ALA highlights!
A celebration of books and a gathering of friends!
I am back from American Library Association Annual Conference at San Diego, CA.
ALA opened with guest speaker former Daily Show host and comedian Trevor Noah with a thoughtful interview on the importance of libraries and the issues of book bans.
“The book is powerful, but the library is the energy behind that power… There’s no clickbait in a book and there’s no algorithm in the library.”
~Trevor Noah
This was my third ALA, but my first exhibiting at ALA. What an amazing experience! It was everything I had hoped for and more! We donated nearly two hundred books to schools and libraries. I had a fantastic time connecting with librarians, teachers, and fellow book lovers, catching up with old friends, and making new connections. My heart is so full of warmth and happiness.
As an author/illustrator, my life mainly involves quietly working on my books and rarely meeting the people I collaborate with in person. Even online, our interactions are usually limited to the occasional video conference or emails. It was wonderful to spend quality time at ALA with colleagues and friends.
I last hung out with Aida a couple of years back when In the Spirit of A Dream first came out. When I found out that Aida would be at ALA promoting her new book, Ultra Violet and Jovita Wore Pants, which won the Caldecott Honor, I asked her to do a joint signing of "In The Spirit of A Dream. A big thanks to our publisher, Scholastic, for sending us 60 copies of the book for the signing. We had a blast catching up at our book signing.
I'm super grateful that Kristen agreed to join me for a book signing of The Rise and Falls of Jackie Chan at ALA. She made these adorable tote bags as giveaways and rescued me when I was feeling overwhelmed and exhausted at the table. I would have been lost without her on Saturday! Kristen's got a new book titled Last Flight coming out. If you want to know more about her stories, check out her interview post here!
Right before the ALA, I received the exciting news from the Alabama School Library Association that Bonnie's Rocket received the 2024 Yellowhammer Book Award, Picture Book Honor. The Yellowhammer Book Award celebrates literature titles with literary merit, instructional application, and student appeal. I am humbled and grateful that students, teachers, and librarians love Bonnie's Rocket.
Emeline and I did some online school visits, and she recently had an interview article here. We worked on Bonnie's Rocket, with her as the author and me as the illustrator. But this is the first time we met in person. It was also my first time meeting our editor, Cheryl Klein. It was lovely to finally meet friends with whom I've chatted and made a book together for months. Huge thanks to our publisher Lee and Low for organizing the book signing and inviting me to the Asian Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA) Award Banquet. It was awesome finally meeting the team!
Photo collections of friends old and new!
Top from left to right:
Vera Ahiyya. I have been following Vera on Instagram (@thetututeacher) for a long time. She does amazing books postings. It's lovely to finally meet her in person!! She also has a new book out titled Kindergarten.
Traci Huahn, Emeline Lee, me, and Kristen Mai Giang. I've been following Traci for a while, and I was absolutely thrilled to finally meet her and dive into her new book, Mamie Tape Fights to Go to School.
Bottom from left to right:
Maple Lam. I love Maple's Substack. I can't wait to dive into her new book, Monkey King and the World of Beasts!
Bunmi Ishola is the editor for One Perfect Plan. We live close by and hang out now and then for fun. We've both been super busy lately, so it's great to catch up with her at the Penguin Random House mixer.
I have been following Cheryl Kim's books. She has a new book out titled Wat Takes His Shot. It was wonderful meeting her in person!
I feel so inspired and energized after ALA! I can't wait to catch up on my reading. In addition to the books I mentioned previously, here's a short list of more books. I have plenty more on my list, but it would be too much to pack into one post. I will share them in the future.
Jumper: A Day in the Life of a Backyard Jumping Spider, By Jessica Lanan
Mexikid, By Pedro Martin
Before You Were Here: Where We Come From, What We're Made Of, and How We Got Here, words by Scott Westerfeld, illustrated by Jessica Lanan
Parachute Kids, by Betty C. Tang
Ruby Lost and Found, by Christina Li
Finding Papa, words by Angela Pham Krans, illustrated by Thi But
Now that all the fun of the festivities is over, I am ready to return to my cozy space beneath the rock and continue working on my books! Big thanks to ALA for organizing such amazing days dedicated to celebrating books and all the unforgettable moments with friends.
I wish we had connected at ALA! But I'm glad to follow you here on Substack. Thanks for featuring Jumper and Before You Were Here! :)