COVID holidays are still going strong in the Blackburne household. Our tiny Christmas tree is still up, though the presents have been opened and scattered around the house. Our Fisher-Price nativity scene is still on our coffee table. Our four year old decided that the camel’s name was “Camel”, and that its owner was named “Camelton.” The whole thing had me thinking about a Christmas musical. “I want to be in the barn where it happens…”
In the lead up to the holidays, it seemed that our plans changed by the day. There was talk of getting a motel room instead of staying with family. There was talk of outdoor meals. There was even talk of plexiglass dividers at the outdoor meals. In the end, with the Covid numbers reaching stratospheric numbers in California, we canceled everything and switched to Zoom. We didn’t share apple pie or trade hugs in person this year, but it was still really nice to chat and catch up over our respective dinners.
I DREAM OF POPO is about keeping ties with our loved ones alive when we can’t physically be with them. I had immigration in mind when I thought about it. Little did I know that the book would come out at a time when many, many, people are unable to be in the same place as their friends and family. This spread above where the main character video chats with her grandmother feels more relevant than ever.
I Dream of Popo Virtual Launch Event
There’s one silver lining to launching during a pandemic. Everything has moved online, so I can hold a joint launch party with illustrator Julia Kuo and our editor Connie Hsu! I’m really excited to have this conversation because all three of us are Taiwanese Americans and we all have our unique connections to the story. Join us as we talk about immigration, growing up Chinese-American, and the significance of #ownvoices picture books.
Register for the event here.
Remember that our preorder special is still going on. Readers who submit receipts to this website will receive a signed art print, plus postcards for writing messages to your loved ones.
Preorder I Dream of Popo here:
Hardcover: Once Upon a Time (signed and personalized) | Bookshop | Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Blackwell’s (free international shipping)
Ebook: Kindle | Nook | iBooks | Kobo