My newest book is out in bookstores now! The Traditional Chinese Toys Counting Book (hand illustrated throughout with beautiful ink and watercolor drawings!) is stocked in all good Hong Kong bookstores near you. This beautiful numbers counting book uses the traditional toys of Chinese children to teach your children counting in both English and Mandarin Chinese and to learn all about the wonderfully fun traditional toys of Chinese children from ancient times until now.
Here's a sneak peek!
Dear Ms. Leou,
ReplyDeleteWe are the Kindergarten students from Hong Kong Academy. We have recently done an inquiry about toys and games. In the library, our librarians have read your books about Lulu the Hong Kong Cat and The Traditional Chinese Toys Counting Book to us. We loved hearing about Lulu’s adventures (some of us remembered listening to the story told by you last year when you visited our school). Since we just learned about toys, we have many questions especially about the toy book. If you have time, could you please answer our questions? Thank you.
With best wishes from the
HKA Kindergarten students, their teachers and librarians
Why did you want to make a book about Chinese toys?
How do you know so much about Chinese toys?
Did your parents tell you about it?
Did you travel around China to find out about toys and games?
Did you take pictures or draw sketches of the toys in your notebook first before drawing them?
How long did it take you to draw the pictures? (We noticed they are very detailed.)
What type of paper and colors did you use?
How long did it take you to make the book?
Dear Hong Kong Academy students, librarians and teachers,
ReplyDeleteThank you for writing to me. I'm so happy that you all like my Lulu the Hong Kong Cat books and the new Traditional Chinese Toys Counting Book! I was so thrilled to visit with all of you last year, it was a lot of fun! Here are the answers to your questions and please do ask me anything else you would like to know:
Why did you want to make a book about Chinese toys?
- I love Chinese toys because they are so unique and beautiful! I made this book because I wanted to share these toys with everyone.
How do you know so much about Chinese toys?
- I am Chinese and I grew up playing with many of these special toys.
Did your parents tell you about it?
- Yes, my mom and dad gave me some Chinese toys to play with when I was growing up.
Did you travel around China to find out about toys and games?
- Yes, I have discovered these special Chinese toys in all parts of China and Hong Kong
Did you take pictures or draw sketches of the toys in your notebook first before drawing them?
- I take a photo first and then draw a sketch. If I like my sketch I will start to draw the final drawing.
How long did it take you to draw the pictures? (We noticed they are very detailed.)
- It depends on the drawing. It can take from a a couple of days to a couple of weeks to finish one drawing.
What type of paper and colors did you use?
- I use sketch paper to draw on. I use watercolor, chinese paints, pencil, color pencil and ink to draw with. A lot of different things!
How long did it take you to make the book?
- This book took probably 6 months to make.
Dear Ms. Leou,
ReplyDeleteThank you for answering our questions so quickly and for offering us to send you more questions. We already have new questions after reading your answers.
Why did you want to become an author and illustrator?
When did you start making books?
Does it take you the same amount of time to make a Lulu book (about six months)?
Is it tiring to make books?
Do you sometimes get tired of making books?
Do you take breaks from drawing and writing?
What does your day usually look like?
Do you put the same number of words/same amount of text on each page? How do you decide how much to put?
Why do you use cloth on the cover of your books?
Has Lulu ever been to other cities?
When is the new Lulu book in the shops?
We are so excited about the new Lulu book and can’t wait to see it! Today we spent some time making predictions on what the book might be like, based on what we know about your other books. Here are some of our predictions:
We learned that all the Lulu adventures take place in Hong Kong. We think that also the new story will take place in Hong Kong but in a different part. Maybe even Sai Kung? We were thinking, maybe Little Jade starts school at HKA and Lulu visits. She might even meet some of the Sai Kung cows.
We learned that Lulu always meets different characters in her stories. We think she will meet more characters in her new adventure.
We learned that Lulu likes going on adventures and that there is always a celebration in the stories. We think she might go with Little Jade to buy a lantern for Chinese New Year.
We noticed that each book has a different color (red, blue, green). We think the next book will be yellow or purple.
Are we right with some of our predictions?
Thanks again for answering our questions and for making such beautiful books.
With best wishes from the
HKA Kindergarten students, teachers and librarians
Dear HKA students, teachers and librarians,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your many new questions. I will do my best to answer:
Why did you want to become an author and illustrator?
- Because I loved the pictures book and children's books that I grew up reading.
When did you start making books?
- Around 10 years ago I started to write my first story.
Does it take you the same amount of time to make a Lulu book (about six months)?
- It takes longer to make a Lulu book, around 1 1/2 year to 2 years.
Is it tiring to make books? Do you sometimes get tired of making books?
- Yes, it is tiring but making books is fun so I don't mind!
Do you take breaks from drawing and writing?
- Yes, when I am tired I like to take a break and make something like a cake, or a doll or a paper airplane.
Do you put the same number of words/same amount of text on each page? How do you decide how much to put?
- The amount of words on the page depends on what story you want to tell so it is different all the time.
Why do you use cloth on the cover of your books?
- In the past, all books were cloth covered and I have always loved the feel and look of them.
Has Lulu ever been to other cities?
- Lulu has only been in Hong Kong. She is quite a scaredy cat so she doesn't get out much. But she loves kids, once she gets familiar with them.
When is the new Lulu book in the shops?
- The latest in the Lulu the Hong Kong Cat series should be in stores in Sept-Oct.
Regarding your predictions for the new book (what fun!) here are my responses:
- The new Lulu the Hong Kong Cat adventures does take place in Hong Kong, but in a mysterious way.
- Lulu meets a new character who becomes her best friend, but sadly they lose touch.
- The book cover color I have not yet decided, but it will reflect the story.
Thanks again for your great questions!
Dear Ms. Leou,
ReplyDeleteThank you very much for answering all our questions again so quickly. We are learning so much from you about how authors and illustrators work. Since we are currently inquiring about communication, it is also great for us to see in which ways we can communicate with authors.
And we are most excited about Lulu's new adventure!
With best wishes from the
HKA Kindergarten students, teachers and librarians
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