Ama’s Purse Book Review – A Celebration of Grandmothers and Heritage
Many cultures have different names for grandmothers. For Chinese American Author Charlotte Cheng, her grandmother was Ama. In the picture book AMA’S PURSE, published by Rocky Pond Books, the author draws on memories of her own grandmothers to create this story. It’s a wonderful celebration of grandmothers and heritage. Beautiful, pastel illustrations by Xindi Yan bring the story to life.
Publisher’s Book Description:
“Grandmother’s purse is filled with the magic of memories and the joy of her Chinese culture in this warm and lively read-aloud, illustrated in dreamy pastels.
A young girl is just where she wants to be, next to her grandma in the back seat of the car as her family heads out on a day trip. She knows there are always delightful surprises inside Ama’s purse. Sure enough, out come all sorts of special items, one after another as the trip continues: a compact that frees a powder-white moon rabbit, tarnished coins that smell of island blooms, buddha beads that chime together like bells and drums. And best of all, a worn book of photos that brings cherished memories circling around them all.
Inspired by the author’s own grandmothers, this heartwarming story bursts with love for home and family.”
AMA’S PURSE releases on August 4, 2026, and is available for pre-order now on Amazon and other online retailers. Until then, read on to gain a behind-the-scenes look into the creation of this book!
Bicultural Mama (BM): What inspired you to write Ama’s Purse?
Charlotte Cheng (CC): As a child, I spent a lot of time with my grandmas (my Amas), and they both had purses full of magic. If I were hungry, they would pull out pickled plums or peppermints. If I were bored, they would pull out Buddha beads or a well-worn photo book. Sometimes there was a jeweled compact mirror or coins from distant islands. As we shared the back seat during various road trips throughout California, I felt like I was sitting next to my very own Mary Poppins! More importantly, each item would come with stories from the past that still live with me today. I decided to write Ama’s Purse to celebrate the experiences that I shared with my Amas and their magical purses.
BM: Did your Amas know you were writing a book with them in it? If so, how did they react?
CC: Unfortunately, one of my Ama’s passed away many years ago, before I published my first children’s book. My one surviving Ama is now 97 years old, and most of the time, she doesn’t remember who I am. Once in a while, she’ll awake from a deep sleep and recognize me. Then, she’ll share stories about her past and some memories we shared during my childhood. In many ways, I wrote Ama’s Purse to capture these memories and to help kids appreciate the magic they can make with their grandmas.
BM: What was the process like for you to get the book published?
CC: This is the fifth book that I have published with Rocky Pond Books. Lauri Hornik, my editor, has been a wonderful collaborator and cheerleader for each book. I truly value her expertise and advice. For example, when I first submitted Ama’s Purse to Lauri, she said that she wanted a more dynamic story arc. As I thought about how to revise the story, I explored having the family go on a road trip. I also thought about adding a plot point where something would go wrong with the purse. Then I wondered what it would be like if the items in Ama’s purse could truly have magic. There were so many ideas, and I wasn’t sure which direction to take.
In the end, I decided to create two outlines that highlighted different ways I could make revisions to the story. Lauri was able to review the outlines and provide feedback about which direction she preferred. We decided to lean into the road trip and a bit of light magic. Based on her notes, I was able to revise my manuscript with more focus and a clearer idea about what she was looking for. After a few more rounds of revisions, Lauri decided to acquire the story!
BM: What interaction did you and the illustrator have during the process?
CC: Xindi Yan illustrated one of my previous books, I Miss You Most, where a girl deals with the loss of her grandfather. Both Xindi and I had recently lost our grandfathers. I shared how I had cried while writing the words for the book, and Xindi later shared how she had cried while illustrating each page. Many have shared how touching the book is, and much of that credit goes to Xindi’s beautiful work. To this day, I still get messages from families and educators about how much this book has helped them deal with grief.
Xindi began working on I Miss You Most around the same time that Lauri acquired Ama’s Purse. The moment I saw Xindi’s illustrations for I Miss You Most, I just knew that she would also be a perfect match for Ama’s Purse. Lauri agreed, and now I’m so glad that I get to have a second book illustrated by Xindi!
Ama’s Purse definitely has a more complex plot than I Miss You Most, and Xindi’s initial sketches actually inspired me to revise some of the story’s words to better match what she illustrated. Sometimes it involved taking out a few words to give more room for the images, and sometimes it involved adding a few more words to emphasize a specific plot point. I think the book is so much better because of this back and forth!
One more thing that impressed me about Xindi’s work for Ama’s Purse. When I wrote the manuscript, I highlighted specific towns and rest stops that I would visit during my family’s road trips through Southern California. Later on, I discovered that Xindi plotted out these locations and took the road trip herself as part of her research! The specific SoCal details she added to the coastal scenes and highways truly make the story immersive.
BM: What was your reaction when you first saw the cover?
CC: I love how Xindi illustrated the magic pouring out of Ama’s purse! It actually reminds me of the magical wisps she used in I Miss You Most as well, so it’s a wonderful callback to her first book. The expressions on both the girl and her grandma show so much love and comfort between the two. The cover makes you want to turn the page and discover what adventure awaits them!
BM: Do you have more projects in the works?
CC: Besides Ama’s Purse, I currently don’t have any upcoming books on the horizon. However, you can check out my recent book A Name for Sister, which came out earlier this year. I have a few manuscripts out on submission and a few in revision rounds, so subscribe to my newsletter to stay updated on any new books. Just scroll to the bottom of my website to sign up!
I’ve also been busy going on more school visits and have been consulting/teaching workshops during the past few years. I’ve truly enjoyed spending time with students of every age, so do reach out if you’re interested in collaborating together!
Author’s Bio
Charlotte Cheng has written and illustrated a variety of books, including Night Market Rescue, Roar-Choo!, I Miss You Most, and A Name for Sister. Her books have been selected for the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, Children’s Book Council’s Favorites, and Bank Street’s Best Children’s Books of the Year. Charlotte has spoken at a wide variety of events and taught interactive workshops for both children and adults. These events have included the National American Librarian Association Conference, the LA Times Book Festival, and the Bay Area Book Festival. Charlotte has also been a guest speaker at both Harvard University and Stanford University. With over 20 years of education and curriculum experience, Charlotte has also written and published K-12 curriculum for a variety of companies, including KQED, CodeCombat, Disney, and Wonder Workshop. You can learn more about Charlotte’s work at: www.charlotte.art