Book Title: Pei's Pineapple Cakes by Crystal Z. Lee
Category: Children's Fiction (Ages 3-7), 38 pages
Genre: Children's Picture Book
Publisher: Balestier Press
Publication Date: May 10, 2025.
Tour dates: June 9 to June 27
Content Rating: G
While visiting her grandmother in central Taiwan, Pei finds herself in the middle of a mystery. The pineapple cakes from her grandmother's bakery have disappeared! Soon Pei is collecting clues as she embarks on a quest to find the missing pineapple cakes.
From traditional Taiwanese artisan craftsmanship to picturesque villages of central Taiwan, Pei discovers the beauty of her grandmother's hometown. This is a charming story of courage, adventure, and the love between grandchildren and grandparents.
Pei's Pineapple Cakes is an elaborately illustrated picture book that makes an ideal gift:
- -Real locations from central Taiwan make for an inspiring geographical, historical and cultural reading experience
- -Storyline sparks dialogue around kindness, empathy, courage, and resilience
- -Exquisite illustrations of Taiwanese artisans' craftsmanship foster appreciation for heritage and traditions
- -Bilingual text in English and Mandarin encourages learning in both languages
Crystal Z. Lee is a bilingual writer who divides her time between the U.S. and Asia. Crystal grew up in Taipei and later returned to live there in her adult years. Some of Crystal's fondest memories in Taiwan include boating at Sun Moon Lake, chasing butterflies in Maolin, making pineapple cakes and eating her way through night markets with her family. Besides children's books, Crystal's other published works include poetry and a novel. Her other book about Taiwan is titled Kai the Dancing Butterfly. She is also the author of Mei's Mermaid Mission, A Unicorn Named Rin, and Love and Other Moods.
connect with the author: website ~ instagram ~ goodreads
Q&A for Amy @ Locks Hooks and Books: Author interview with Crystal Z. Lee
-Pei's Pineapple Cakes features a myriad of traditional folk arts. What was your thinking behind that?
My children are currently elementary school aged. Their generation is bombarded with devices and the pursuit of the latest technological applications that it sometimes seems like they've forgotten the beauty in traditional, slower-paced endeavors. It takes patience to bake, to make a specialized tea, to learn craftsmanship such as weaving. It's my hope that through this book, young readers can develop an appreciation for traditional artistry and handmade goods, versus just things that are machine made.
-Your first book was published five years ago. What are some of the major changes in your life from the past five years?
Five years and five books ago I was a younger mom who was juggling mothering, writing and pitching while dreaming and praying for a career in writing. All I wanted to do was to write good stories with the hope that someone out there, some reader would be moved. But I'm the one that's been moved by many! I've received letters and messages from children, parents, educators all over the globe about how my books have inspired or affected them. I've been asked to read at schools, festivals and birthday parties. Truly I feel blessed all the time to be able to connect with people through the love of literature.
-At what age did you aspire to become an author?
I was around thirteen years old when I moved internationally and had to contend with a complete change in environment, school, friends, and everything I was familiar with. It was a volatile time for me and my escape was in books and libraries. I think that's when I first became interested in writing and in literature.
-Out of all the characters in your children's stories, including non-human ones, which is your favorite?
Pei's Amah in Pei's Pineapple Cakes is a favorite because I wrote this character as a composite of my own grandmas and mom. I'm also fond of the pirate in Mei's Mermaid Mission because he's a teachable character. It's my hope that children can learn that it's okay to make mistakes, even if they are hurtful ones, as long as one can admit to it and be committed to change.
-Many of your children's books seem to be travel-themed. Why is that?
Our planet is vast with wonderful, varied cultures. I hope to raise global citizens and to teach my children empathy, respect and appreciation for all people.
-Do you gain input from your own children when writing kid lit?
Yes, my kids are my first readers! Their opinions and reviews often shape the direction of my stories.
-All of your children’s books have names in the titles, such as Pei, Mei, Rin and Kai. How do you come up with the character names in your books?
I try to be culturally authentic when choosing names for the characters. For example, in the story of Mei’s Mermaid Mission there are characters from Cambodia, Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, etc., so their names are authentic to their cultural heritage. I remember receiving some criticism that some of these names were hard to pronounce. While that may be the case for some, I still think it’s a teachable moment. When we teach our children to learn names authentic to a certain culture, we are imparting virtues of empathy and respect. In this way, we also help our kids to cultivate an international worldview.
-How can your children's books be utilized in a classroom or educational setting?
In Pei's Pineapple Cakes, readers are introduced to some Taiwanese folk arts, so this book can be utilized for Asian cultural studies. Kai the Dancing Butterfly is about the Taiwanese butterfly migration, so it may be useful for a science and geography curriculum. Ocean conservation and animal habitat protection is a primary theme in Mei's Mermaid Mission, so this book is great for marine science and ecological studies. A Unicorn Named Rin takes place in the Tang dynasty so this story can be utilized in history class!
-What do you hope readers will pick up from the story in Pei's Pineapple Cakes?
This is a story of empathy, kindness and courage. It's also an ode to time-honored artisans and traditional craftsmanship. These days, children sometimes exalt modern technological devices above all else, forgetting nature and the beauty in simple, handcrafted goods. I hope this story can spark a discussion surrounding these topics.
Meet the Illustrator:
Allie Su grew up in Yunlin county, Taiwan. She often finds her illustration inspiration from the great outdoors. One of her favorite places to hike in Taiwan is Sun-Link-Sea Forest in Nantou. She adores Taiwanese cuisine and night market foods, such as stinky tofu, vegetarian noodles and taro pastries from Taichung. Allie also illustrated Mei's Mermaid Mission and Kai the Dancing Butterfly.
