Book Announcement: MY NAME IS AI LIN
I am thrilled to introduce you to my next picture book titled MY NAME IS AI LIN! Publishers Weekly recently posted the announcement to the publishing industry. Sleeping Bear Press picked up the book, and the editor I’ll be working with is Barb McNally. The publisher has scheduled the book to launch in June 2025, which it calls a Fall book since June is part of its Back-to-School market frame.
MY NAME IS AI LIN will be my second book after my debut, IT’S CHINESE NEW YEAR CURIOUS GEORGE (January 2023). My newest book was inspired by my children. In fact, the name in the title, Ai Lin, is the Chinese name of my oldest daughter. The story, written in lyrical form, highlights how correctly pronouncing someone’s name (and not trying to change it to something “easier”) can show respect and inclusivity.
MY NAME IS AI LIN also speaks to the importance of names in Chinese culture. Names hold meanings that capture the hopes and dreams of parents and elders in addition to bonding families together. My youngest daughter’s Chinese name, Ai Mei, also makes an appearance in the storyline.
I want to give a HUGE thanks to my agent, Lynnette Seymour of the Seymour Agency, for securing the book deal. Here’s the book announcement in Publishers Weekly’s Deal Report:
Sleeping Bear Press found a talented artist, Yu Ting Cheng, to illustrate MY NAME IS AI LIN. I love the soft, expressive style of her art. Here are samples of her work from the downloadable portfolio on her agency’s website:
Her bio reads:
Yu Ting was born and raised in Taiwan. As a child, her ‘daily adventures’ began at her great-grandfather’s private zoo, with three crocodiles, two peacocks, and many dogs. These adventures had a huge impact on her personality and art style. Yu earned a B.C. in Statistics from NCCU in Taiwan, but never forgot her dream of becoming an illustrator.
During college she learned traditional watercolor and taught herself digital drawing online. Yu earned an MFA in Computer Art form the School of Visual Art in New York in 2016, and interned at Bill Plymptom Studios as an animation coloring artist. She volunteers at an art museum on weekends and attends museum courses in her spare time. Yu loves animals, yoga, and travel. She has been a vegetarian for over a decade and believes everyone has their own way to make the world a better place. She hopes to express happiness, wishes, and influence others through her illustrations.
