PEI’S PINEAPPLE CAKES Spotlight Book Tour
Did you know I also do book promo events through iRead Book Tours? Check out today’s awesome book event.
PEI’S PINEAPPLE CAKES spotlight book tour includes a giveaway at the end and an exclusive author interview. Use the Rafflecopter to enter, share on social, comment for the author, and subscribe for more book stuff. Don’t forget to visit the store and the freebies vault (use the case-sensitive password Freestuff.)
Book Details:
Book Title:
Pei’s Pineapple Cakes by Crystal Z. Lee
Category:
Children’s Fiction (Ages 3-7), 38 pages
Genre:
Children’s Picture Book
Publisher:
Balestier Press
Publication Date:
May 10, 2025.
Tour dates: June 9 to June 27
Content Rating:
G
Book Description:
While visiting her grandmother in central Taiwan, Pei finds herself in the middle of a mystery. The pineapple cakes from her grandmother’s bakery have disappeared! Soon Pei is collecting clues as she embarks on a quest to find the missing pineapple cakes.
From traditional Taiwanese artisan craftsmanship to picturesque villages of central Taiwan, Pei discovers the beauty of her grandmother’s hometown. This is a charming story of courage, adventure, and the love between grandchildren and grandparents.
Pei’s Pineapple Cakes is an elaborately illustrated picture book that makes an ideal gift:
- -Real locations from central Taiwan make for an inspiring geographical, historical and cultural reading experience
- -Storyline sparks dialogue around kindness, empathy, courage, and resilience
- -Exquisite illustrations of Taiwanese artisans’ craftsmanship foster appreciation for heritage and traditions
- -Bilingual text in English and Mandarin encourages learning in both languages
BUY THE BOOK:
AMAZON ~ B&N ~ BAM
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Meet the Author:
Crystal Z. Lee is a bilingual writer who divides her time between the U.S. and Asia. Crystal grew up in Taipei and later returned to live there in her adult years. Some of Crystal’s fondest memories in Taiwan include boating at Sun Moon Lake, chasing butterflies in Maolin, making pineapple cakes and eating her way through night markets with her family. Besides children’s books, Crystal’s other published works include poetry and a novel. Her other book about Taiwan is titled Kai the Dancing Butterfly. She is also the author of Mei’s Mermaid Mission, A Unicorn Named Rin, and Love and Other Moods.
connect with the author: website ~ instagram ~ GoodReads
Meet the Illustrator:
Allie Su grew up in Yunlin County, Taiwan. She often finds her illustration inspiration from the great outdoors. One of her favorite places to hike in Taiwan is Sun-Link-Sea Forest in Nantou. She adores Taiwanese cuisine and night market foods, such as stinky tofu, vegetarian noodles and taro pastries from Taichung. Allie also illustrated Mei’s Mermaid Mission and Kai the Dancing Butterfly.
Author interview with Crystal Z. Lee
What sparked the idea to write Pei’s Pineapple Cakes?
I was inspired by my own grandmothers and the relationship my daughters had
with my mother too. I also wanted to write a story featuring some time-honored
Taiwanese folk arts and artistry, along with our favorite Taiwanese snacks such as
pineapple cakes!
I love the illustration of the little girl baking with her grandmother on the
cover of Pei’s Pineapple Cakes. Have you personally baked pineapple cakes
before?
Yes, we took a pineapple cakes baking class in Taiwan at this 150-year-old bakery.
I cherished the opportunity to show my children this traditional and storied
establishment!
All of your children’s books have names in the titles, such as Pei, Mei, Rin
and Kai. How do you come up with the character names in your books?
I try to be culturally authentic when choosing names for the characters. For
example, in the story of Mei’s Mermaid Mission there are characters from
Cambodia, Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, etc., so their names are authentic to their
cultural heritage. I remember receiving some criticism that some of these names
were hard to pronounce. While that may be the case for some, I still think it’s a
teachable moment. When we teach our children to learn names authentic to a
certain culture, we are imparting virtues of empathy and respect. In this way, we
also help our kids to cultivate an international worldview.
Pei’s Pineapple Cakes is your second children’s book about Taiwan. Do you
think you’ll keep writing stories centered on Taiwan?
I’d love to keep writing stories about the Taiwanese American experience. I
remember the lack of books on this topic when I was growing up. I’m glad that
now in my children’s generation, there are more books they can see themselves in.
What kind of Taiwanese folk arts are mentioned in Pei’s Pineapple Cakes?
Many of the folk arts from central Taiwan are featured in this story, such as glove
puppetry, thunder tea making, and moon peach blossoms basket weaving by the
Indigenous Taiwanese.
Do you identify with the protagonist Pei from your book, Pei’s Pineapple
Cakes?
In this story, Pei visits her grandmother in central Taiwan and together they
experience all sorts of adventures. I too, have many fond memories and
photographs of exploring Taiwan and Singapore with my grandmothers.
What was the writing process for Pei’s Pineapple Cakes like?
I wrote most of this story during an extended trip in Taiwan. I visited an aunt in
Taichung which is in central Taiwan. I learned alot about Indigenous Taiwanese
craftsmanship, traditional Hakka art, and I had the chance to see many relatives. I
bring my laptop wherever I go so I can write whenever I feel inspired. After the
manuscript was completed, Allie Su, who was also in Taiwan at the time, really
brought the story to life with her illustrations.
What future projects are you working on?
I’m currently working on another children’s story, some poetry and a novel.
Personally, as a writer, I try to exercise the reading and writing muscles on an
almost daily basis.
How can your children’s books be utilized in a classroom or educational setting?
In Pei’s Pineapple Cakes, readers are introduced to some Taiwanese folk arts, so this
book can be utilized for Asian cultural studies. Kai the Dancing Butterfly is about the
Taiwanese butterfly migration, so it may be useful for a science and geography
curriculum. Ocean conservation and animal habitat protection is a primary theme in
Mei’s Mermaid Mission, so this book is great for marine science and ecological
studies. A Unicorn Named Rin takes place in the Tang dynasty so this story can be
utilized in history class!
Many of your children’s books seem to be travel-themed. Why is that?
Our planet is vast with wonderful, varied cultures. I hope to raise global citizens and
to teach my children empathy, respect, and appreciation for all people.
Giveaway:
Author-Signed copy of PEI’S PINEAPPLE CAKES (one winners) (USA only) (ends July 5)
PEI’S PINEAPPLE CAKES by Crystal Z Lee Book Tour Giveaway