Author-Illustrator Kim-Hoa Ung on Using Personal Experience – PLUS A GIVEAWAY!

Hello world!!

Welcome to my blog, Blissfully Bookish. I’m so excited because I got to interview one of my agency sisters and one of the friendliest people in the kidlit community! Please welcome Kim-Hoa Ung as she chats about her new picture book that she both wrote and illustrated, the first being A GIFT FOR NAI NAI published by Macmillan – Feiwel & Friends. It’s also exciting because this is yet another success story from the Fall Writing Frenzy competition I co-host with Kaitlyn Sanchez!

BUT first- YAY! Kim-Hoa is generously giving away a FREE free book, a giant crocheted pencil plushie, OR a non-rhyming PB critique. To be eligible to win, please enter the Rafflecopter contest by clicking HERE. Contest ends Feb 2, 2024.

Please describe the journey to publication for A GIFT FOR NAI NAI.

The Fall Writing Frenzy competition co-hosted by Kaitlyn Sanchez and Lydia Lukidis in 2021 helped me in getting a book deal for A GIFT FOR NAI NAI. My prize was a critique with an editor at Macmillan who saw potential in my story. After a few revisions, she took my dummy to her acquisition team and they were willing to pick up my story. At the same time, I participated in PBPitch hosted by Debra Shumaker and PJ McIlvaine and was offered representation by Miranda Paul of Erin Murphy Literary Agency. Things just fell into place at the right time for me. I’m grateful for all the love and support I’ve received for A GIFT FOR NAI NAI.

I know you love crochet and I appreciate how you weaved that into your book. It’s also about the love of a grandmother. Is the narrative inspired by your life in any way?

Yes, the story was inspired by my grandma, mom, and daughter. I am grateful to have crocheted hats for my grandma and I loved the bond that my mom and daughter shared. So I combined all those elements into my book. I also had not seen any picture books about crochet at the time so I was motivated to write one.  

What is your writing process and does it vary depending on the project?

Whenever I have a story idea, I would write down a little summary or a pitch for it. Then I would write a first draft or any important lines or dialogue that I’d want to include in the story. I also like to sketch out the scenes. I create a dummy so that it helps me see the text and illustrations together. Then I keep on revising and exchanging it with critique partners. Critique partners have been so helpful because they let me know what they think works and how I can elevate the story or adjust the pacing.  

Please paste a short and compelling excerpt from your book.

“Always remember that small things become great when done with love.”

Please share your favorite books from 2022-3 that inspired you.

There were so many favorite books that inspired me. Here is a list of some:
JACK THE LIBRARY CAT by Marietta Apollonio
REGGIE: KID PENGUIN by Jen de Oliveira
MY STRANGE SHRINKING PARENTS by Zeno Sworder
SPICY SPICY HOT! by Lenny Wen
LOST IN TAIWAN by Mark Crilley
THE BLUR by Minh Le and Dan Santat
ANZU THE GREAT KAIJU and ANZU THE GREAT LISTENER by Benson Shum

What is the best piece of advice you would give to other writers?

Keep everything you write even if you don’t think it will work. Sometimes an idea from one of these sparks an even better story.

And a bonus question just for kicks! What was your favorite book when you were a child?

My favorite book when I was a child was YEH-SHEN by Ai-Ling Louie and Ed Young.

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BIO

Kim-Hoa Ungis a Chinese American author-illustrator and amigurumi artist. When she is not creating stories, you can find her crocheting pieces for art shows, sending snail mail, and making arts and crafts with her kids. She lives with her family in Southern California. A GIFT FOR NAI NAI is her debut picture book.

LINKS

Webpage: www.kimhoaung.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/AutumnLeaflet
Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/AutumnLeaflet
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AutumnLeaflet/
Link to purchase: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250871596/agiftfornainai