WILL WRITE FOR COOKIES

INSIGHT – INFORMATION – INSPIRATION

FOR WRITERS, ILLUSTRATORS, PARENTS, TEACHERS, LIBRARIANS,
AND BOOK LOVERS EVERYWHERE

TODAY’S GUEST

Hurray! I love when our favorite blog guests return! And I’m especially thrilled to welcome back Benson and have a chance to spread the word about his latest book, IMAGINE YOU AND ME, that just launched. (Dial, January 23, 2024).

Benson Shum is an award winning children’s book author and illustrator. He uses watercolor, ink and digital tools to create his illustrations. His books, Anzu the Great Listener and Anzu the Great Kaiju were selected as Kid’s Indie Next List Recommended by American Booksellers Association (ABA) and was also awarded for Outstanding Achievement in Social Emotional Literature by the Children’s Literature Council of Southern California (CLCSC).Aside from writing and illustrating, Benson is also an Animator at the Walt Disney Animation Studios, where he was a part of such films as Frozen, Big Hero 6, Zootopia, Moana, Frozen 2, Encanto and Wish. Originally from Vancouver, BC, Benson now lives in sunny southern California.

ME: Welcome, Benson! It’s lovely to see you! I’m so happy about your newest book that launched last week…and the other 2024 book, that comes out July. I know everyone is excited to find out more about you, so let’s get started.

BENSON: It’s always fun to visit Picture Books Help Kids Soar, Vivian. Thanks for having me.

ME: Who were your favorite authors/illustrators when you were a child?

BENSON: My favorite authors and illustrators were Judy Blume, Quentin Blake, Roald Dahl, Mary Blair and Alice and Martin Provensen. I was drawn to their whimsical drawings and paintings. The storytelling they put into their words and art is incredible.

ME: What do you know now that you wish you knew when you first started writing?

BENSON: I believe everyone has a story to tell. It can be scary, as I know I was always scared of writing. I was never confident in my English growing up. I spoke a lot of chinese with my grandparents. And when I started elementary school, I struggled. But language is something we can learn, but the stories through our struggle will make us unique.

ME: Where do you like to write – inside, outside, special room, laptop, pen and paper?

BENSON: I like to change up the places where I write. Usually I’m at my desk, but when I’m out and about, I’ll bring my laptop (or paper pad) to the park, library, coffee shop, anywhere that has a bit of noise. I like to be able to look up and see things happening. It may spark an idea or inspiration. Of course if the noise is too distracting, then I’ll find another place. Ha!

ME: When do you write – early morning, late in the day, middle of the night, on schedule, as the muse strikes?

BENSON: I don’t have a specific time. I do it sporadically during the day. But it’ll be little pieces/ideas that I’ll jot down. When I have more time, usually at night, then I’ll flesh out those ideas.

ME: Why do you write for children?

BENSON: I feel like picture books are for both adults and children, so I like to write for both because we were all children at one time. And we sometimes forget the little things that kids find joy in. So I want to share stories that will take us away from the hard daily adult life. I also want to share that no matter our age, we go through the same feelings on the inside. And I try to bring those in my stories.

ME: Also, if you have any thoughts or advice for aspiring writers, please share. As well as anything else you want to talk about that parents, educators, writers, librarians might want to hear.

BENSON: I hope you’ll find the courage to write your stories. It’s a long and hard journey, but to share your stories is a wonderful thing. Read in the genre you want to write in. It was how I got the bravery to do it. I also have activities and teacher’s guides to go along with my books on my website. You can find them here.  https://bensonshum.com/activities/. Aside from IMAGINE YOU AND ME, I also have another book in 2024 called MOONCAKE MEANS FAMILY, which celebrates the Mid-Autumn Festival with this sweet story of food and family.
And here’s a cool recipe for Mooncakes: https://www.cooking-therapy.com/mooncake-recipe/

To connect with Benson and learn more about his books:|
Social Media links:
http://bensonshum.com/
https://www.instagram.com/bshum79/h ttps://twitter.com/bshum79?lang=en
https://www.facebook.com/bshum79
https://twitter.com/bshum79?lang=en

Indie bookstores:
Once Upon a Time Bookstore:
https://www.shoponceuponatime.com/autographed-books-benson-shum
Children’s Book World
https://www.childrensbookworld.com/benson-shum-personalized-books
Bookshop.org
https://bookshop.org/shop/bensonshumbooks

Thank you so much for sharing all of this, Benson…and for the sneak peeks inside IMAGINE YOU AND ME. And also for the giveaway…a SIGNED COPY OF IMAGINE YOU AND ME, plus stickers!

Dear friends…we know the best way to help authors and illustrators is to buy their books…and you’ll find links to the best places to purchase Benson’s beautiful books in this post. But there are other ways we can help – and those ways don’t even cost any money.
Review the book
Put the book on your Goodreads WANT TO READ shelf
Tell friends about the book (by sharing thjs post on your social media
Ask your local library to purchase copies for their collection.

Thank you for spending your precious time here with us. And don’t forget to leave a comment to be entered in the giveaway from our lovely featured guest. You might be the lucky winner of a SIGNED COPY OF IMAGINE YOU AND ME, plus stickers.