This week, we have a very special episode. I’m speaking with the team behind this year’s Caldecott winning picture book, Watercress: Andrea Wang and Jason Chin. In case you’re not familiar, the Caldecott is basically the Academy Award for picture books, so this is very exciting! Watercress also won a Newbery Honor and the Asian Pacific/Pacific American Award for Literature.
“Andrea Wang’s heartfelt and nuanced intergenerational story comes to life through Jason Chin’s brilliant watercolors, making Watercress a feast for the senses. But be warned: Come prepared with tissues.”~ Minh Lê, for NPR
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About the Author/Illustrator:
Andrea Wang is an acclaimed author of children’s books. Her book Watercress was awarded the Caldecott Medal, a Newbery Honor, the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature, a New England Book Award, and a Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor. Her other books, The Many Meanings of Meilan, Magic Ramen, and The Nian Monster, have also received awards and starred reviews. Her work explores culture, creative thinking, and identity. She is also the author of seven nonfiction titles for the library and school market. Andrea holds an M.S. in Environmental Science and an M.F.A. in Creative Writing for Young People. She lives in Colorado with her family. To learn more about Andrea Wang and follow her on social media visit https://andreaywang.com.
Jason Chin is a celebrated author and illustrator of many children’s books including Your Place in the Universe, Miranda Paul’s Nine Months: Before a Baby is Born, a Boston Globe–Horn Book Honor Book, and Andrea Wang’s Watercress. His book Grand Canyon was awarded a Caldecott Honor, a Sibert Honor, and the NCTE Orbis Pictus Award. His other acclaimed nonfiction titles—Redwoods, Coral Reefs, Island: A Story of the Galápagos, and Gravity—have received numerous starred reviews and other accolades. He is also the illustrator of Stephanie Parsley Ledyard’s debut title, Pie Is for Sharing, and Miranda Paul’s Water Is Water. Jason lives in Vermont with his wife and children. To learn more about Jason Chin and follow him on social media visit https://www.facebook.com/authorjchin/.
Browse Books Mentioned On This Episode:
Looking for a book mentioned on the podcast? Want to browse books by past guests? Visit A Bookish Home Podcast’s Bookshop.org page.
Register for the Newburyport Literary Festival
Looking for more bookish conversations? Registration is now open for the 2022 virtual Newburyport Literary Festival: https://newburyportliteraryfestival.org/2022-schedule-of-events/.
I hope to see you at my session: Romance by the Book with Lauren Kate (By Any Other Name) and Emily Wibberly and Austin Siegmund-Broka (The Roughest Draft)! Register here.
Happy Reading and Listening,
Laura Szaro Kopinski
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