FAQ
Please ask me any questions!
Q: Where do you find inspiration for your stories?
A: My inspiration comes from many different places, but mostly from my childhood memories. They are usually fun, happy, and warm, but not all of them were good. I had a bear I hugged every night and he meant everything to me. One day, I couldn’t find him, and my heart was broken. I still miss him and remember his furry hair and smell that always takes me to the night before I lost him. So I recently wrote a story about him for all the children who might have lost their loved ones to tell them we still have them in our hearts. Because once you build a special place in your heart, it only grows and never shrinks.
Q: What was your first story about?
A: My first-ever written story was about an extraordinary pet. This story was inspired by a true story of mine with my two pet squirrels when I was six years old. They were super energetic and ran on a squirrel wheel all day long. We no longer have squirrels as pets, but I started to think about what makes a perfect pet! That’s how my first story began.
Q: What kind of stories do you write?
A: I try to write stories that have not been told before. I focus on creating a safe, imaginative world for all children and my topics for stories usually come from our everlasting emotional values that can connect generation to generation - something you can share with your family no matter how old they are. I believe picture books are not only for children, but also for people of all ages who were also children once. I love picture book stories with humor and heart to spark our emotional interaction with the world. I appreciate the power of emotions and it has shaped who I am today as a person and as an author. I hope harnessing the power of emotion in my stories can empower other children to embrace their feelings and their heart. As a Korean-American picture book author, I also try to bring more diversity by introducing original stories and tying in the culture of Korea to my stories, which is a significant part of my identity as an author.
Q: Did you always want to be a picture book author?
A: I was a child with many dreams. When I first learned how to play the piano, I wanted to become a pianist. Then I wanted to become a ballerina, then an architect, an astrophysicist, a cellist...and finally a writer! I changed my job more than four times, and I finally found my dream job now. I believe dreams enrich our lives with excitement, and I think I was lucky to have so many dreams growing up. Looking back, the dreams were all connected and each one guided me to reach this point to finally become a picture book author.
Q: What was your favorite childhood activity?
A: My childhood expertise was hiding a treasure and drawing a treasure map. Maybe I should write a book about this fun adventure someday!
Q: What were your favorite books growing up?
A: Winnie the Pooh by A. A. Milne
The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
The Man Who Planted Trees by Jean Giono
Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
Pipi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren
Q: What are your favorite picture books now?
A: My Baba's Garden by Jordan Scott
The Rabbit Listened by Cori Doerrfeld
The Bear’s Garden by Marcie Colleen
Moon Pops by Hee-na Baek
Ray by Marianna Coppo
Kitten’s First Full Moon by Kevin Henkes
The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt
Waiting is Not Easy by Mo Willems
The Bruce Swap by Ryan Higgins
A Big Mooncake for Little Star by Grace Lin
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge by Mem Fox