It's been a tough time for many many people in the U.S., and being in the book industry where authors, illustrators, publishers, bookstores, libraries and librarians, schools and teachers, I've seen how they have been targeted for censorship by small but organized groups with extreme political ideologies that do not reflect the opinion of the majority of Americans across the country.
I recently attended the New England Independent Booksellers Association (NEIBA) conference, where Big Enough was recognized with the 2025 New England Book Award for the picture book category. Knowing I would have a few minutes to share some remarks on the book, I wished to not only express my appreciation for the award, but also keep the remarks relevant to the story and offer some encouragement to my fellow attendees as we collectively live through the current cultural and political climate.
Unfortunately, I didn't bank on being the first awardee brought onto the stage. I had though the crowd would be somewhat warmed up by then, so I choked and didn't feel I could very well open the awards portion of the event with such a downer! I gave an abridged version of this speech below. Maybe someday I'll have a chance to share it in person:
Thank you for this recognition. As a first time children’s book author and illustrator, I’m truly honored to have the appreciation of independent booksellers whose enthusiasm for the written word and visual storytelling is something I find wonderful.I couldn’t have brought Big Enough into the world though without the help and guidance of so many people: the team from Hachette and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, like Alvina Ling, Saho Fujii, Patrick Collins, Crystal Castro; also Liz Nealon, Zheng Zhi-Hong, and so many others who do the behind-the-scenes work of whatever it takes whether it’s making sure my emails get read to polishing the work until it shines.
To my family, there is only gratitude for your unflagging trust and encouragement, especially Ben. There are no words, so I won’t even try.
Because I was told I have ten minutes to speak, I will take advantage of the time by sharing a little bit of Chinese history and philosophy that underpins the story of Ah-Fu in Big Enough. Big Enough is at its heart a story about overcoming fear through understanding. Fear, I think, is something that we all sense whether boldly in our faces or lurking, threatening at the corners of our imminent future. We fear for what we are allowed to say, to read, to share, and ultimately, to be.
Throughout Chinese history, the ax of censorship has always hung over the necks of everyone except those in power.
For instance, an Imperial Chinese emperor could go by many different names – a birthname, an regnal name, a nickname, etc. And if you happened to write anything unflattering or use an unflattering word that sounded remotely similar to any of these names, you were duly executed.You also often had to rely on literary techniques to present social or political critiques.
For example in Dreams of the Red Chamber, the author wrote not just a completely fictional account of a high-powered family, but also, made sure the narrative all took place as a dream by a – wait for it – sentient rock.
Books, plays, operas, and music were censored or outright banned, as was the case during the Cultural Revolution. Private collections were buried or hidden, secretly shared or traded on the black market, with A Thousand and One Nights being one of the books most in demand at the time.
My own grandmother who grew up as a second-class citizen in Taiwan during the Japanese occupation couldn’t learn her father’s native language and had to risk going to prison to study it in secret with a tutor and a handful of other students under the cover of night.
I swear I don’t mean to freak everyone out with these stories. These stories, though frightening, also show a resilience of people who kept the light burning even under the most oppressive regimes. They show the resilience of language, words, and ideas that cannot be destroyed. Yes, they might have had to retreat, go underground and into hiding, but for better or for worse, you cannot kill an idea or a dream or a vision for a better future.
If I can tie this back to Big Enough it is this: that fear is no excuse for fulfilling our responsibility. Understanding gives us the courage to do so. No matter what happens with us in our country, we too can be the keepers of books, the ideas they hold, the words of our cherished languages. We too can be the guardians of truth.