Charlotte Cheng: Put Yourself Out There
KidLit Craft is back with another Snack-Sized Author Interview. In this series, we ask authors five quick questions that give us insight into their craft and process. Today we’re talking with author Charlotte Cheng.
Charlotte Cheng and I met early on in our voyage into Children’s Literature. I’ve always been struck by how incredibly talented she is–as a writer, an illustrator, an educator. Throughout her journey, Charlotte has shown resilience, perseverance, and an absolute commitment to the creative process. But her greatest superpower may be her ability to access her inner child and tell stories that deeply resonate with children everywhere. I knew, from the get-go, that she would be multi-published, telling wonderful tales, and I remain a huge fan. ~ Kristi
Welcome, Charlotte!
Question 1: What's your writing superpower?
With over 20 years of experience in education, I've worked with many children of different ages and have read aloud to them in many classrooms. When I'm writing, I'm able to channel that experience to create stories that are approachable to children and also impactful to the adults who read aloud to them. This can involve integrating fun call-and-response in the story, like Roar-Choo!. I also like to connect deeply personal experiences with universal themes. For example, I've combined the senses and sounds of Taiwanese night markets with the lovable story of a dog looking for a home. I've folded mahjong and fish stew memories into the universal story of dealing with loss. It's this combination that makes my stories unique.
Question 2: What’s an element of craft you explored in your latest project and what tips can you share with other authors for growing in their use of that particular element?
I’ve been working on improving my revision process more recently as it’s often a point where I get stalled in my writing.
During my latest project, I had written a picture book manuscript about the magic found in a grandmother’s purse. When I first submitted the story to my editor I received some vague/general feedback about the story. Sometimes, this can be difficult to implement the feedback because you could do so in many different ways.
For example, my editor wanted a more dynamic story arc. I could do so by having the family go on a road trip or add a plot point where something goes wrong with the purse or maybe both. However, which direction should I go in my revisions?
I decided to create two outlines that highlighted different ways I could make revisions to the story. My editor was able to review the outlines and provide feedback about which direction she preferred.
Based on her notes, I was able to revise my manuscript with more focus and a clearer idea about what my editor was looking for. After a few rounds of revisions, she decided to acquire the story! Ama’s Purse will be coming out later this year.
Question 3: If you could travel back in time, what advice would you give yourself as a new author?
Put yourself out there, because you never know when the timing and preparation will finally coincide for your book. For example, it took me over 10 years to sell my first book, Night Market Rescue! Sometimes, your story has been refined and is ready for publication, but the timing of the children’s book market isn’t quite right. You never know unless you keep revising and submitting. If you stay focused, work on your craft, and put yourself out there, eventually that perfect timing will come! I submitted Night Market Rescue to the same agent 3 times and it took that third time before she could find the right editor for the book. Now, I’ve sold 6 books with Karen Grencik at Red Fox Literary Agency, and it’s been a pleasure working through the launch of each book with her.
I know this advice is easy to say and hard to do. I still struggle with the submission and revision process myself. It is difficult to submit a story that is so personal and precious to you, because some of the constructive feedback you receive will feel like a personal affront to who you are. I had to practice managing those feelings of rejection, to not take feedback so personally. Then, I was able to pick myself back up to work on the story again!
After facing rejection, it can also be difficult to gain the confidence to submit your story over and over. However, I will leave you with something that my husband told me the day I was hesitating to submit Night Market Rescue to Karen for the third and final time: “If you don’t submit your story, then it means that you have a 100% chance that it will remain unpublished. If you do submit your story, at least it has a chance to be seen and published!”
Question 4: What inspires you as a writer?
I write from my personal experiences and am also often inspired by my six-year-old daughter. In fact, she is the one who came up with the title of my book Roar-Choo!! I had been wanting to write a book about Dragon and Phoenix, which I grew up seeing on the walls of restaurants and within the decor of many celebrations. My daughter then came up with a joke: “What does a dinosaur say when it sneezes?” “Rooooar-Choo!” When she told me that joke, I imagined what it would be like if a dragon had a cold and soon after started working on the manuscript for the book.
Around the same time, my entire family, unfortunately, caught Covid. As we all tried to manage our symptoms, I noticed how differently my husband and I recovered from Covid. I had deadlines to meet and things to do, but the more I rushed getting back to normal speed, the more I would relapse and get worse. My husband, on the other hand, took it more gracefully and helped me learn how to slow down, which actually sped up my recovery time. In the end, we had to lean on each other’s strengths to get our family through Covid. In Roar-Choo! you witness the same back and forth between Dragon and Phoenix. It is why the book is dedicated to my husband.
Question 5: What’s one book you think every kidlit author should read?
I think every kidlit author should read How This Book Was Made by Mac Barnett and Adam Rex. It is a humorous telling of how picture books are made. A key point they make is how long the journey is and also how many people/places are involved in birthing a book. By knowing this process, you can appreciate the patience and the teamwork that is needed when bringing a book to life.
Bonus Question: What can fans look forward to next?
I have two books coming out in 2026! In March, A Name for Sister, illustrated by Sophia Diao, will be available through Harper Kids. It’s a magical new sister story inspired by a centuries old naming tradition from Taiwan and China. Later in the year, Rocky Pond Books will be publishing Ama’s Purse, illustrated by Xindi Yan, where a girl discovers the magic inside her grandmother’s purse during their family road trip. You can learn more about my work at: www.charlotte.art
Charlotte Cheng has written and illustrated a variety of books including Roar-Choo!, Night Market Rescue, BoBo Loves Dumplings, and I Miss You Most. Her books have been selected for the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, Children’s Book Council’s Favorites, and Bank Street’s Best Children’s Books of the Year.
Represented by Red Fox Literary, Charlotte has spoken at a wide variety of events and taught interactive workshops for both children and adults. These events have included the National American Librarian Association Conference, LA Times Book Festival, and the Bay Area Book Festival. Charlotte has also been a guest speaker at both Harvard University and Stanford University.
With over 20 years of EdTech experience, Charlotte has written and published K-12 curriculum for influential companies including LeapFrog, Disney, and Wonder Workshop.
Charlotte lives in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she enjoys playing board games and the ukulele while sampling local boba beverages.
Visit her online at https://charlotte.art and on Instagram @charlottemakesbooks
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