It's a starred review from Booklist!

The esteemed publication of the American Library Association described Two New Years thusly: "An excellent look at varied New Year customs that celebrates multiculturalism in a way young readers of all backgrounds can easily grasp."

So grateful for this recognition. What a lovely gift in the middle of launch week celebrations!

Full review can be read here.

Two New Years is out in the world, and I'm so thankful. Here is a list of gratitude:

• Thank you Lynn Scurfield for bringing this story to life so gorgeously with your joyful, breathtaking illustrations. You truly elevated this book beyond what I could have dreamed.
• Thank you Naomi Kirsten, Jay Marvel, and everyone at Chronicle Books for your dedication, generosity and expertise, and for making such a beautiful final product.
• Thank you Emily for your support and guidance, always.
• And the biggest thank you of all to Feather Flores, for believing in this story from the start. This book would not exist without your passion and infectious enthusiasm, and I am grateful beyond words for everything you did to make it happen!
• Oh, one more: thank you to everyone who has read, loved, and expressed excitement and anticipation for the book so far. It truly means the world!

I hope our story reaches many more readers, and inspires people of all backgrounds to celebrate the things that unite us all.

Once again, Books of Wonder was the place to be!

The venerable NYC bookstore hosted the launch event for Two New Years, and lots of friends and family came to help us celebrate. Illustrator Lynn Scurfield flew in join the festivities, and an amazing time was had by all!

Just two more days until the book's official release. We can't wait! In the meantime, if you missed the event, you can order signed copies here. 

Rosh Hashanah and Lunar New Year come early this year... sort of!

We're celebrating the August 8 release of Two New Years by throwing a launch party two days earlier! Join illustrator Lynn Scurfield and me at Books of Wonder on Sunday, August 6 for a signing and reading. This book holds such a special place in my heart, and I'm so excited to celebrate with Lynn and you. Event details here, and pre-order details here. Bring your party hats!

If only I had Linsanity as a kid.

When Jeremy Lin burst onto the scene in 2012 as an overnight NBA superstar, I was already in my 30s. But I often think about that magical stretch, and wonder what kind of impact it would have made on me if I had been a kid at the time. Specifically, an Asian American kid watching this player who looked more like me than any player I'd seen before. Watching this player take the world by storm, going toe-to-toe with the giants of the sport and more than holding his own. Watching him shatter stereotypes and preconceived notions of what Asians can't - and can - do on the basketball court and beyond.

I know it would have been transformative.

Which is why I'm pumped to announce that If Lin Can, my picture book biography of Lin, will arrive from Charlesbridge Publishing in spring 2024. With breathtaking illustrations from the incredible duo of Phùng Nguyên Quang and Huỳnh Kim Liên (whose work on books such as My First Day and The Floating Field I absolutely fell in love with), this book celebrates the legacy of Lin's unforgettable run with the New York Knicks, from the perspective of the legions of Asian American kids he inspired.

I can't wait to share more as we get closer to tipoff!

It's a cover reveal for Two New Years, courtesy of We Need Diverse Books! The esteemed organization dedicated to advancing diversity in children's literature was kind enough to spotlight Lynn Scurfield's gorgeous cover on their blog. With the release date of August 8 just five months away, this book of my heart will be here before you know it!

You can find the post, complete with pre-order links, here, 

What a way to close out the year!

I'm so pleased to announce that I'll be making three more books with editor extraordinaire Emily Feinberg at Roaring Brook Press/Macmillan. The first will be A Taste of Home in spring 2024, illustrated by the amazing Sibu T.P. The story follows a group of friends on a journey through the Lower East Side of Manhattan, exploring cultural neighborhoods and the foods that make them home. The second will be Golem, Golem, Golem in fall 2024, illustrated by the talented Carmel Ben-Ami. It's a Chanukah story that explores what happens when a boy uses his clay to craft a golem instead of a dreidel. And the third? Stay tuned for more details!

So grateful to Emily F. for the trust she places in me and my stories, and to my agent, Emily M., for working tirelessly to make deals like this possible. I can't wait to share more about all of these books over the next year. 2024, here we come!

Last night's launch party for Year of the Cat was truly the Cat's meow!

Thanks as always to the wonderful staff at Books of Wonder, who know how to celebrate a book release in style. This was my first in-person event since the pandemic, and it was made doubly special by the presence of illustrator Jocelyn Li Langrand, who flew in from London for the occasion! We had a wonderful time sharing stories and behind-the-scenes insights with family and friends in attendance.

Truly a night to remember! ​And for those who couldn't make it, signed copies are still available here.

Until next time! 

The wait is over: Year of the Cat, my third picture book, has finally been released into the world! I'm so proud of this playfully subversive Chinese zodiac tale, and honored to have collaborated with the amazing Jocelyn Li Langrand to bring the story to life. Thank  you to Martha Mihalick, our cat-loving editor par excellence, and to the team at Greenwillow/HarperCollins for championing our book. And of course, special thanks to Emily Mitchell for her support from the very beginning!

It's time to celebrate. Party at Books of Wonder tomorrow night!

The release of Year of the Cat is nearly upon us, and we'll be celebrating the day after launch with an in-person event at Books of Wonder in New York City! Join us on Wednesday evening, November 2 at 6:00 pm EST for a reading and Q&A with me and Jocelyn Li Langrand. We can't wait to see you!

Event details here. And if you can't make it to the event, you can still get personalized copies of the book by ordering through the store, here!  

With Rosh Hashanah just around the corner, I'm kicking off a new year with an exciting announcement: I'll be joining a group of esteemed Jewish authors on the PJ Library Author Israel Adventure 2023! This year-long experience is designed to inspire the creation of more Jewish-themed books for children, and culminates in an eight-day trip to Israel next May. I'm so excited to meet my fellow participants and explore Israel with them!

Proud and honored to see The Lost Package among the nominees for the 2022-2023 Red Clover Book Award! A team of Vermont librarians and teachers chooses ten picture books each year as finalists for this fantastic children's-choice award. Thousands of students throughout Vermont read the titles during the school year and vote for their favorite in next spring! Many thanks to the selection committee, and happy reading to the children of Vermont!

I grew up watching Bob Ross on PBS. I marveled at the ease with which he painted happy little clouds and happy little trees. I watched him carve mountains out of blank canvases. And I listened to his words of gentle encouragement . . . words that inspired so many to believe that they could truly accomplish anything they wanted.

Which makes this book announcement extra special.

You Can Move Mountains is coming from Roaring Brook Press/Macmillan in fall 2024, and I couldn't be more thrilled! Acclaimed illustrator Daniel Miyares will bring this story to life with his masterful brush. As Bob Ross himself guides the reader through the painting process, elements of his own life illuminate the enduring life lessons he so generously imparted on his viewers. I can't wait to share this book with all of you! In the meantime, special thanks to editor extraordinaire Emily Feinberg and tireless agent Emily Mitchell, who both move mountains for me.

With apologies to Tiger, 2022 is the Year of the Cat! Many thanks to librarian, author, and all-around kidlit rock star John Schu for hosting the reveal of illustrator Jocelyn Li Langrand's gorgeous cover. On Lunar New Year Eve, no less! Year of the Cat will arrive on November 1, courtesy of Greenwillow Books. In the meantime, you can read John's interview with me and Jocelyn, as well as get a sneak peek at some stunning interior art, here. Enjoy!

On the heels of the ALA Youth Media Awards - one of the most exciting times of the year for children's publishing - the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) announces which books from the previous year have scored a coveted spot on the ALA Notable Children's Books list. I'm so proud to report that The Lost Package is one of those books! The full list can be viewed here, and includes so many wonderful titles that I adore and creators whom I admire. Thank you to the committee, and to the team that made The Lost Package with me: Jessica Lanan, Emily Feinberg and the rest of the amazing Roaring Brook crew! 

What a fantastic way to wrap up the year!

On the final day of librarian, blogger and author Betsy Bird's highly-anticipated 31 Days, 31 Lists series - in which she rolls out her favorite children's books of the year - I was honored to find The Lost Package among the best picture books of 2021! The full list includes so many wonderful books, and it's truly a joy to see ours among such venerable company.

Here's to more exciting book news in 2022!

Every year, the Society of Illustrators puts together the Original Art exhibit to showcase illustrations from the year's best children's books. Each chosen illustrator is asked to send in one original piece from their book, and the collected pieces are displayed from October to December in the Society's museum in New York City.

Jessica Lanan was one of this year's deserving illustrators, for her incredible work on The Lost Package! The original piece she chose for the exhibit happens to be my favorite spread from the book: the package flying out of the mail truck. Given that I live in nearby New Jersey, my intention was always to make it into the city to admire the exhibit in person. But life (and a global pandemic) kept pushing off my plans, until the final day of the exhibit arrived. 

Thankfully, I was able to make it in, just before closing . . . with only half an hour to spare! The trip was more rushed than I would have liked, but seeing the art from our book on the wall was totally worth it. Bravo, Jessica!   

We all judge books by their covers. But for some picture books, the image on the case cover - the actual hard cover of the book - is different than the image on the book jacket. Discovering what lies beneath the jacket can be a delightful surprise.

​The annual Undies Case Cover Awards shines a spotlight on these hidden covers, and is one of the most popular end-of-year roundups in kidlit. And I'm thrilled to announce that The Lost Package made the cut! Jessica Lanan's amazing "tattered box" design, inspired by the ingenious brainstorm of editor Emily Feinberg, was named "Best Impression of Something Other Than a Book." Check out all the eye-popping winners here!

Overwhelmed.

The Lost Package has been named a Best Picture Book of 2021 by Kirkus Reviews. Making this prestigious list alongside so many wonderful books is an incredible honor, and I'm grateful for the dream team that made it a reality. Thank you Jessica Lanan, Emily Feinberg, Emily Mitchell, and so many others.

​It's been quite a first year for our intrepid cardboard box, and I'm excited to see where it goes next!

Tis the season for end-of-year "best books" lists, and I'm so thankful to Chicago Public Library for making The Lost Package one of its 2021 Best of the Best selections! You can peruse all the wonderful picture books that made the list here. It's truly an honor to be among such fine company!

This one means a lot to me.

The National Education Association has selected The Lost Package to be part of its 2021-2022 Read Across America campaign. While the celebration reaches a crescendo on Read Across America Day in March, the campaign actually stretches across 12 months, with each month shining a spotlight on three books: one each for young, middle grade, and young adult readers. The Lost Package will be the young reader selection for December 2021, with the theme "Lending a Hand." 

To say that this is a thrill and an honor would be an understatement. For years, the NEA's signature campaign was synonymous with Dr. Seuss. Even the date itself was chosen to correspond with the famous author's birthday. But as the scrutiny on the problematic racial undertones of some of Dr. Seuss's work has intensified in recent years, the focus of Read Across America has shifted away from a singular figure, choosing instead to center diverse stories for diverse readers.

I am so proud that The Lost Package was chosen to be part of this vital effort. I hope to share more as December approaches, but in the meantime, please explore the teaching resources that the NEA has provided for our book, and check out the calendar for the full slate of incredible books that will be featured throughout the year!     

Of all my books so far, this one truly started with my kids.
 
I wanted to write a story about their dual identity. A celebration of their mixed Chinese and Jewish heritage that highlights the things that make each side unique . . . as well as the shared values that bring both sides together. A book that truly bridges two cultures and two calendars.

Two New Years is that book, and I'm overjoyed to finally announce it! Coming in fall 2023 from Chronicle Books, it will feature art by the amazingly talented Lynn Scurfield, an illustrator with personal connections to Chinese and Jewish culture herself! Special thanks to editor Feather Flores, whose passion and boundless enthusiasm for the manuscript from day one was overwhelming. And as always, none of this would be possible without my tireless agent, Emily Mitchell.

So much more to share soon. In the meantime, let the two-year countdown to Two New Years begin! 

Today is National Postal Worker Day! To celebrate, Macmillan put together this beautiful graphic for The Lost Package. Sending love and thanks to postal workers everywhere, and wishing everyone a day of reading, mail, and personal connections!