Asia in the Heart, World on the Mind

Now available is the picture book - for ages 4-8 - Dream Big, Little Pig! written by Kristi Yamaguchi (yes, the Olympic figure skater!) and illustrated by Tim Bowers (Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, 2011). Dream Big, Little Pig! is the fun and inspiring story of Poppy, a pot-bellied, waddling, toddling little pig who wants to be a star. Poppy dreams of being a posh prima ballerina, a soulful singer, a big-time splashy supermodel, a spectacular ice-skating star, and the first sky-diving pig. With the support and encouragement of her mother, grandparents, and best friend, Poppy works hard and pursues all of her dreams. She doesn't achieve all of them, and several people tell her to just give up. But Poppy is a plucky little pig and she persists until she finds what is right for her. You'll be cheering for her all throughout the story! With its pink-purple-glittery book design, adorable illustrations, hopeful and positive tone, and story about patience and perseverance, Dream Big, Li...

All I could do yesterday was follow the news and try to contact my friends in Japan. Now, more than ever, I have Asia in the heart and the world on my mind. I pray for all the people and countries affected by the earthquakes and tsunami, but most especially for Japan. Stay safe, everyone.

My cousins Bobby and Lina Bear (yes, their last name is "Bear") are visiting and the first thing Bobby told me when he saw me was, " Ate , story time." Perfect! Today is World Read Aloud Day . I read aloud Prince Bear & Pauper Bear , written by Emily Lim and illustrated by Neal Sharp (Mustard Seed Books, 2007). As you can imagine, my cousins were tickled by my choice of book. What did you read aloud today? =D

I was so happy to blog again today. Please click here to read my new interview with Candy Gourlay for Color Online. :o)

Orchards by Holly Thompson (Delacorte Books for Young Readers) After a classmate commits suicide, Kana Goldberg — a half-Japanese, half-Jewish American — wonders who is responsible. She and her cliquey friends said some thoughtless things to the girl. Hoping that Kana will reflect on her behavior, her parents pack her off to her mother's ancestral home in Japan for the summer. There Kana spends hours under the hot sun tending to her family's mikan orange groves. Kana's mixed heritage makes it hard to fit in at first, especially under the critical eye of her traditional grandmother, who has never accepted Kana's father. But as the summer unfolds, Kana gets to know her relatives, Japan, and village culture, and she begins to process the pain and guilt she feels about the tragedy back home. Then news about a friend sends her world spinning out of orbit all over again.

* CONGRATULATIONS to the master storyteller Rukhsana Khan for winning the 2011 Charlotte Zolotow Award for her outstanding writing in the picture book Big Red Lollipop (illustrated by Sophie Blackall and published by Viking Juvenile in 2010). * The Filipino-British children's book Tall Story by Candy Gourlay (David Fickling Books, 2011) is now available in the U.S. Buy now! * Watch out for the Feb. 22 release of Orchards , a young adult novel in verse about a Japanese and Jewish American girl, by Holly Thompson (Delacorte Books for Young Readers, 2011). I have an advance reading copy and the book is so lovely! * New on my wishlist is Anya's War by Andrea Alban (Feiwel & Friends, 2011). Anya's War is a young adult novel set in 1930s Jewish Shanghai. JEWISH SHANGHAI! * Click here to read my interview with Sarah Darer Littman , winner of a Sydney Taylor Honor for her young adult novel Life, After . The Sydney Taylor Book Award is for outstanding children's...

and you would like me to announce the release of your new book on this blog, please let me know! :o) I am always very happy to help spread the word about children's and young adult books: * set in Asia * featuring Asian characters or characters of Asian descent * written by Asian authors or authors of Asian descent * illustrated by Asian illustrators or illustrators of Asian descent My email address is asiaintheheart@yahoo.com .