) by connecting with the story or characters I create, that is a wonderful additional benefit.  Your books are great for introducing
Asian culture to non-Asians. But I noticed that they
are not as serious of a topic as your essays/PDF
stories on your website. Why is that?Well, my books are made for children-which means I prefer that they convey enjoyment first; and any type of "message" is hopefully subtle and done in a way for the reader to come to those conclusions themselves. The essays on my website are for adults, with the sole purpose of clearly explaining the principles of my work. A different audience, and different intentions. I personally loved the Why Couldn't Snow White be Chinese?--Finding Identity Through Children's Books. Will this be published in the future? That essay has been published on some websites (like papertigers.org) as well as some newsletters, I offer it free to any publication as long as edits are approved by me and proper credit is given. Your website has a lot to offer besides information about you and your books. You offer coloring pages, craft ideas and more. Is this to derive more interactions from your young readers? If so, do you know if people are using your resources? I offer the information as fun ways to use my books, hoping that it just makes my books that much more enjoyable for the readers. Unfortunately, I don't really track and see if people are using the resources-but I hope that they do! Who amongst your peers do you admire, and why? I admire anyone who has a career in Children's books--it is a suprisingly competitive and hard field, anyone with longevity and success is admirable. There are so many authors and illustrators I admire, I am afraid to make a list because I am sure to leave out important one--especially as my "favorite" ones shift with my mood and emotions. But here are some (very incomplete list!): Contemporary authors: Lenore Look, Justina Chen Headley, Janet Wong, Libby Koponen, Lisa Yee and Mitali Perkins. Contemporary illustrators: Meilo So,Yangsook Choi, Anna Alter, Meghan McCarthy, Belle Yang, Elisa Kleven and Linda Wingerter. The book I most admire and wish I had written right now: The Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson by Bette Bao Lord. Which of your books do you like best, and why? I think your "first" book always has a special place, so I guess those would be the ones I like best--even if perhaps they may not be my best work. I love The Ugly Vegetables because it was my first picturebook and I love The Year of the Dog because it was my first novel. I actually think The Year of the Dog is my best work to date as well. As an Asian American mom, it's hard to find books that have Asian themes to them. Your book was a wonderful find. I love reading the Dim Sum and Fortune Cookie books to my boys and they love to hear them. Are you a mom? If so, do you write specifically for your children? No, unfortunately, I don't have any children. Right now, when I create a book it is for the child I used to be. |
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