Happy Perfect Picture Book Friday, dear friends. Get ready for another wonderful book from one of my favorite author/illustrators, Benson Shum. He’s so lovely – he stopped by to chat and share the inspiration for this illustrated early reader – plus, he’s offering a giveaway of a copy of MOONCAKES MEAN FAMILY which just launched last week.
MOONCAKES MEAN FAMILY
Written and illustrated by Benson Shum
Published by Penguin Workshop
Ages: 5-7 (reader age) – but 3 & 4-year-olds would love to hear the story!
Themes: Mid-autumn festival, humor, early reader
Synopsis: From Amazon: Celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival with this sweet story of food and family!
In this story designed to engage early readers, charming characters combine with simple text, lively illustrations, and laugh-out-loud humor to help boost kids’ confidence and create lifelong readers!
Jade and Crystal love the Mid-Autumn Festival because it means it’s time to make a tasty treat—mooncakes! Crystal’s favorite part of the delicious dessert made of lotus seed paste is the yummy salted egg yolk at the center, meant to represent the moon. Join the sisters as they gather with their family for a memorable meal together!
Complete with fun facts about the holiday in the back of the book, young readers will want to revisit this story again and again.
Exciting, easy-to-read books are the stepping stone a young reader needs to bridge the gap between being a beginner and being fluent.
Why I Love This Book: 1. I love stories that serve as windows and mirrors so that all children can feel seen as well as learn about different cultures. 2. I love this genre of early reader that engages a wide audience – the youngest who can enjoy the story and pictures – and the older child who gains confidence as a reader. 3. Benson’s art is so joyful – his color palette and characters always make me smile.
ME: Welcome, Benson. I love that you share the story behind the story – in this page from the book which details how the Mid-Autumn Festival started. What inspired you to write about this?
BENSON: Thank you for having me for Perfect Picture Book Friday! After my book Alex’s Good Fortune came out, I wanted to write another story in the same format about other holidays/festivities I grew up with and loved. That’s how the idea of Mooncakes Mean Family came about. The Mid-Autumn Festival was a special time. My sisters and I looked forward to mooncakes! They are only available in grocery stores during the Mid-Autumn Festival. They come in many shapes and sizes, and I remember picking one in the shape of a piglet wrapped in a red basket.
The design of the characters came from a painting I did for the Mid-Autumn Festival back in 2022. There are many folktales that go along with the holiday. One of them is about a jade rabbit. Hence I painted a bunny enjoying their mooncake. I posted the process of the painting on Tiktok and instagram and it got some traction. So my agent sent a link to my editor of Alex’s Good Fortune along with a pitch about Mooncakes and another idea (WE ARE LION DANCERS coming out Dec 31st, 2024). Fortunately she loved it and acquired both! I hope kids and adults will enjoy Mooncakes Means Family, learn a bit about the holiday and share mooncakes with their friends and family! I also have activities to go along with the books on my website.https://bensonshum.com | Instagram-Twitter-Tiktok: @bshum79
ME: Thank you so much, Benson. And thank you for the generous giveaway of a copy of MOONCAKES MEAN FAMILY.
And here’s a fun paper mooncake craft from Benson:
And another paper mooncake craft with step by step instructions:
Dear friends, don’t miss the chance to WIN a copy of this beautiful book…please leave a comment and share on your social media for extra tickets in the giveaway hat. What else can we do to help a book like this become successful? Buy the book Review the book Place the book on your Goodreads Want to Read Shelf Ask your local library to purchase copies for their collection
I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! Thank you for spending your precious time here.
Are you ready to blow out the candles and enjoy a yummy piece of cake? I hope so, because we are celebrating a book birthday today of HOW TO EAT A MANGO, written by Paola Santos and illustrated by Juliana Perdomo and published by Neal Porter Books! And guess what? Author Paola stopped by to chat with us…and she’s offering a giveaway of a copy of this gorgeous new book (USA addresses only) – so please make sure you leave a comment and SHARE the post on your social media for extra tickets in the giveaway hat.
What a gorgeous cover!!! Engaging and inviting…kids will definitely want to grab this one from the library shelves!
Here’s a little bit about the book from the Amazon sales page: Abuelita teaches Carmencita that you can’t rush mango-eating: it takes five steps to appreciate the gift and feel the love.
Carmencita doesn’t want to help Abuelita pick mangoes; she doesn’t even like them! They’re messy, they get stuck in her teeth, and it’s a chore to throw out the rotten ones.
But Abuelita adores mangoes, and patiently, she teaches Carmencita the right way to eat them. Together, they listen to the tree’s leaves, feel its branches and roots above and below, and smell and feel the sweet, smooth fruits. Each step is a meditation on everything Mamá Earth has given, and in the Earth’s love, Carmencita feels the love of her Mami, her Papi, her little brother Carlitos, and of course, Abuelita.
When they finally bite in, the juice running down their arms, Carmencita understands. The mangoes are more than just mangoes… and she’s ready for another!
Inspired by her own childhood in Venezuela, Paola Santos’s mango-sweet story is a grounding, life-affirming take on gratitude for nature’s gifts and connection with family and culture. Juliana Perdomo’s cheery artwork brings Carmencita, Abuelita, and their mango tree to life with all the warmth of golden fruit under the sun.
Simultaneously released in Spanish as Cómo se come un mango.
And now we get to welcome Paola to Picture Books Help Kids Soar!
ME: Hello, Paola. Thanks so much for stopping by! We always want to know what inspired an author to write a particular story. Can you tell us about why you wrote HOW TO EAT A MANGO?
PAOLA: Thank you for helping me celebrate the book launch, Vivian. The inspiration for “How to Eat a Mango” came from my abuelita and my deep connection to my Venezuelan roots. I remember her in the backyard, fully immersed in eating a mango, her delight like a poem in motion. Despite initially disliking mangoes, I loved watching her savor every bite. In Venezuela, the matriarchal presence is crucial, and my abuelita, though not as sweet as the grandmother in my book, was a strong, bustling figure in our home. The ripe mangoes often meant work for me, but they also brought moments of community as neighbors took bags of them. Today, mangoes evoke nostalgia for my family and homeland, knowing I may never relive those cherished moments or see my country as it once was.
Thank you so much, Paola! This is a book that will help many children feel seen.
Here’s a little bit about Paola: Paola Santos is a children’s book author born and raised in Venezuela. After moving to Canada, she found the courage to share the words and stories that had long been enclosed in her imagination. Her stories are now woven with her culture, experience in a new country, hope, happiness, and diversity. Paola holds a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in Literature and Children’s Literature and Reading Promotion. She is the author of How to Eat a Mango / Cómo see come un mango (Neal Porter Books / Holiday House), 2024, and the forthcoming picture book A House in My Barrio (Henry Holt / Macmillan), 2026. She lives in Edmonton.
And here’s a super cool graphic with info about upcoming book launch events:
Please make sure you leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of HOW TO EAT A MANGO. And please share the post widely to help folks find out about this wonderful new book!
FOR WRITERS, ILLUSTRATORS, PARENTS, TEACHERS, LIBRARIANS, AND BOOK LOVERS EVERYWHERE
TODAY’S GUESTS
I always love welcoming author promotion groups because I love sharing new picture books with you, my dear blog followers…and today we are featuring several folks from Kid Lit Clubhouse. Their responses to the questions are sure to inspire you – and their giveaways will certainly delight! And so, without any further ado, let’s welcome Andrew, Audrey, Barbara, Nazneen, and Seina.
ME: Who were your favorite authors/illustrators when you were a child?
AH: Laura Numeroff
AP: James Herriott and Roald Dahl
SW: Enid Blyton
BK: Eloise Wilkin
NA: Enid Blyton and Roald Dahl
ME: What do you know now that you wish you knew when you first started writing?
AH: I wish I knew about the amazing community I would gain. Had I known, I might have jumped into the kidlit waters sooner.
AP: I wish I knew that my first drafts don’t have to be perfect, and in fact, aren’t going to be so JUST WRITE.
SW: I wish I had found a kidlit mentor to help navigate this journey and I wish I had plugged into a cohort of other picture book writers early on in my writing journey.
BK: I had no idea what a long road it is to publication. Patience, perseverance, and supportive peers are essential on this unpredictable journey.
NA: Read, read and read. Read in your genre. Read the same book again.
ME: Where do you like to write – inside, outside, special room, laptop, pen and paper?
AH: A cozy chair and my laptop are essentials when drafting, while a notebook and pen thrown in my backpack while hiking or kayaking is ideal for brainstorming and letting new ideas simmer.
AP: It depends. I prefer my laptop when fast drafting, but I do love to brainstorm with grid paper and colorful markers. If the weather is nice, my screen porch is my go-to spot where I can hear the birds (and hopefully not the leaf blowers).
SW: I enjoy writing on my laptop and I usually have a cup of green tea with honey, and a few cookies within reach. If I’m on the beach, I like to pen down ideas on a notepad. I also like to either write in silence or listen to the sound of crashing waves or music. It really just depends on my mood.
BK: I’m old school—pen and paper on my front porch swing! Something about being outdoors helps me focus.
NA: Outdoors, with a cup of coffee.
ME: When do you write – early morning, late in the day, middle of the night, on schedule, as the muse strikes?
AH: I am a nooks and crannies writer. Wherever and whenever I can squeeze a few minutes of writing into the rest of my life is when I do it.
AP: It’s all over the place. Just recently it was late at night while folding laundry when a line came to me, which led to another and another. I’ve written to a schedule during NaNoWriMo, but generally, I try to squeeze in time when the kids are at school. My anxiety tries to convince me I’m doing it wrong, but that’s also a WIP.
SW: I write when I can, which is usually around my family’s schedule. I usually prefer longer chunks of time carved out than shorter bursts. I find that it usually takes me a while to settle into a cadence and when I find the right thread in my work, I want to continue following it as long as I can.
BK: I’m writing or sifting through ideas all day—and night! My best ideas show up the second my head hits the pillow, so I always have a pen and paper on my nightstand.
NA: I am a morning person. I need to write first thing in the morning before my mind is flooded with other thoughts.
ME: Why do you write for children?
AH: I write to provide children with the opportunity to see themselves in stories and characters, to accept and overcome their insecurities, or to escape for just a little while through the power of their imaginations.
AP: I write for kids because I believe all kids should feel seen, heard, and validated in the stories they read, and hopefully have some laughs and fun too! I escaped to books when I was a kid and have always loved to make up stories, play with words, and make others laugh.
SW: I write so children can see themselves in my stories and I also write so children can be entertained. I enjoy writing across the board and look for ways to infuse my stories with my culture, traditions, and sometimes elements of fantasy.
BK: I wasn’t a big reader as a kid, so I want to create fun, interactive books to help foster a love of books from an early age. I noticed a need for books for toddlers that celebrate Jewish joy, which inspired me to create my first two books—rhyming, interactive stories about Jewish holidays.
NA: I love the writing process, especially because children’s books offer limitless possibilities. I began writing when I noticed the scarcity of Middle Eastern stories and wanted to bring tales of joy and laughter featuring Middle Eastern characters to life.
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.
AH: For aspiring writers, find your community. Publishing is a long, bumpy road and the ride is better with friends.
AP: Celebrate every milestone. If you only wait to celebrate the “big” ones, you are missing out on a whole lotta joy. Also, celebrate OTHERS. Community over competition — always. It’s a beautiful, uplifting place to be if you let it.
SW: Write the book of your heart and don’t write because of a trend. Publishing is often a slow process and it can take a while for a book to hit the shelves even after it’s sold. You’ll be tethered to your story for quite some time, so make sure you’re working on something you love.
BK: I always recommend that new writers enter contests. Your fabulous “50 Precious Words” contest is how I started writing board books! Contests push you to revise, encourage you to be brave and share your work, and are a wonderful way to connect with the amazing KidLit community.
NA: 1. Write from the heart and embrace your unique perspective. 2. Encourage diverse voices and stories to create a richer literary world. 3. Remember, every children’s story has the power to inspire and bring joy to readers of all ages.
WOW!!! Thank you all for sharing your experiences and your insights. And I know there is something amazing coming up…a delicious Middle Eastern cookie recipe!!!
Here’s a recipe for Ma’amoul, a yummy traditional Middle Eastern cookie filled with dates, nuts, or both. These cookies are often enjoyed during festive occasions and holidays.
Ma’amoul Recipe Ingredients: Dough:
2 cups semolina
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup milk (or water)
1 teaspoon rose water (optional)
1/4 teaspoon salt
Date Filling:
1 cup pitted dates, finely chopped
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Instructions:
Prepare the Dough:
In a large bowl, combine the semolina, flour, powdered sugar, and salt.
Add the melted butter and mix until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Gradually add the milk, rose water, and orange blossom water (if using), mixing until a soft dough forms. Cover and let it rest for 1-2 hours.
Prepare the Date Filling:
In a small saucepan, melt the butter over low heat.
Add the chopped dates, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Cook, stirring constantly, until the dates soften and form a paste. Remove from heat and let it cool.
Shape the Cookies:
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Take a small piece of dough and roll it into a ball (about the size of a walnut).
Flatten the ball in your palm to form a disc.
Place a teaspoon of the date or nut filling in the center of the disc.
Fold the dough over the filling and pinch the edges to seal it. Shape it into a smooth ball or use a Ma’amoul mold to create patterns.
Place the shaped cookies on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake the Cookies:
Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes or until the bottoms are lightly golden (the tops should remain pale).
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Serve:
Dust the cooled cookies with powdered sugar before serving.
Enjoy your homemade Ma’amoul cookies with a cup of tea or coffee!
ME: I’ll definitely have mine with tea…and I’m excited to try them!! And we’re not done yet, dear friends…because this amazing group of authors are also offering a plethora of GIVEAWAYS!!!
AH: I am happy to do a pb critique giveaway or a 30-minute Zoom AMA.
AP: I’d love to offer a signed copy of MOO HOO! (Mailed within the US)
SW: I’m happy to give away a signed copy of NAMING CEREMONY (mailed within the US).
BK: I’m happy to give away a signed copy of HANUKKAH HIPPITY-HOP (mailed within the continental US).
NA: I am happy to do a pb critique giveaway or a 30-minute Zoom
ME: WOW again!!! Please make sure you leave a comment (and let us know which giveaway you’d prefer if you are one of the lucky winners) and do at least ONE of these things: Buy a copy of one of these awesome books Review at least one of these books Place the books on your Goodreads Want to Read Shelf Tell friends about the books (you can share this post on your social media Ask your library to purchase copies for their collection
And here’s a little bit about these fabulous authors and ways you can connect with themand find out more about their books!
Andrew Hacket is a writer, second-grade teacher, and father of three. He is also the author of the upcoming Ollie, the Acorn, and the Mighty Idea, Curlilocks and the Three Hares, and Hope and the Sea. Andrew recognizes that being a kid is hard and he writes to create ways for kids to see themselves in stories and characters, to accept and overcome their insecurities, or to escape for just a little while through the power of their imaginations. Website: https://www.andrewhacket.com/ Order links: https://www.andrewhacket.com/books @AndrewCHacket on all socials
Audrey Perrott is an award-winning children’s book author and copywriter who believes funny books are just as important as serious books and writes both in her North Carolina home. Her debut picture book MOO HOO, illustrated by Ross Burach, released April 2024 with Scholastic Press and her upcoming picture book A HAT FOR HOUSE, illustrated by Druscilla Santiago, releases November 2024 from Putnam. She writes everything from children’s non-fiction to graphic novels to adult fiction and has more books on the way! Find out more about her and her books on audreyperrott.com. She’s social too but most active on Instagram at @audreysbooksandbakes.
Seina Wedlick is the author of NAMING CEREMONY illustrated by Jenin Mohammed (Abrams Kids, Spring 2023), THE NIGHT MARKET illustrated by Briana Mukodiri Uchendu (Random House, Fall 2024), and SPACE FOR EVERYONE illustrated by Camilla Sucre (Random House, Winter 2025).
Seina is an African-American author who enjoys writing diverse stories infused with culture and tradition. She enjoys reading to the sound of falling rain and considers herself an expert at pairing books with delicious snacks. When she’s not writing or working on special projects, Seina can be found exploring or spending time on the beach with her family. She also enjoys visiting bookstores and collecting postcards. Pre-order THE NIGHT MARKET here. Pre-order SPACE FOR EVERYONE here. Purchase copies of NAMING CEREMONY here. Website: www.seinawedlick.co Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seinawedlick/ Twitter: https://www.x.com/seinawrites
Nazneen Akbari is a debut author with a rich cultural background, blending Middle Eastern, Indian, and American influences. Her picture book, Home Away From Home, set in Oman, follows the journey of an American-Omani girl visiting her grandmother. Illustrated by Rashin Kheiriyeh, the book is slated for release in Fall 2025. By day, Nazneen serves as a foreign service officer, and currently resides in India. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, dancing, and reading. Nazneen’s work aims to bring joy and laughter to children’s literature, celebrating diverse stories and characters. Website:https://nazneenakbari.com/ Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/nazneenakbari Twitter:https://x.com/NazneenAkbari
I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. Some of you might have been following my Facebook posts over the past two weeks…Vienna, Bratislava, and Prague were amazing places to visit – I had a magical time traveling with my son and look forward to our next trip…possibly early January.
VIVIAN KIRKFIELD - Writer for Children 