Taiwanese-American
Taiwanese Americans () are Americans who carry full or partial ancestry from Taiwan. This includes American-born citizens who descend from migrants from Taiwan.
As of the 2010 U.S. Census, 49% of Taiwanese Americans lived in the state of Califo ...
children's writer and illustrator. She is a Newbery, Geisel, and Caldecott honoree, known for contributing to and advocating for Asian-American representation and diversity in children’s literature. She has published over 25 books, all of which are written for young and middle-grade audiences. Much of her work features young Asian and Asian-American characters in both everyday and fantastical settings.
Early life and education
Lin was born in New Hartford, New York to Taiwanese immigrants in 1974 Jer-Shang Lin, a doctor, and Lin-Lin Lin, a botanist. She grew up in
upstate New York
Upstate New York is a geographic region consisting of the area of New York State that lies north and northwest of the New York City metropolitan area. Although the precise boundary is debated, Upstate New York excludes New York City and Long Is ...
, where she and her two sisters, Beatrice and Alice, were the only Asian students at their elementary school. Lin started creating books during her childhood, and in seventh grade, she entered a national book contest for students, winning fourth place and $1000.
She later attended
Rhode Island School of Design
The Rhode Island School of Design (RISD , pronounced "Riz-D") is a private art and design school in Providence, Rhode Island. The school was founded as a coeducational institution in 1877 by Helen Adelia Rowe Metcalf, who sought to increase the ...
, graduating in 1996 with a BFA in children's book illustration.
Career
Writing and illustration
After graduating from RISD and failing to garner attention from publishers, Lin worked for a giftware company, where she designed t-shirts and mugs. After a couple of years, she got laid off from that job and decided to pursue her dream of being a children’s book author and illustrator. A senior editor from Charlesbridge Publishing contacted Lin after taking notice of her illustration samples, inquiring if she had a story to go along with these illustrations. At the time, Lin did not have a story ready, but told the editor that she did. Eventually, she created a corresponding story for these samples, ultimately publishing her first book, ''The Ugly Vegetables,'' in 1999. She has since published over 25 books, many of which she illustrated herself. Lin continues to write and illustrate.Zhuang, Victoria. "Grace Lin Led the Way on Diversity in Children's Literature." Boston Globe, 2021, pp. N.1. Some of her work is housed in the University of Connecticut archives.
Other work
In 2016, Lin gave a TEDx presentation entitled “The Windows and Mirrors of Your Child’s Bookshelf,” in which she advocates for increased awareness of diversity in children’s books. Since 2017, Lin has written nine commentaries for the New England Public Radio, most often writing about her personal experiences as a parent and Asian-American author. In 2017 and 2018, she appeared on PBS NewsHour, speaking on representations of race and culture in children’s literature. Lin hosts two podcasts, Book Friends Forever and Kids Ask Authors, started in 2019 and 2020 respectively. She also sits on the advisory committee of We Need Diverse Books, a non-profit organization that promotes diversity in children's literature.
Personal life
She married Robert Mercer, an architect and fellow RISD alum, in 2001.Maughan, Shannon. "Children's Artists Help Fund Cancer Research." Publishers Weekly, vol. 251, no. 39, 2004, pp. 30. When he was diagnosed with
Ewing's sarcoma
Ewing sarcoma is a type of cancer that forms in bone or soft tissue. Symptoms may include swelling and pain at the site of the tumor, fever, and a bone fracture. The most common areas where it begins are the legs, pelvis, and chest wall. In about ...
, a rare type of cancer, he and Lin moved to Montreal created the fundraiser Robert’s Snow: For Cancer’s Cure based on Lin’s children’s book, ''Robert’s Snow.'' Lin and Mercer invited children’s book illustrators to paint wooden snowflakes ornaments which were then auctioned off to raise money for cancer research.'''' The fundraiser auction was held twice, raising over $100,000. Upon Mercer’s death in 2007, the fundraiser was discontinued. She remarried in 2010 to Alexandre Ferron, with whom she has a daughter, Hazel, born in 2012. Lin resides in
Florence, Massachusetts
Florence is a village in the northwestern portion of the city of Northampton, Hampshire County, Massachusetts. During the 19th century, Florence was a thriving manufacturing village shaped by progressive ideas on religion, abolitionism, and edu ...
with her family.
Style and themes
Themes
Lin often writes about cultural and racial identity, as well as peace and relationships between friends and family.Thananopavarn, Susan. "Negotiating Asian American Childhood in the Twenty-First Century: Grace Lin's Year of the Dog, Year of the Rat, and Dumpling Days." The Lion and the Unicorn, vol. 38, no. 1, 2014a, pp. 106-122. Many of Lin’s works revolve around the experiences of Asian and Asian-American characters, and she often draws directly from her own personal experiences, particularly in her ''Pacy'' series. By featuring Asian American protagonists in everyday situations and emphasizing diversity within the Asian American experience, argues
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university in Durham, North Carolina. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present-day city of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco and electric power industrialist James ...
Professor Susan Thananopavarn, Lin’s books confront and subvert both Western and global stereotypes surrounding the AAPI community. She also incorporates elements from traditional Chinese and Taiwanese fantasy folktales, which are most evident in her ''Where the Mountain Meets the Moon'' series.
Illustration style
Lin’s illustration style uses bright colors, graphic shapes, and intricate, layered patterns. Lin illustrates all her work by hand, with a preference for
gouache
Gouache (; ), body color, or opaque watercolor is a water-medium paint consisting of natural pigment, water, a binding agent (usually gum arabic or dextrin), and sometimes additional inert material. Gouache is designed to be opaque. Gouache h ...
. Lin developed her current illustration style during her senior year at RISD. Lin has noted that her inspiration stems from a combination of traditional Chinese folk art and the work of European artists such as
Matisse
Henri Émile Benoît Matisse (; 31 December 1869 – 3 November 1954) was a French visual artist, known for both his use of colour and his fluid and original draughtsmanship. He was a draughtsman, printmaker, and sculptor, but is known prima ...
and
Van Gogh
Vincent Willem van Gogh (; 30 March 185329 July 1890) was a Dutch Post-Impressionist painter who posthumously became one of the most famous and influential figures in Western art history. In a decade, he created about 2,100 artworks, inclu ...
.
Awards and reception
Lin has won multiple literary awards for her work, including a
Newbery Honor
Newbery is a surname.
People
*Chantelle Newbery (born 1977), Australian Olympic diver
*David Newbery (born 1943), British economist
*Eduardo Newbery (1878–1908), Argentine odontologist and aerostat pilot
*Francis Newbery (disambiguation), seve ...
for ''
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon
''Where the Mountain Meets the Moon'' is a fantasy-adventure children's novel inspired by Chinese folklore. It was written and illustrated by Grace Lin and published in 2009. The novel received a 2010 Newbery Honor and the 2010 Mythopoeic Fantas ...
National Book Award
The National Book Awards are a set of annual U.S. literary awards. At the final National Book Awards Ceremony every November, the National Book Foundation presents the National Book Awards and two lifetime achievement awards to authors.
The Nat ...
finalist for ''When the Sea Turned Silver'' in 2016, and a
Caldecott Honor
The Randolph Caldecott Medal, frequently shortened to just the Caldecott, annually recognizes the preceding year's "most distinguished American picture book for children". It is awarded to the illustrator by the Association for Library Service ...
for ''A Big Mooncake for Little Star'' in 2019. Many of her books have received starred reviews from outlets such as ''Publishers Weekly'', ''Kirkus Reviews'', ''School Library Journal'', and ''Horn Book Magazine'', and she has been nominated for numerous awards throughout her career. In 2016, she was recognized as one of ten Champions of Change for AAPI Art and Storytelling by the Obama administration, and her art was shown in the White House. Furthermore, in recognition of her "significant and lasting contribution to literature for children," Lin won the 2022 Children's Literature Legacy Award.
List of works
Author and illustrator
''Pacy'' series
* ''The Year of the Dog'', Little, Brown (New York, NY), 2006. ISBN 978-0316060028
* ''The Year of the Rat'', Little, Brown (New York, NY), 2007. ISBN 978-0-316-02928-5
* ''Dumpling Days'', 2012. ISBN 978-0316125895
''Where the Mountain Meets the Moon'' series
* ''
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon
''Where the Mountain Meets the Moon'' is a fantasy-adventure children's novel inspired by Chinese folklore. It was written and illustrated by Grace Lin and published in 2009. The novel received a 2010 Newbery Honor and the 2010 Mythopoeic Fantas ...
'', BOOK 1 Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2009. ISBN 978-0316038638
* ''Starry River of the Sky'', BOOK 2 2012. ISBN 978-0316125956
* ''When the Sea Turned to Silver'', BOOK 3 Little, Brown (New York, NY), 2016. ISBN 978-0316125949
''Ling & Ting'' series
* ''Ling & Ting: Not Exactly the Same!'', Little, Brown (New York, NY), 2010. ISBN 978-0316024532
* ''Ling & Ting Share a Birthday'', Little, Brown (New York, NY), 2013. ISBN 978-0316184045
* ''Ling & Ting: Twice as Silly'', Little, Brown (New York, NY), 2014. ISBN 978-0316184021
* ''Ling & Ting: Together in All Weather'', Little, Brown (New York, NY), 2015. ISBN 978-0316335492
Other works
* ''The Ugly Vegetables'', Charlesbridge (Watertown, MA), 1999. ISBN 978-0-88106-336-3
* ''Okie-dokie, Artichokie!'', Viking (New York, NY), 2003. ISBN 978-0670036233
* ''Olvina Flies'', Henry Holt (New York, NY), 2003. ISBN 978-0-8050-6711-8
* ''Robert's Snow'', Penguin (New York, NY), 2004. ISBN 978-0670059119
* ''Jingle Bells'', Little, Brown (New York, NY), 2004. ISBN 978-0316794947
* ''Fortune Cookie Fortunes'', Alfred A. Knopf (New York, NY), 2004. ISBN 978-0440421924
* ''Deck the Halls'', Little, Brown (New York, NY), 2004. ISBN 978-0316794930
* ''The Twelve Days of Christmas'', Little, Brown (New York, NY), 2004. ISBN 978-0316794961
* ''Merry Christmas! Let's All Sing!'', Little, Brown (New York, NY), 2005. ISBN 9780316794909
* ''Olvina Swims'', Macmillan, 2007, ISBN 978-0-8050-7661-5
* ''Our Seasons'', Charlesbridge (Watertown, MA), 2006. ISBN 978-1-57091-360-0
* ''The Red Thread: An Adoption Fairy Tale'', Albert Whitman and Company, 2007, ISBN 978-0-8075-6922-1
* ''Bringing in the New Year'', Alfred A. Knopf, 2008, ISBN 978-0-375-83745-6
* ''Thanking the Moon: Celebrating the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival'', Alfred A. Knopf, 2010, ISBN 9780375861017
* ''A Big Mooncake for Little Star'', Little, Brown, 2018, ISBN 9780316404488
* ''Mulan: Before the Sword'', Disney Press, 2020, ISBN 978-1368020336
Illustrator
* Roseanne Thong, ''Round is a Mooncake: A Book of Shapes'', Chronicle Books (San Francisco, CA), 2000. ISBN 9780811826761
* Paul Yee, ''The Jade Necklace'', Crocodile Books (New York, NY), 2001. ISBN 9781896580074
* ''Dim Sum for Everyone!'', Alfred A. Knopf (New York, NY), 2001. ISBN 978-0-375-91082-1
* Roseanne Thong, ''Red is a Dragon: A Book of Colors'', Chronicle Books (San Francisco, CA), 2001. ISBN 9780811864817
* Dana Meachen Rau, ''My Favorite Foods'', Compass Point Books (Minneapolis, MN), 2001. ISBN 9780756500764
* Frances Park and Ginger Park, ''Where on Earth Is My Bagel?'', Lee & Low (New York, NY), 2001. ISBN 9781584300335
* Cari Meister, ''A New Roof'', Children's Press (New York, NY), 2002. ISBN 9780516223698
* ''Kite Flying,'' Alfred A. Knopf (New York, NY), 2002. ISBN 978-0-375-81520-1
* C.C. Cameron, ''One for Me, One for You: Little Ideas for Caring for Yourself and the World'', Roaring Brook Press (Brookfield, CT), 2003. ISBN 9781250275578
* Kathy Tucker, ''The Seven Chinese Sisters'', Albert Whitman (Morton Grove, IL), 2003. ISBN 9780807573105
* Roseanne Thong, ''One is a Drummer: A Book of Numbers'', Chronicle Books (San Francisco, CA), 2004. ISBN 9780811837729
* Eleanor Roosevelt and Michelle Markel, ''When You Grow Up to Vote: How Our Government Works for You,'' Roaring Brook Press (Brookfield, CT), 2018. ISBN 9781626728790