Featured books by Grace Lin
Grace Lin's childhood is vividly brought to life in her books. She celebrates her Chinese background and its traditions in stories and illustrations. They reflect her specific cultural heritage as well as the universal emotions of growing up. Meet Newbery honor winning author and illustrator, Grace Lin, as you celebrate the Lunar New Year, grow a garden of bumpy vegetables, find adventure and friendship — and more — in her novels and picture books.
A Big Bed for Little Snow
In this winter fable about where snow comes from, Little Snow, who wears snowflake pajamas, gets a new featherbed for the long, cold winter nights. But Mommy says this bed is for sleeping, not jumping, but when she leaves the room, he jumps and jumps on his bed ... until one day it rips, sending feathers flying. A page turn reveals that his feathers are snowflakes, falling on a nghttime city block.
Bringing in the New Year
Grace Lin brings the Chinese New Year traditions to life through the eyes of a young girl and her family as they prepare for their family New Year celebration. Vivid color and bold line illustrate their planning which concludes with a dragon and noisemaking for a joyful celebration of this special Chinese festival.
Dim Sum for Everyone
A Chinese family goes out for dim sum ("little dishes"), choosing their favorites off the restaurant cart and sharing with each other. The illustrations evoke the textures and patterns in this traditional meal, and an endnote provides background on the cultural history and customs surrounding dim sum.
Dumpling Days
In this 3rd book about Pacy, she and her family plan to go to Taiwan to celebrate her grandmother's birthday.
Fortune Cookie Fortunes
The family's meal finishes with fortune cookies, the daughters' favorite part of eating out! They share their fortunes as their engaging look at the world shines through in the simple narration and boldly colored, entertaining illustrations.
Kite Flying
The young narrator describes how she and her family each contribute to a handsome kite which they then enjoy flying. Signature illustrations show traditional Chinese kite designs combined with an author's note about kite history. The result is the celebration of an ebullient family tradition that readers may want to take up themselves!
Ling & Ting: Not Exactly the Same
Even though Ling and Ting are identical twins, they are not the same. How they differ becomes clear in short chapters in this winning book just right for new readers. The charismatic Asian-American sisters are depicted in word and illustration with humor and affection.
Ling and Ting Share a Birthday
Ling and Ting, (first introduced in Ling and Ting, Not Exactly the Same), share many things including their birthday. After all, they're twins! Their special day — from gifts to wishes — is celebrated in six short chapters in which they help each other in many ways.
Lissy's Friends
Lissy is new at school and so makes a small origami friend to keep her company and to help her feel braver. A new friendship starts when Lissy's lost paper crane is returned. Children will empathize with Lissy's loneliness and her quiet coping in this appealing story.
Olvina Flies
Product Description: When Olvina gets invited to the Tenth Annual Bird Convention in Hawaii, she decides it's high time to overcome her fear of flying. But on the day of her big plane trip, Olvina's tummy is filled with butterflies and she has second thoughts. After all, chickens aren’t supposed to fly. Or are they? This tender and funny story is for children who love to fly as well as those who have not yet had the experience.
Olvina Swims
Olvina can swim about as well as she can fly, but her reluctance to swim hasn't been a problem until she's on vacation in Hawaii with her friend Hailey. Will Olvina let her fear of the water spoil her fun? Not with Hailey on the job. Children (as well as chickens) may find learning to swim a daunting challenge. This reassuring story shows that with a little courage, lots of practice, and the help of a good friend, one can accomplish just about anything.
Our Seasons
A closer look at the four seasons is presented through questions and answers (“Does everyone have four seasons?”) and evocative poems. Large illustrations depict the unique wonders of each time of year.
Robert's Snow
"A little mouse resides with his family in a leaky, old, leather boot that constantly needs repair. As winter approaches, the others are all for sealing themselves inside to shut out the cold. Robert has always yearned to play in the snow, so when he accidentally slips out of his window, he is delighted. Soon, however, he becomes lost and must be saved by a 'big animal' with red fur and blue eyes. He delivers the little mouse to his home, and when the snow melts, Robert's family is mystified and delighted by the appearance of a brand-new boot right next to their old one." — School Library Journal
Robert's Snowflakes
"When doctors told Lin and her husband that a cure for cancer was his greatest hope of survival, they decided to raise money for the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. Lin called upon fellow children's book authors and illustrators, and a project was born–each one would decorate a wooden snowflake that was then auctioned, raising over $100,000 Featuring reproductions of work by Eric Carle, David Shannon, Emily Arnold McCully, Eric Rohmann, Denise Fleming, Ian Falconer, and Lin herself, the book is a handsome showcase of art." — School Library Journal
Starry River of the Sky
Rendi, a self-centered, unhappy boy runs away from home and winds up in a sad town. Storytelling, however, instigated by a mysterious newcomer allows Rendi to mature and help the villagers. The rich narrative incorporates tales inspired by Chinese tales in this worthy companion to Where the Mountain meets the Moon.
Thanking the Moon: Celebrating the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival
A family shares a nighttime picnic with traditional mooncakes and other foods to honor the moon. Each silently shares a wish that is sent to the moon. The quiet celebration is presented through Lin’s signature illustrations and simple text. An endnote provides a bit more information about the festival.
The Red Thread: An Adoption Fairy Tale
In this enchanting story from Grace Lin, a king and queen try to find the cause of their mysterious heartache. Finally, an old peddler discovers that someone far away is tugging at their hearts with an invisible red thread. In order to discover who that someone is and cure their heartache, the king and queen must follow the red thread to its end. Based on an ancient Chinese belief that an invisible red thread connects those who are destined to be together, this beautiful book will resonate with adopted children and families alike.
The Ugly Vegetables
In a neighborhood of flower gardens, a Chinese-American girl and her mother plant what the child considers to be ugly vegetables. The ugly vegetables, however, become attractive and help build community when made into a delicious soup! A recipe is included.
When the Sea Turned to Silver
Children of all ages will enjoy the story of Pinmei and her quest to find her grandmother, the storyteller. Inspired by Chinese folklore, this stand-alone tale is a companion to the author’s Where the Mountain Meets the Moon and Starry River of the Sky.
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon
Minli embarks on a journey to change the luck of her family and their village. Traditional stories inspired by Chinese folklore combine with a rousing adventure for an altogether satisfying tale. Richly-hued illustrations decorate and enhance the handsome novel.
Year of the Dog
Grace (aka Pacy) does a lot of growing up during the Year of the Dog. She meets and befriends another Asian girl, learns a bit about her Taiwanese background, and discovers her talent. Simply drawn illustrations and a straightforward voice make this culturally specific story universally appealing.
Year of the Rat
The Year of the Rat is a year of change for Grace. Melody moves with her family to California, and Grace finds the courage to stand up for what she knows is right. As in Year of the Dog, this sequel recognizes the universal growing pains of childhood in its short chapters and line drawings.
Books illustrated by Grace Lin
One Is a Drummer: A Book of Numbers
The Chinese-American girl introduced in Round Is a Mooncake (2000) and Red Is a Dragon (2001, both Chronicle) counts her favorite things. In bouncy verse, she engages in activities with her multicultural friends and family…A glossary gives two-sentence explanations for the Asian elements, from Eight Immortals to mahjong tiles, adding versatility and ethnic interest to the book without intruding on its simplicity. — School Library Journal
Red Is a Dragon: A Book of Colors
In this lively concept book a little girl discovers a rainbow of colors in the world around her. Red is a dragon in the Chinese New Year parade, yellow are the taxis she sees on her street, green are jade bracelets and the crunchy kale growing in her garden. Many of the featured objects are Asian in origin, but all are universal in appeal. With rich, boisterous illustrations, a fun-to-read rhyming text and an informative glossary.
Round Is a Mooncake: A Book of Shapes
A girl discovers things that are round, square, and rectangular in her urban neighborhood. A gently rhyming text and crisply lined illustrations reveal many things that are universally recognizable as well as others that come from the child's Chinese background.
The Seven Chinese Sisters
Sisters each use their special talent while working together to save the sister who was snatched by a not-too-scary dragon. Uncluttered illustrations add detail to the crisply told original tale likely inspired by a Chinese folktale.
Country of origin: China
We Eat Rice
In this short book for beginning readers, a young Korean boy and girl share all of the different ways they like to eat rice, which are presented in colorful illustrations done by Grace Lin. A teacher's guide with early reading activities is available from the Lee and Low website. Also available in Spanish.
When You Grow Up to Vote: How Our Government Works for You
Eleanor Roosevelt’s 1932 book on citizenship for young people now revised and updated for a contemporary audience. Beginning with government workers like firefighters and garbage collectors, and moving up through local government to the national stage, this book explains that the people in government work for the voter.
Where on Earth Is My Bagel?
Where on earth did Yum Yung get the urge to have a bagel? He has no idea, but desperate for one, he sends a message from his Korean village via pigeon to New York City for someone to send him one. While he waits, he asks the farmer, the fisherman, and the honeybee keeper for help, but none of them have ever heard of a bagel. Charming gouache illustrations evoke the intricate and colorful patterns found in Korean fabrics.
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