Margaret Chiu Greanias

20 questions: Drawing from real life versus making things up

Welcome back to our series, 20 QUESTIONS!,

where we answer questions about writing, reading, and author life.

(Note that we enjoy the series so much we’ve decided to just keep the questions coming!)

This month’s question:

What in your latest book is drawn from real life, and what, if anything, is made up?

Valerie Bolling

“In my RAINBOW DAYS early reader series, Zoya and her puppy, Coco, love to create art together. In THE ORANGE WALL, Zoya paints her room. When she finishes painting, she decides to… (spoiler alert) paint a mural on one of the walls. The idea for what she paints on that wall was inspired by my own experience. I enjoy walking in the woods, and so Zoya paints a scene of herself, walking in the woods with her dad and Coco.” 

– Valerie Bolling, author of RAINBOW DAYS: THE ORANGE WALL, illustrated by Kai Robinson (Scholastic, 2024)


Candy Wellins

“A GEODUCK IS NOT A DUCK examines the very real geoduck, the world’s largest species of burrowing clams. Pronounced “gooey duck,” a made-up news crew (comprised of a talking Sea Star, giant Pacific Octopus, and Otter) is on a mission to find an actual gooey duck. A knowledgeable crab is full of real facts about geoducks that are misunderstood again and again.”

–Candy Wellins, author of A GEODUCK IS NOT A DUCK, illustraded by Ellie Peterson (Little Bigfoot, 2024)


Margaret Chiu Greanias

In HOW THIS BOOK GOT RED, Red, a red panda, recognizes that none of the books are about her kind of panda, so she decides to write her own. In the midst of struggling with writing her story, she sees a town where red panda representation is missing: in books, in merchandise, all the way down to the doll a baby red panda holds. The idea behind this story came from my childhood growing up with very little positive Asian representation in media and books. Like the baby red panda holding the giant panda doll, the dolls I played with looked nothing like me. 

– Margaret Chiu Greanias, author of HOW THIS BOOK GOT RED, illustrated by Melissa Iwai (Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, 2023)


Hope Lim

“In Sourgrass, when Sofia and May venture out into the wild field, they nibble the stems of sourgrass and giggle. This scene came straight out of my kids’ preschool years. I chaperoned a field trip to a community garden located up on a grassy hill, and watching them smile under the bright sunshine in a field of sourgrass is one of my favorite memories from my kids’ preschool era. The two characters, Sofia and May, and the resolution of their story are made up. However, all the fun things Sofia and May enjoy in their yards and beyond come from real life. As a child, I played outside all the time, running through the fields and climbing mountains, and my kids also loved being in nature, always finding ways to have fun. I used these real-life memories of being outside in SOURGRASS.”

– Hope Lim, author of SOURGRASS, illustrated by Shahrzad Maydani (Beach Lane Books, 2024)

20 Questions: Name a Perfect Gift for Writers, Illustrators, or Readers

Welcome back to our series, 20 QUESTIONS!,

where we answer questions about writing, reading, and author life.

(Note that we enjoy the series so much we’ve reset for a second round of 20.)

This month’s question:

Name one perfect holiday gift for a writer, illustrator, or reader in your life.

“I think a perfect gift for readers is an author- signed copy of a book. For writers, give a membership to an organization like SCBWI or 12 x 12, or a group of family members or friends might chip in for a class or retreat at Highlights. A gift that authors, including me, enjoy throughout the year – and it doesn’t cost any money – is to review our books and make sure they’re part of your local library’s collection and at your local indie.”

– The Soaring ‘20s collective unconscious


Margaret Chiu Greanias

“For a child (or grown up) who loves books, I think a book-centered date would be amazing. Perhaps a trip to the bookstore (or library if budget is a concern) with the promise of getting one or more books, a treat of a snack or dessert, and a cozy time sharing the newly acquired book(s).”

—Margaret Chiu Greanias, author of HOW THIS BOOK GOT RED, illus. by Melissa Iwai (Sourcebooks, 2023)


Angela Burke Kunkel

“Practically speaking, one of the very best writing gifts I’ve ever received is a programmable coffee maker. Because I write in the very early mornings, it’s been a wonderful treat to come downstairs and have my morning coffee already brewed, ready and waiting!”

— Angela Burke Kunkel, author of MAKE WAY: THE STORY OF ROBERT McCLOSKEY, NANCY SCHÖN, AND SOME VERY FAMOUS DUCKLINGS, illus. by  Claire Keane (Random House Studio, 2023)


Patricia Newman

“Authors and illustrators just starting out need the gift of investment. Many pre-published writers hold down jobs or raise children and squeeze in writing whenever possible. One fabulous gift for the creator in your life is the gift of a local writing/illustrating craft conference or webinar that focuses the mind, the energy, and invigorates them to persevere.” –Patricia Newman, EAVESDROPPING ON ELEPHANTS (Millbrook Press, paperback edition 2023)


2023 Gift Guide

One of the best things about being part of a group of picture book creators is celebrating each other’s books. In past gift guides, where we recommended holiday gifts that paired well with our own books, we decided to change things up a bit this year! Below, you’ll find not one, but two sets of gift ideas for each book— each created by a different Soaring 20s member!

We hope you find something fun and unique for the children in your life. Happy holidays!


Alphabot by Vicky Fang 


Bisa’s Carnaval by Joana Pastro, illustrated by Carolina Coroa


Eavesdropping on Elephants by Patricia Newman

Kirsten W. Larson’s picks:

3D Elephant Puzzle 

Schleich Wild Life Starter-Set 

Save the Elephants tee (benefitting Save the Elephants)


Fire of Stars by Kirsten W. Larson, illustrated by Katherine Roy


Hooked on Books by Margaret Chiu Greanias, illustrated by Kristyna Litten


How This Book Got Red by Margaret Chiu Greanias, illustrated by Melissa Iwai

Angela Burke Kunkel’s picks:

Red Panda Earrings

Kids’ Personalized Journal (available in red!)

Red Panda Pencil Case


Hurry, Little Tortoise, Time for School by Carrie Finison, illustrated by Erin Kraan

Margaret Chiu Greanias’s picks:

Sloth Bento Box

Plush Tortoise

Tortoise water bottle


Mabel’s Topsy-Turvy Homes by Candy Wellins, illustrated by Jess Rose



No World Too Big by Lindsay Metcalf, Keila V. Dawson, and Jeanette Bradley 


Battle of the Books by Melanie Ellsworth, illustrated by James Rey Sanchez 



One Wish by M. O. Yuksel, illustrated by Mariam Quraishi


One Turtle’s Last Straw: The Real-Life Rescue That Sparked a Sea Change by Elisa Boxer, illustrated by Marta Álvarez Miguéns