I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the PEI’S PINEAPPLE
CAKES by Crystal Z. Lee Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post & enter the giveaway!
About The Book:
Author: Crystal Z. Lee
Pub. Date: May 10, 2025
Publisher: Balestier Press
Formats: Hardcover & Paperback
Pages: 40
Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, B&N, BAM, Bookshop, Blackwells
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 the traditional Taiwanese
artisans' craftsmanship to the picturesque villages of central Taiwan, Pei
discovers the beauty of her grandmother's home. This is a 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
Author
interview with Crystal Z. Lee
-Pei's
Pineapple Cakes is your fifth book! Looking back, is there a book which you
enjoyed writing more than others?
Creating Pei's
Pineapple Cakes really brought back memories because I wrote about many
elements of my childhood, such as calligraphy, aiyu jelly, glove puppetry,
the monkey king, and of course, pineapple cakes!
Writing Mei's
Mermaid Mission was also great fun because this is a book that spans
mythology, ecology, culture and geography. I really immersed myself in the
research process and found it fascinating that cultures all over the globe have
mermaid mythologies.
-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.
-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 and it
sometimes seems like they've forgotten the beauty of 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 things that are on the screen or machine made.
-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 was
the writing process for Pei's Pineapple Cakes like?
I wrote most
of this story during an extended trip in Taiwan. I visited an aunt in Taichung
which is in central Taiwan. I learned alot about Indigenous Taiwanese
craftsmanship, traditional Hakka art, and I had the chance to see many
relatives. I bring my laptop wherever I go so I can write whenever I feel
inspired. After the manuscript was completed, Allie Su, who was also in Taiwan
at the time, really brought the story to life with her illustrations.
-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.
About Crystal Z. Lee:
Crystal Z. Lee is a Taiwanese American bilingual writer. She has called
many places home, including Taipei, New York, Shanghai, and the San Francisco
Bay Area. She was formerly a public relations executive in the fashion, beauty,
and technology industries. She now resides in Silicon Valley with her husband
and children. She is the author of the novel Love and Other Moods, and
the children's books Mei’s Mermaid Mission, A Unicorn Named Rin, and
Kai the Dancing Butterfly. Her poetry was included in the 2023 UK
anthology, Tabula Rasa.
Website | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon
About Allie Su:
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.
Giveaway Details:
1 winner will receive an autographed copy of Pei's Pineapple Cakes and Mei's Mermaid Mission, US Only.
Giveaway ends September 6th, midnight EST.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Tour Participants:
