Some handmade paper cranes for decoration
Which one is a
Blue Rose Girl?
Grace's handmade paper cuttings and delicious desserts
By:
Aline Pereira,
on 2/18/2010
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We have blogged quite a bit about Grace Lin lately as her book Where the Mountain Meets the Moon was chosen as one of seven books in our Spirit of Paper Tigers Book Set and was also named a 2010 Newbery Honor Book, one of the most prestigious awards for children’s literature in the United States. Be sure to check out Grace’s blog to read about and see photos from “the Newbery call” .
One thing that I really admire about Grace is that she is so accessible to her fans via her regularly updated blog and her full schedule of book signings and school visits. This Saturday, February 20th, she will be at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, MA, USA hosting Learn How Books Are Made with Grace Lin where she will show the many steps of publishing, read one of her books, answers questions, draw some of her book characters and sign books. After a lunch break, she will talk about Lunar New Year customs, referencing her books Bringing in the New Year and The Year of the Rat. Perhaps she will share some of the special lunar crafts that she has been making to help celebrate the Year of the Tiger (and have you made our Paper Tiger yet?). Of course, all of us at PaperTigers have a special affinity for the Year of the Tiger and so does Grace:
In my book, The Year of the Rat there is the story of the 12 animals of the Chinese Zodiac, which tells of the great race of the animals to win the the honor of a year named after them. The winning animals had their own characteristics as you can tell by how they they competed
The Tiger won his place by sheer strength, courage and nerve. That is why they say people who are born in the Year of the Tiger are risk-takers and brave. So, this year, the Year of the Tiger, is the year where we all have to be strong, brave and ready to take risks. It might be a bit unpredictable and surprising.
Now, I was born in the Year of the Tiger so this is MY year. But, it doesn’t mean it will be a lucky one. When it is YOUR year, it means it will be a year of important and possibly life-changing decisions. It’s the year where big things happen that change the course of your life.
Hey ho, everyone, 'tis I, the CARLMAN who has survived the Second Great Ice Age. Well, it 
wasn't really that bad, but that's how people act in Charlotte when we get the least bit of snow. There was a major holiday yesterday that had people giving gifts and going out to dinner. No, I don't mean that holiday--the one with all the kissing and pink and frilly hearts and stuff that makes a MANLY MAN cringe--I mean Chinese New Year. It began yesterday and, in its honor, I present a review of Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin. Today's review is from our new friend Laurence. Actually, Laurence is new to you but he lives down the street from me and is a good friend to me and my family. Let's hear what Laurence says about this book:
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin is about a girl named Minli and her family that lives in a village that is very poor and plants and harvests rice. She is so inspired by her father’s stories that she sets off on her journey to find the Old Man of the Moon to make a wish that her family and village would be wealthy, and her parents’ struggle to find her, and the people she meets along the way. Enough with the plot, let’s gossip about the pros and cons. Grace Lin used mostly everyday verbs like shocked, scared and gratefully, instead of using words like dumbfounded, petrified, and beholden to the settings, characters, and predicaments. Plus, Grace Lin did not describe the characters very well, like when she wrote that A-Fu and Da-Fu were cheerful and were little rays of sunlight, (although too much description is bad).
Now that we’ve enough of the cons, let’s go to the pros. I am bursting with pros for this sensational piece of literature. I don’t what I was thinking condemning one of my favorite novels. Okay, first, Grace Lin was eager to use fiction elements like dragons, talking fish, and a book of all the knowledge in the world and mingle it up with the non-fiction elements to spice up her story and keep page turning bound. Secondly, she had surprises throughout the novel keeping readers on the edge of their seat until the book was over. Third, (see, I told you I was bursting full of great things for this book), Grace Lin instinctively knows what readers would not understand, she explains those things with a story told by a character, therefore clarifying the subject, like when a talking fish told about the Dragon’s Gate. Fourth, (I know this is getting repetitive), Grace Lin not only wrote a piece of literature, she went beyond that, introducing readers to Chinese culture, immersing them into their ideas and traditional customs.
Okay, this is the moment you have been waiting for…overall “Where the Mountain Meets the Moon” was a hunky-dory book even though Grace Lin did not employ vivid verbs but had lots of blue-ribbon parts and details throughout the book.
Thanks, Laurence! I totally disagree with you about Grace's use of verbs and descriptions. They very vivid to me and I could picture everything she wrote. But I completely agree with your pros! This is one terrific b
By:
Aline Pereira,
on 2/1/2010
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Today we are thrilled to be announcing our Spirit of PaperTigers Project, an initiative of Pacific Rim Voices, whose aim is to promote literacy while raising awareness of our common humanity. The idea is to donate 100 book sets of 7 carefully selected multicultural books to libraries and schools in areas of need across the globe.
The following titles have been selected for inclusion in the 2010 Book Set:
Planting The Trees of Kenya: The Story of Wangari Maathai, by Claire A. Nivola. Frances Foster Books, 2008.
First Come the Zebra, by Lynne Barash. Lee & Low, 2009.
.
Little Leap Forward: A Boy in Beijing, by Guo Yue and Clare Farrow, illustrated by Helen Cann. Barefoot Books, 2008.
The Storyteller’s Candle/La velita de los cuentos, by Lucia Gonzalez, illustrated by Lulu Delacre. Children’s Book Press, 2008.
My Little Round House, by Bolormaa Baasansuren, English adaptation by Helen Mixter. Groundwood Books, 2009.
One Hen: How One Small Loan Made a Big Difference, by Katie Smith Milway, illustrated by Eugenie Fernandes. Kids Can Press, 2008.
Where The Mountain Meets The Moon, by Grace Lin. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2009.
Our website currently highlights all the authors and illustrators whose books have been selected, as well as other features related to the project. Please note that we will be further exploring the particular reasons for selecting each title, here, on the blog, during the month of February.
One important aspect of the Spirit of PaperTigers project is that we will be receiving feedback from the book set recipients. In the course of the coming months, as feedback comes in, we will be posting it to the blog and the site, so everyone can find out about where the books are going and who they are reaching.
To learn more about the project and enjoy the new features, visit the website. And please help us spread the word on this exciting new venture!…
NBC’s The TODAY Show is the top-rated daily American morning news and talk show with over 5.5 million daily viewers. So it is especially exciting to learn that The TODAY Show has picked Grace Lin’s newest novel Where the Mountain Meets the Moon as their Kids Book Club December selection!
Grace blogs: I am THRILLED to announce that Where the Mountain Meets the Moon is the December selection for Al Roker’s Kids Book Club on the TODAY SHOW!!!!
I am scheduled to appear on The TODAY Show with Al Roker and the Book Club Kids on Friday, December 4th at 9:45am! Tell your friends, spread the word and send me some positive thoughts –hopefully I don’t make any social gaffes on national TV… For those of you who miss it, don’t have a TV, despise jovial weathermen, etc., I also have some new events on the schedule! There’s a couple in NYC, right before and after my interview and there is a newly scheduled book signing at the Newtonville Books (Newtonville, MA). Click here for details.
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon has been receiving rave reviews and awards since it was released in June. PaperTigers was delighted to host Grace on Day 2 of her Blog Tour to celebrate its launch and we wish her every success with tomorrow’s appearance. Congratulations, Grace!
By:
Aline Pereira,
on 12/1/2009
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2009 Bologna Illustrators Exhibition of Children’s Books~ ongoing until Dec 6, Ishikawa, Japan
Guadalajara International Book Fair~ ongoing until Dec 6, Guadalajara, Mexico
Jewish Book Month~ ongoing until Dec 12, Canada and USA
When Cinderella Went to the Ball: Five Hundred Years of Fairy Tales~ ongoing until Dec 12, Toronto, ON, Canada
CJ Picture Book Festival~ ongoing until Dec 24, Seoul, Korea
Summer Reading Club: Read on the Wild Side~ ongoing until Jan 31, 2010, Australia
Golden Legacy: Original Art from 65 Years of Golden Books Featuring Artwork from Iconic Children’s Books~ ongoing until Feb 28, 2010, Amherst, MA, USA
Mother Goose in an Air-Ship: McLoughlin Bros. 19th Century Children’s Books from the Liman Collection~ ongoing until Apr 18, 2010, Amherst, MA, USA
Heart and Soul: Art from Coretta Scott King Award Books, 2006–2009~ ongoing until Apr 18, 2010, Chicago, IL, USA
From The Tiger Who Came to Tea to Mog and Pink Rabbit; A Judith Kerr Retrospective~ ongoing until May 2010, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
Grace Lin, Author of Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, Appears on NBC’s TODAY Show~ Dec 4
Family Trees: A Celebration of Children’s Literature~ Dec 4 – Jan 3, 2010, Concord, MA, USA
International Antiquarian Book Fair~ Dec 4 – 6 Hong Kong
The Children’s Literature Centre at Frostburg State University Presents Storybook Holiday~ Dec 5, Frostburg, MD, USA
Irish Children’s Literature and Culture Symposium~ Dec 5, Dublin, Ireland
The Making of the Word Witch: The Poetic & Illustrative Magic of Margaret Mahy & David Elliot~ Dec 5 – Mar 14, 2010, Ashburton, New Zealand
Everything I Need to Know I Learned from a Children’s Book: An Afternoon with Anita Silvey~ Dec 5, New York City, NY, USA
Who Will Speak for the Child? Human Rights at Home and the Convention on the Rights of the Child~ Dec 7, New York City, NY, USA
BookFest@Singapore~ Dec 11 – 20, Singapore
0 Comments on December 2009 Events as of 1/1/1900
This month's Grace Lin painting auctioned to support the Foundation for Children's Books.
Bid here.
Okay, you're on alert.
DO NOT bid on this gorgeous original painting by Grace Lin, because I want to win it!
Just look at it. Can you blame me? The warm reds, that cozy fire, the girl wrapped all snuggly in her blue quilt, tucked in with her origami animals? And the proverb! I think it's my favorite so far. I've always always always believed in extending kindness whenever possible. Just one word or a little smile can make someone's day. Things are tough all around. A kind word costs you nothing.
As before, this one-of-a-kind, unpublished gouache on Arches watercolor paper gem is approximately 5" x 5", and comes with a signed certificate of authenticity. 100% of the proceeds will go to the Foundation for Children's Books, a small non-profit supporting underserved schools in the greater Boston area.
On second thought, please click through to Ebay to place a bid ☺. After all, there are only two more Small Graces paintings for 2009, two more chances this year to help raise as much money as we can for a great cause. It's going to be a cold winter. Wouldn't this painting make someone extremely happy this Christmas? It warms my heart just thinking about it! This auction runs through Friday, November 20th.
For more info about the Small Graces auctions, click here.
Happy Monday and Happy Writing!
If you're a fan of Grace Lin (and who isn't), you'll enjoy this lovely tribute to a lovely person.
Hey, reader guys everywhere, it's Carl with an interview with the one and only Grace Lin. She's the author of Where the Mountain Meets the Moon (among other terrific books) and was here for our Word Play Saturday about 10 days ago. Not only is she a great author, but she is also one of the genuinely nicest people I've ever met. But why am I talking--let's hear what Grace has to say:
Why do you think it's cool for boys to read?
I think it's cool for boys to read because that means they are exercising their brain muscles. No one wants a weak brain!
You're right about that. Our reader guys have demonstrated their pumped-up brains! Well, tell me this--is it cool for boys to write/draw? Why?
The way things are remembered is through stories. Even in video games,commercials, movies--think about it--everything is told through stories. Those are the things that are remembered.
It's cool for boys to write and draw because that means they are making stories. And that means they will be remembered. It's cool to be remembered. Who wants to be forgotten?
One of the main characters in Where the Mountain Meets the Moon is a dragon. Tell us about the difference between Asian dragons and those we read about in the West.
Western dragons are usually evil--they capture princesses (I'm not sure why) and knights must go kill them.Asian dragons are not evil. Asians think the dragon is a noble creature--very powerful, to be sure--but usually compassionate andwise. There are many types of dragons in Asian culture. They were usually rulers of water and weather.
A lot of the pictures in Where the Mountain Meets the Moon are in the ancient Chinese style. Was that hard to do? And what do you use to achieve that style? Brushes or something else?
I was very influenced by traditional Chinese art. It was not easy to do, but I had a lot of fun doing it. I use a paint called gouache, which is a thin watercolor, and brushed to do my work. Some of my brushes are really thin-tipped, almost as thin as an eyelash!
You live near Boston—do you see many sports? (You lucky duck—you get to see the Celtics!)
Boston is a big sports town! It is usually the Red Sox that get the most attention, but since they are out of the playoffs, I am watching the Bruins hockey team. Unfortunately, they aren't doing so well either. There's always next year!
What do you like to do for fun?
For fun, I like to ride my bike and eat things that are bad for me, like ice cream and chocolate milkshakes. And, of course, I like to read and surf the internet.
Which do you like better--cheeseburgers or pizza? What do you like on them?
I like burgers the best--w/o the cheese. But with everything else--tomato, lettuce, mayo--all that is good. On pizza, I like it with salami and spinach. I know spinach sounds weird, but it tastes good! Really!
You seem very cool. Could we make you an Honorary Guy?
Sure. Should I change my name to Greg?
No, that’s not necessary. Thanks for the interview!
We really appreciated it. Go get Where the Mountain Meets the Moon. (see my review here) It's
really good. And she're written a couple of other good novels, The Year of the Dog and The Year of the Rat. They're good too. In fact, I saw on another blog that a mom is reading The Year of the Dog to her sons and, when she tries to stop, they holler for more!
Sooooo, because of her terrific books and for being such a nice person, we are bestowing the greatest honor we have by making her an HONORARY GUY!
It's that time again!
Grace Lin has created another beautiful painting to benefit the Foundation for Children's Books. I love those big red doors and the tiny girl about to enter. Since green is my favorite color, I'm quite happy that both the teacher and the student are wearing green. Though green is associated with inexperience, it also symbolizes growth, which the two will experience together.
As before, this unpublished, signed original is about 5" x 5", gouache on Arches watercolor paper, and comes with a certificate of authenticity. Approximate value = $450.
Not many months left in the year, so don't miss this chance to own one of these highly collectible pieces.
Click through to Ebay to place your bid! Deadline is this Friday, September 18th.
For more information about the 2009 Small Graces auctions, click here.
*Image copyright © 2009 Grace Lin. All rights reserved.
Grace Lin's painting for August is up for bid on eBay. Proceeds benefit the Foundation for Children's Books.
Look at this joyous, summery painting!
Grace Lin has created another stunner for the August Small Graces auction. Don't you just love the baby blue background, sunny border, and all those colorful birds?
*sigh* As you know, I was very lucky to win last month's painting, and the ever insightful Jeannine Atkins remarked how nice it would be to own a pair of these gems. She's absolutely right! I hope to win another one.*grins*
That is, if you don't outbid me or anything (please try)!
As before, this original, unpublished painting is about 5" x 5", gouache on Arches watercolor paper, and comes with a signed certificate of authenticity. 100% of the proceeds benefits the Foundation for Children's Books, a small non-profit supporting underserved schools in the greater Boston area.
Click through to Ebay to place a bid. The auction ends Friday, August 14th. Don't miss your chance to win one of these highly collectible pieces before the year is out!
More about Small Graces here.
Look what came in the mail the other day!
After oohing and ahhing every month since the beginning of the year, I finally won my very own Grace Lin original painting in July's Small Graces auction!
I just have to say, Grace's art is gorgeous in person -- the vibrancy of the colors, the small details, and those trademark swirls. I will be drinking in this loveliness for many years to come, and I can't wait to see what next month's painting will be! If you've been hesitant to bid, take the plunge -- it's a rare chance to own an original piece of art and help the Foundation for Children's Books. Win-win situation all around ☺!
♥ Since you're here, no need to go hungry. Why not pop on over to Lisa Schroeder's blog and try her recipe for Blueberry Crumb Bars?
And have you checked out the Novel Food 2009 Summer Edition? Tanita S. Davis tipped me off to this cool event awhile ago, but I didn't get my act together in time to submit a post to the roundup. Two bloggers, Lisa from Champaign Taste, and Simona of Briciole, started this literary-culinary event a couple of years ago, where bloggers are invited to cook a dish inspired by something they've read (novel, novella, short story, poem, memoir).
Some of the treats this time around include a Mad Hatter's Tea Party in honor of Alice in Wonderland, four kinds of bread (Rounding the Mark by Andrea Camilleri), and an Afghan meal featuring lamb kebabs (A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini). Lisa has half the roundup here, and Simona has the other half here. An archive of all Novel Food roundups can be found here. There'll be another Novel Food edition later this year -- read more about how to participate!
photo by Heaps Happy.
Take it easy and stay cool this week!
It's Small Graces time again!
This might just be my favorite painting of all (though I seem to think that every month)! I love the color of the border, and the sharing with friends at a table. What better way to nourish the body and spirit?
This lovely 5" x 5" original, unpublished, signed and dated gouache on Arches watercolor paper gem by Grace Lin comes with a certificate of authenticity, and you can bid on it through Friday, July 17th. Its estimated value is $450, and 100% of the auction proceeds will benefit the Foundation for Children's Books, a small non-profit which brings authors and illustrators to underserved schools for visits and residencies in the greater Boston area.
For more about Small Graces, click here. To learn more about Grace Lin's books, visit her official website and blog.
Go to Ebay now and place a bid!
Hey all, in my ongoing desire to have Biblio File be a log of everything I read, I point you to some reviews I wrote for this month's School Library Journal. You'll have to scroll down as they're in alphabetical order by author's last name. Also, they're both about China. I'm sure this is a shock.
Where the Mountain Meets the MoonIf you don't want to click and scroll, it did get a starred review and my thoughts are:
TOTALLY AWESOME!
But if you want me to use complete sentences, you'll have to go read it.
Also, what isn't said in the review is this would be an excellent chapter-at-bedtime story for younger kids who can't read it on their own and I liked it tons better than
The Year of the Dog and
The Year of the Rat, even though
I really liked both of those.
Chenxi and the Foreigner Sally Rippin
My abbreviated thoughts: an interesting look at the build up to Tiananmen.
Further thoughts: Anna, as a narrator annoyed me, but that's because every time she ran up against on of China's idiosyncrasies, she freaked out and I wanted to scream "Dude! It's China! What did you expect?!" That said, I think most teen readers, especially those who haven't spent a lot of time in China and/or those who aren't well-versed in its recent history, will not have the same reaction and their feelings with be much closer to Anna's.
Gorgeous photo of Grace by Alexandre Ferron.
Hooray hooray hooray!!
Today is official Pub Day for Grace Lin's brand new middle grade novel, Where the Mountain Meets the Moon (Little,Brown, 2009)!
WHERE THE MOUNTAIN MEETS THE MOON by Grace Lin,
(Little, Brown, 2009), Fiction for ages 8-12, 288 pp.
As far as I'm concerned, any time Grace publishes a new book, it is cause for big celebration. I'm a huge fan of both her gorgeous picture books and her heartwarming novels about Pacy Lin, Year of the Dog and Year of the Rat. When I interviewed Grace last year, she had recently returned from visiting China and Taiwan, and she talked about how she hoped to incorporate some of the sights and sounds of her fascinating experiences in a new book.
The end result demonstrates Grace's unending versatility as an author, and has all the makings of an enduring classic. Quite different from her first two novels, which were realistic, autobiographical stories with a contemporary setting, Where the Mountain Meets the Moon is a fascinating hybrid blending fantasy, fairytales, epic adventure, and Chinese folktales.
Lively, impulsive Minli, with "shining eyes always eager for adventure," lives an impoverished existence with her parents in the Valley of Fruitless Mountain. She spends her days toiling in the muddy rice fields, and her nights listening to her father's enchanting stories about the Jade Dragon and the Old Man in the Moon.
Tired of their poor, dreary existence, Minli's mother often complains about their lot and chides her husband for filling Minli's head with nonsense. But Minli believes her father's stories, and one day, sets out on an extraordinary journey to find the Old Man in the Moon, so she can ask him how to change their family's fortune.
Minli climbs the bridge to the top of Endless Mountain.
With the help of a talking goldfish, Minli travels to Never-Ending Mountain accompanied by a kind-hearted, flightless dragon. Many wondrous and sometimes dangerous adventures befall them -- they encounter a water buffalo boy quite content with his simple life, greedy peach-eating monkeys, a benevolent King who offers Minli quite a meal ("pink shrimp dumplings, savory noodles and pork, dragon's beard bean sprouts, emerald green chives, and a bowl of white jade tofu soup"), and a fierce Green Tiger who is outwitted by a pair of hawthorne berryish laughing twins (their adorableness is off the scale).
When she finally meets the Old Man in the Moon, Minli learns she is allowed only one question. Will she help the dragon, who has become her dear friend, or her family?
Magistrate Tiger paints eyes on the dragon.
There are so many things to love about this book that it's hard to name just a few:
♥ As a main character, Minli is "quick thinking" and "quick acting." Young readers will embrace her independent, generous spirit, her genuine desire to help her family, willingness to brave the unknown, and her belief in the power of stories. The Old Man in the Moon tells Minli that everyone who meets are connected by a red thread. Grace has said, "To me, those red threads, those connections are the stories we share." Each of the characters Minli meets has a story which adds to her store of wisdom.
♥ Lots of suspense and surprises keep the story moving at just the right pace. Chinese folktales are skillfully incorporated into the narrative, never stalling the action or feeling intrusive, as "stories within a story" can sometimes do. These tales provide a cultural and historical context that deepens and enriches our understanding of the characters and events, and adds a timeless flavor to the whole. The gentle, seamless interweaving of past illuminating present is simply brilliant.
Seeds rain from the sky in the Village of Moon Rain.
♥ Fans of Grace's other novels will find this book wholly accessible and a joy to read. The lyrical prose flows effortlessly and the words soon dissolve, as the reader is captivated by the magical places, creatures, and events that contribute to Minli's coming-of-age. Who would not be enchanted by a Dragon's Gate that is an entryway to the sky, or a feast of peaches ("everyone's mouths were full of soft, sweet peach flesh and groans of delight"), or the Village of Moon Rain ("the trees were heavy with bright blossoms and as the wind blew through the branches golden flowers showered down like rain"), or the unforgettable scene when Minli sees the Inner City of Bright Moonlight for the first time:
And like a lid of a jewelry box, the door opened into a landscape of radiant colors. The bamboo, pine, and plum leaves seemed to shine in the sun as if carved from emeralds and the accents of the pink and red flowers were like nestled rubies. Steps away from her feet, Minli could see a patterned pathway made of water-worn pebbles. The central jade green lake mirrored the arching tiled roofs of the pavilions and the rough beauty of large weathered rock sculptures. A winding covered walkway lifted up from the cloudy water like a lotus flower. It could only be the Palace Garden.
Simply gorgeous language!
♥ Timeless lessons abound: being thankful for the riches and wealth one already has, the sweet rewards of friendship, the evils of greed and power, and the importance of family. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, by its own example, demonstrates the significance, relevance, and immeasurable worth of stories, as they bind us together, each to each, generation to generation, cutting across time and space.
♥ The book is also physically beautiful; you must hold it in your hands to fully appreciate the thought and care that went into its design. I had read the ARC three times (loved it that much!), and just yesterday, saw the finished hardcover version for the first time. Yowza! The full color illos, rendered in gorgeous jewel tones, reminded me of pictures found in old fashioned classics like The Wizard of Oz. Definitely a rarity for middle grade novels.
Grace has counted among her influences traditional Chinese paintings, architecture, vases and ceramics, and the art of cloisonné. Chapter headings are in gold font, with charming two color drawings like the ones above, and throughout there are spot illos of blossoms, old coins, medallions, even peaches -- little touches that will make young readers want to return to this gem again and again.
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon has already received a galaxy of starred reviews (Booklist, School Library Journal, and Kirkus). It's also included in Booklist's Top Ten SF/Fantasy Books for Youth 2009, and is a 2009 Parents' Choice Gold winner. I'm hoping it gets a Newbery nod, and I give it my highest Five Spoon rating!
To get the full effect of today's very special celebration soup served in a cloisonné bowl, imagine yourself visiting a cold mountain village somewhere in China. The winds are howling and your ears are numb with cold, but the friendly, smiling villagers greet you with open arms. They read you passages from Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, and hand you a big spoon. Savor the goodness!
Congratulations, Grace, and thank you for writing this beautiful book!
Today's Special: Peach Blossom Soup (a bowlful of gratitude).
For extra good luck, help yourself to a goldfish dumpling,
photo by akaitori.
and for dessert, some lovely cupcakes,
photo by Anita Jamal.
then, hop on your dragon and fly over to your local indie or fave online bookseller, to score your very own copy of WTMMTM!
Don't miss Grace's online Launch Party for Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, held on her Facebook Fan Page and at partygraces today. Fun, prizes, contests!
Be sure to visit Grace Lin's official website for more about the book (great activities: recipe for green tea cakes, Chinese lesson, How to Draw a Dragon!). You can find the wonderful trailer here.
Other blog reviews by Greg Leitich Smith, Terry Hong at BookDragon, Robin Smith at BookPage.
BLOG TOUR SCHEDULE:
Wednesday, June 24th: Bildungsroman
Thursday, June 25th: Shelf Elf
Friday, June 26th: Paper Tigers
Saturday, June 27th: MotherReader
Sunday, June 28th: Charlotte's Library
Monday, June 29th: Write for a Reader
Tuesday, June 30th: The Mommy Files
Wednesday, July 1st: Thrifty Minnesota Mama
Thursday, July 2nd: Creative Madness
Friday, July 3rd:Abby the Librarian
**Grace recently opened a new Cafe Press online store! Adorable t-shirts and stuff for kids and adults featuring art from WTMMTM and Dim Sum for Everyone.
"Why does Grace have to get all the peaches?"
(photo by Born Free)
*Spreads posted by permission, copyright © 2009 Grace Lin, published by Little, Brown. All rights reserved.
PaperTigers is delighted to be hosting author and illustrator Grace Lin on Day 2 of her Blog Tour to introduce her latest book, Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, which, as Aline pointed out last week, has already received its first award! We’ll be publishing a full review in our next issue of PaperTigers… in the meantime, Grace has kindly answered some questions and shared some pictures with us.
Welcome, Grace: thank you for joining us!
In an article you once wrote called “Why Couldn’t Snow White be Chinese?”, you talk about an experience you had as a child when your school put on a production of The Wizard of Oz and you were told by a friend you couldn’t be chosen to play Dorothy because “Dorothy’s not Chinese”. How would you relate that experience to your writing of Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, which has been described as being written in “the Wizard of Oz tradition”?
Wow, that is a very astute observation of my work. While I did not write Where the Mountain Meets the Moon as an attempt to create an Asian Dorothy, it is probably one of the reasons why I felt so strongly that the main character needed to be a girl and why this book is an Asian-inspired fantasy (a story influenced by my Asian-American values rather than an attempt at a traditional Chinese tale).
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon is very, very loosely based on the Chinese folktale “Olive Lake,” Aside from adding many layers and changing plot points, I also changed the main character from an adult male to the girl, Minli. In some ways it may have been easier to leave the character male; I would not have had to worry about how I bent /ignored some Chinese customs that inhibit women — like the fact that there is no foot binding, for example. But I very much wanted the main character to be a girl, a strong and brave and clever girl who (now that you mention it) was someone I would’ve wanted to pretend that I was as I child.
You have referred to your illustrating of Where the Mountain Meets the Moon as being “like the classic books of yore” - do you think illustrated books for independant readers are starting to be published a bit more nowadays and how important do you think they are?
I loved the illustrated Middle Grade books when I was younger and I still do. I think they add so much to the experience of reading. To me, they are perfect — they give a glimpse of visualization into the world you are reading, but not so much that you aren’t left without anything to imagine. Also, they make the experience of owning and holding a book feel that much more special — turning the page and seeing a full color illustration is almost like discovering a jewel and the book itself feels like a little treasure.
I hope these days, in the age of technology with browsers and kindles, these kinds of illustrated books will be even more cherished. With so much doom and gloom about the future of publishing, to create books that are not just cheap throw-aways, but are beautiful objects to enjoy is something to consider. It is being done; my editor was able to convince her boss to print Where the Mountain Meets the Moon with full color illustrations by using Castle Corona by Sharon Creech as an example, but it is uncommon. I’d like to see a little more of it.
And on a different tack, can you tell us a bit about your A Painting A Month project?
Well, the Small Graces project began a bit out of guilt. I do a lot of school visits. I am so grateful and honored that schools invite me. But a great portion of my income depends on the fees I receive from these visits; AND my most natural state is introverted -there are only so many visits I can do in a year without stammering incoherently. I’m kind of like a jar of marbles -every visit I do I am less one marble until I am empty. So, I can’t give away my marbles for free.
… But many times schools ask me to come for free. Most of the time it is because they can’t afford to pay me, or any author. I feel horrible that I have to say no. I realize that it isn’t fair that the only schools that get authors to visit are the ones that can afford to. Every visit I do, I can see the excitement in the students and a newfound appreciation and love of books. But, at the same time, most authors (the usually financially-strapped author) depend on school visits as a part of their job, to help support them so they can write; the reality is, people need to get paid for their work.
So that is why I decided to create the Small Graces project. It benefits The Foundation of Children’s Books, an organization that funds school visit programs for low-income schools. So, schools that usually can’t afford an author to visit get one; and the author doesn’t have to suffer financially either.
Supporting the Foundation is a win-win for everyone. Students of all incomes get wonderful programs; fellow authors are able to make a living to keep creating books; and I am alleviated of my guilt. So please bid on one of the paintings, you can be winner too!
Absolutely! The June picture has already sold but check in at the beginning of July to see what treat Grace has in store: in the meantime, browse through the gems from the first half of the year.
And before Grace wends her way to her next stop on her Blog Tour, which will be over at Mother Reader (I’ll change it to the direct link tomorrow), let me just share these three images with you - I am always fascinated by the artistic process and love to get behind the scenes. The first is a photograph Grace took of a temple in Shanghai, on which she based her beautiful illustration of the Imperial Garden in Where the Mountain Meets the Moon - the second is her sketch and the third, the final illustration from the book. Stunning!
So, 1) get out there and find a copy of Where the Mountain Meets the Moon - or 2) leave a comment here: we have a copy of the book to give away following the official launch on 1 July - or 3) send us a photo of your child’s bookshelf for our Around the World in a Hundred Bookshelves, which will include a copy in next month’s draw…
And do join Grace for the Official Online Launch on July 1 - further information about the book AND the party can be found on Grace’s Party Graces blog…
THE UGLY VEGETABLES by Grace Lin (Charlesbridge, 2009),
Picture book for ages 4-8, 32 pp.
Mmmmmm!! What's that tantalizing aroma?
Could it be a delicious soup made with Chinese spinach and bitter melon?
It's so intoxicating that I have a sudden urge to close my eyes, take a deep breath, and smell the sky. AH! It's simply magical -- I definitely want to eat that smell!
Last week, when I posted a list of my favorite gardening picture books, I purposely left one title out, because I wanted to feature it in a post of its own. It's such a timeless, savory story that its nourishing goodness has already been enjoyed by millions of hungry readers.
You may know that the 10th Anniversary Commemorative Edition of Grace Lin's The Ugly Vegetables was released this past spring. This was Grace's first published picture book -- a charming gem that never loses its freshness and appeal with its enduring themes of diversity, acceptance and community. The Anniversary Edition has new cover art and an updated glossary that makes it easier to pronounce the names of all the Chinese vegetables used in the famous Ugly Vegetable Soup recipe.
Each time I read The Ugly Vegetables, I feel the little girl's anticipation and excitement as she and her mother turn the soil and plant their seeds. But she's sad and disappointed when she realizes all their neighbors are growing colorful, pretty flowers, while they're growing funny looking, bumpy, decidedly and undeniably ugly vegetables.
Then comes my favorite part: the girl and her mother harvest the vegetables, and while the girl is outside playing, she begins to smell the magical aroma of her mother's ugly vegetable soup. When she tastes it, the flavors dance in her mouth and laugh all the way down to her stomach. Next thing she knows, all the neighbors appear on their doorstep with flowers to trade for a bowl of soup. What's really cool is that the following spring, everybody's garden contains a mixture of both vegetables and flowers.
This story resonates on so many levels: finding beauty beneath the surface or in unexpected places, the joy of growing one's own food and cultivating friendships based on mutual respect for cultural differences, and of course, there's the mini lesson in Chinese cooking! The gouache illos are cheerful, busy, color-saturated and replete with pattern, telling detail, and a palpable childlike sensibility. I like how Grace's trademark sky swirls were there from the very beginning -- kind of like a secret promise of more good books to come, each one breaking new ground, blossoming in ever delightful ways.
It's been so much fun revisiting this book, reflecting on all the books Grace has given us since then, and thinking, yes, this is where it all began. And there's so much more to come (her third novel, Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, is officially out next week)!
For now, Congratulations, Grace, and Happy Anniversary to The Ugly Vegetables! I'm so glad it's here with its new green jacket just waiting for another crop of young readers to harvest its treasures. Grace Lin fans will definitely want to add this classic collectible to their stashes. Like I always say, there's only one first book, and this just happens to be an especially noteworthy introduction to one of the finest author/illustrators creating children's books today. ♥
Visit Grace's official website for Ugly Vegetables activities, awards and reviews, the soup recipe, and behind-the-story info.
*Spreads posted by permission, copyright © 1999 and 2009 Grace Lin, published by Charlesbridge. All rights reserved.
I just formed a new company:
By-the-Seat-of-Your-Pants-Book-Promoters, Inc.
The days of staying home in your jammies and writing are over (if they were ever here in the first place).
Nowadays, authors have to get out there and participate with their publishers in book promotion.
But, for me, it's HARD!!! (whine, whine, whine.....)
I'm not very good at it - but I try to learn by watching others.
My two favorite book promoters/marketing mavens are my friends, Mitali Perkins and Grace Lin.
I've decided that I'm going to stalk them.
I'm going to watch their every move.
And then I'm going to copy them.
I'm in awe of Grace's hard work promoting her beautiful (three-starred-reviews so far) new book, Where the Mountain Meets the Moon.
I was fascinated to see that to help prepare for her online book launch, she made a little drawing!!
So I made a little drawing!!
Now I have to go bake sugee cookies.
(But I wish she would stop decorating cupcakes. I hate decorating cupcakes.)
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10 Comments on A Wonderful Wedding Day!!!!!, last added: 3/3/2010
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Sigh. What a lovely poem, ladies! Thanks for sharing it with all of us!
The perfect occasional poem, especially that first line :)
Jama & Liz--
Thanks. It was a perfect wedding. I was so happy I could contribute to Grace's special day.
Lovely love-filled poem! Thanks for sharing!
I love readding, and thanks for your artical. ........................................
Oh Elaine! So lovely. Made me cry all over again.