Author Grace Lin: ‘A Book Can Show You The World’
Julie M. Cohen, Belmont Voice correspondent
Samantha Huang, 14, said author/illustrator Grace Lin’s books truly resonated with her after she realized “those characters [in her stories] looked like me.”
The award-winning children’s book writer and artist spoke at Chenery Upper Elementary School last week during an event sponsored by Belmont Celebrates AAPI Heritage (BCAH) for Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.
Many in attendance were children and tweens who stood in a winding line after Lin’s talk to meet her and get an autograph. Among Lin’s many works, some fans brought her best-known titles: Newbery Honor Medal-winner “Where the Mountain Meets the Moon,” and Caldecott Honor Medal-winner, “A Big Mooncake for Little Star.”
Huang’s mother, BCAH co-chair Gi Yoon-Huang, said that more than 360 people attended the event, the group’s largest thus far.
Yoon-Huang said that BCAH was founded in 2021 in response to a rise in anti-Asian crimes and a desire to “showcase … the positive impact” of AAPI communities.
“It’s really nice to see this group get together and support diversity,” said Lin in advance of her presentation.
Windows and mirrors
Clutching their books and whispering excitedly, the younger audience members eagerly awaited the beloved Massachusetts author’s talk.
The presentation and slideshow were based on Lin’s 2016 TEDx Talk, “The Windows and Mirrors of Your Child’s Bookshelf,” and included an interactive drawing lesson.
Lin, whose parents came from Taiwan, shared stories of her youth that focused on how she eventually embraced her cultural background and her passion for creating children’s books.
“A book can show you the world,” she said, explaining that while a book can be like a window, it can also be like a mirror when you sometimes see your reflection when gazing out.
Lin described her childhood in upstate New York, where she and her sisters were the only Asian Americans in their school. Sometimes, she would pretend she wasn’t Asian American.
“I felt like I had this shameful secret,” she said.
In between discussing emotional episodes from her youth, she brought the audience back to the present and paused her stories with a drawing break. In honor of the Year of the Dragon, Lin instructed attendees how to create a cute image of the mythical beast while explaining the many differences between the Eastern and Western versions.
Segueing back to her life story, Lin recalled loving fairy tales but felt saddened to see “there was nobody that looked like me in the books I loved.”
She saw fairies and witches and a talking Tin Man, but nobody like her.
“It was almost like a mermaid could exist, but I couldn’t,” said Lin.
At the same time, she resisted her mother’s attempts to teach her about her culture, language, and more. So, knowing Lin’s taste in literature, her mother brought home a book of fairy tales—with stories originating in China rather than Europe. Although the stories were OK, Lin said she “was not impressed with them” because the illustrations were not very good.
Knowing she wanted to be an artist, she attended the prestigious Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). While there, she learned about Western masters but never had the opportunity to learn about Asian art.
On her own, she found Chinese folk art and began to paint images of her family, finally feeling like she was on the right path.
Lin said if you’re going to be an artist, “it has to be because you have a message or a vision that you want to share with the world.”
It took some time for Lin to realize her dream of being a successful children’s book author and illustrator. She got her first break from a small publisher, which put out her picture book, “The Ugly Vegetables.” The story is described as including the “timeless themes of community and diversity,” according to her website. It is based on Lin’s childhood experience of longing for her neighbors’ pretty flowers while her mother grew Chinese vegetables. By the end of the story, the child protagonist eventually appreciates the veggies when they are turned into a delicious soup.
Lin’s next book for the same publisher also had an Asian girl as the lead character. The publisher asked her to change the protagonist to a white boy so it would “have broad appeal,” claiming boys won’t read about female characters. They also said by writing a second “multicultural” book, she would be pigeonholed, and her job options would be limited.
“This was a really hard crossroads for me,” said Lin.
At first, she tried writing and illustrating books with animals as characters, but she kept hearing from fans grateful for her inclusivity, and said, “I just embraced the label” of being a “multicultural” author.
She said children “need books to be windows” so they can experience many viewpoints and cultures.
During the question-and-answer session after the presentation, Lin told the audience that the key to being a better writer is to “read, read, read.”
“Your best story is the next one you write,” she said.
To learn more about Belmont Celebrates AAPI Heritage (BCAH), visit belmontcelebratesaapiheritage.org
To learn more about award-winning author/illustrator Grace Lin, visit gracelin.com
