Next in the blog series, I am honored to have Wong Herbert Yee, award-winning author and illustrator of the absolutely delightful Mouse and Mole series. (Side note: Preschooler Monkey loves Mouse and Mole!)
1) Which of your characters do you most identify with and why?
Wong Herbert Yee: That would have to be Mole from my Mouse and Mole early reader series. He’s dressed casual and comfortable. My favorite color is green too and he lives in an oak tree in the woods. What more could you want?
2) If you could give your Asian American kid readers one piece of advice, what would it be?
[see his answer below as part of #4]
3) Who is your favorite Asian American children’s author right now (other than yourself)?
WHY: I can’t say I have a favorite Asian author. For me that would mean I like everything they write which is rarely the case. I do have a favorite book by an Asian author though. A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park. Reading it made me wish I was a potter.
4) Were you a reader growing up? Why or why not?
WHY: We did not have many books in our household. With six brothers and sisters money went to clothing us and feeding us. We did attend public school however. One of the classes we had was Library. There were no computers, puzzles or stuffed animals back then, just rows and rows of books. In library class we picked a book from the shelf and sat down to read. When time was up we put it back. That was where I got my reading done. I am still a regular visitor at the local library. Find a book you like and read it. If you don’t like it, put it back and pick another. I guess that would be my answer to question #2.
About the Author:
Wong Herbert Yee lives in Detroit, Michigan and has written and illustrated numerous books including the Mouse and Mole series, Summer Days and Nights, Fireman Small, and Tracks in the Snow. In 2010, he received a Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Award for his book Mouse and Mole: Fine Feathered Friends.