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| Andrea Wang | |
Andrea Wang is the author of the award-winning The Nian Monster and Magic Ramen: The Story of Momofuku Ando. She was inspired to write Watercress (Neal Porter Books/Holiday House), which just won the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature, by her experience growing up in rural Ohio as a child of Chinese immigrants. Wang holds an M.S. in Environmental Science and an M.F.A. in Creative Writing for Young People. She lives in Colorado with her family.
Huge congratulations! This morning Watercress received a Newbery Honor and the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature in the picture book category. How are you feeling?
Thank you!! Oh my goodness, I am completely floored. It's so incredible to be recognized by APALA and the AAPI community--it means so much to me. And to receive a Newbery Honor was the proverbial icing on the cake. I had no expectations at all since picture books are rarely Newbery winners, so I was stunned when I got the call. I'm deeply moved by both awards and so grateful that it means Watercress will reach more readers.
In 2017, you received an Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature honor for The Nian Monster. How does it feel to win the award?
The year that I received the APALA Honor, A Different Pond by Bao Phi and illustrated by Thi Bui won the award. I remember being so thrilled for them and in awe of their work. A Different Pond was an important mentor text for me as I wrote Watercress, and for my book to have won the award now is a true full-circle moment. I am so proud to be among the APALA winners and honorees--each of our books is important for AAPI representation and I'm incredibly grateful to those who have come before me for paving the way.
Watercress is such a lovely, touching picture book and it's based on a personal memory of yours. What inspired you to turn this memory into a book?
This memory just wouldn't let me go. I finally had to write about it in order to process the experience and figure out why it was a pivotal moment in my life. Even then, I didn't really believe it could be a book--especially a book for young readers. Thankfully, my agent Erin Murphy, editor Neal Porter, artist Jason Chin, art director Jennifer Browne and the whole team at Holiday House saw its potential.
Why did it feel important to write this story now? Did the story as you viewed it always include two different time periods?
I actually wrote the first draft of this story many years ago. At first, it was a personal essay that I wrote in the wake of my mother's passing, and, over time, it changed form and became a picture book. I never expected it to be published during a pandemic which has seen an exponential increase in anti-AAPI racism and anti-immigrant sentiment. But while I would never have wished for any of those things to have happened, I think it's important that Watercress and books like it have come out now, in order to counter racism and show readers our experiences.
When I decided to rewrite the story as a picture book, it did always include two different time periods. I wanted to honor my parents' experience growing up in China and acknowledge the suffering they had gone through. I also wanted readers in the U.S. to see a side of China that they might not have seen before, and to portray our common humanity.
Did you and Jason Chin work together during the creation of this book?
Yes, this book was a true collaboration! Because the story is so personal, Neal felt that it would be helpful to have Jason and I meet. We ended up meeting at an NCTE conference and afterwards, I shared old family photos with him. From time to time, we'd chat on the phone and share family stories or discuss details that he was considering including. We laughed about '70s-style clothing and reminisced about the CorningWare on the table, which both our families had. When Jason mentioned using the gutter to transform the cornfield from one page to the bamboo grove on the other, I was blown away by his creativity--and then, by the art itself!
Is there anything specific you hope readers take away from the book?
I'm often reminded of that saying--to be kind to one another because you never know what that person is going through. I hope that readers see that we all have personal experiences that have shaped who we are and influence our behavior. And that we shouldn't be quick to judge someone unless we know their history. And on the flip side, to feel encouraged to share our personal stories so that we can be better understood. Even the hard stories. Maybe especially the hard stories.
Are you working on anything new?
My next picture book, Luli and the Language of Tea, illustrated by Hyewon Yum, comes out from Neal Porter Books/Holiday House in May 2022. It's also about the immigrant experience and how food (or in this case, a beverage) can bring people from different backgrounds together. I'm currently working on my second middle-grade novel and two nonfiction picture books about Chinese Americans.
Is there anything else you'd like to say to Shelf Awareness readers?
Just endless gratitude for the readers, booksellers, librarians and educators who make it possible for me to share my stories! Thank you! --Siân Gaetano, children's/YA editor, Shelf Awareness