I Finally Got Binoculars
It's me! Tracy! I got binoculars! And a newsletter!
A Great Big Outlook : Aka What the Hootenanny Am I Doing?
Hellooooo! For those of you who signed up for my newsletter long ago, thank you for your patience!
What can you expect from this newsletter?
Hopefully a little bit of entertainment and some news from yours truly! My mind, just like my internet browser(s), is full of tabs of information that I’m just exploding to share with you. I aim to keep this short and sweet, because I like you and hope you are happy, and not overwhelmed, to be here.
Under the Microscope : Small things that have been making my day.
I started making a list of things that are delightful to me every day. Here are a few :
Observing this elder couple go on a walk together. Every time Amah would stop to take a break, Ah Gong would stop too. He would look at the sky, the flowers… and wait until Amah walked on before walking on too.
Riding bikes almost daily, except for the days it rains. I was always curious how people brought their umbrellas with them when they rode… until I happened upon this genius storage method.
Saying “晚安” (that’s ‘goodnight’ in Mandarin) to an Auntie in our new neighborhood. While it sparked a conversation that only lasted two blocks, it made me feel cared for and welcomed.
Random Recs
Spotify Playlist for a long spring walk :
For any adults with Asian aunties (and for anyone without), who love a chaotic murder comedy, Dial A For Aunties is hilarious! I have been reading it out loud at night to my husband, and we have been laughing-out-loud.
Banana, by Zoey Abbott, is a hilarious and clever picture book recognizing how daily distractions can take up a lot of our time and space between us and our loved ones… It’s, well, bananas! The detailed and lovely artwork fits the story and personalities so well. Highly-recommend!
Near and Far and wherever you Are! : News, Appearances, and More!
Sorry, Snail (coming out May 16 2023 with Little, Brown) is available for pre-order! Sorry, Snail is a laugh-out-loud read about a Snail who just wants a sincere apology.
Did you know? Pre-orders are a fantastic and essential way to support me and any author/illustrator. If pre-ordering/buying my book isn’t in your budget and you’d like to support me, you can request my book at the library, tell your friends about my book(s), and share my book news on social media! :)
Jenny Mei Is Sad has gotten quite a bit of recognition in the past year! Floyd’s Pick Award, Great Reads From Great Places pick for Ohio (where it was featured at the National Book Festival in September and now has a place at the Library of Congress, wow!), Ohio’s Choose to Read Booklist for 2023-2024, and Oregon Book Award Finalist to name a few!
Educators and Librarians, Ahoy!
I haven’t advertised much, but I very much love school visits! My goal with every visit is to inspire kiddos to find their own voice and their own way of telling stories. If you are interested in any virtual school visits, I have my programs and honorarium up on my website now. (Please note, I currently live in Taiwan!)
That is all for now. Thank you for being here. :)
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I got a good laugh out of the close up of your dog haha, what a cutie!!!