Janice Stewart-Yates is a Scottish expat. Her passport stamps chart her working and study history through Dublin, Paris, and Spain but the last 13 years have been spent right here in Beijing as an educator with The International Montessori School of Beijing. Like many of us, she and her family had a difficult stint during the height of the pandemic and its ensuing quarantines. But she made the most of her time by authoring and publishing a very special children’s book, Peking Pugs. We had the opportunity to chat with Stewart-Yates about her work and get an inside look at what’s next for this new author.

Tell me a little about your life and family here in Beijing.
I am married to Nick, my very patient English husband. We have one daughter, named Dylan, and a grumble of pugs, named Toby and Princess – otherwise known as the stars of Peking Pugs.

Did you always want to be an author, or was it a newfound passion?
As an educator with 17 years of experience and counting, I have read quite a few children’s books. I am sure there isn’t a teacher on the planet who has not thought about writing a children’s book.

My writing projects started over Covid. I was in the UK, isolated with my family as I waited for the golden PU letter to come through. Because of the time difference, I was working nights, which was tiring but also allowed me to be highly productive. I had often discussed my ideas of writing a book with close friends. During this period in the UK, I finally had the time as I was no longer in my busy Beijing life.

Tell me a little about the story. What is Peking Pugs about?
The story is about two pugs, Toby and Princess, based in Beijing, trying to reach their owners in the UK. They try all sorts of transportation methods, and as they are pugs, they have many mishaps along the way. This combination made for a funny story, which thankfully has a happy ending.

 Where did the idea for the book come from?
The idea came from our situation. We were stuck in the UK and missing our life in Beijing and our pugs tremendously. Each day, like many expats outside of Beijing, I would be thinking about how I could get back to China or get my dogs out to join us should we not be able to return. At one point, I was ready to take the train from Scotland to the Chinese border in an attempt to take them back! (Short-snouted dogs like pugs can’t fly during hot seasons because of medical issues.) I took the reality I was living in, flipped it, and wrote about the pugs.

The illustrations are really beautiful. Can you tell me about the artists and why you chose them?
I first wrote Papa’s Playdate in April 2019. The talented Dilia Azizbaeva illustrated it. One day, Dilia mentioned to Nataliya Vota – another close friend and a gifted artist – about our project. Nataliya reached out and asked me if I had written any other books that she could illustrate. Like many of us, she was looking to put her energy into something positive at this challenging time. A week later, Peking Pugs was underway. Me in Scotland, Nataliya in Beijing, Dilia in Kyrgyzstan.

We would meet once a week on Zoom to share our ideas and feedback about their drawings, my text, and exchange things we wanted to add or remove. It was an exciting time for us as we felt that this was a golden period and an enjoyable project. We are now the Peking Pugs Team, and in addition to our books, we have yoga bags, a 2022 calendar, and tote bags!

How did you go about getting the book published?
When we decided and researched which route to take when publishing, it was a huge learning curve. We initially produced the first Peking Pugs and Papa’s Playdate as stories to read to our students for our online lessons. Papa’s Playdate linked to Father’s Day and Peking Pugs was a funny story that sparked discussion about separation from loved ones during the pandemic.

When we had such positive feedback from friends and family, we decided to take it a step further. I contacted different publishing houses in the UK and beyond. It was pretty complex as we planned to return to China. After many months of research, corresponding with many parties, and taking advice from other authors, we decided to go to KDP Publishing.

 Will there be another book in your future?
The Peking Pugs Team has already finished two more books in the Peking Pug series. With Nataliya – Roaming in Russia and Dilia – The Best of Beijing. We are in the final stages of editing, formatting. We hope to release The Best of Beijing around Chinese New Year and Roaming in Russia in late Spring.

 What inspires you as you write these new books?
Travel is my main inspiration. When I am writing, I constantly relive how places made me feel, smelled, people I saw, and atmosphere. The Best of Beijing travels through the seasons in the Chinese capital. It was great to sit in my study – with the real-life Toby and Princess – and think of all my favorite experiences in Beijing and beyond to create a story involving the pugs. My main goal is to make this appealing to children and enjoyable for adults to read. In my opinion, connecting and seeking to understand people, situations, and places new to us is what life is all about, and this is THE spice of life. Through the eyes of my comical and darling pugs, this makes it effortless for children to access.

I’m also inspired by the conversations children have with me, their teacher, parents, and each other after reading one of my books. The original Peking Pugs was a natural vehicle to open up discussions about separation and missed loved ones, which right now is an all-too-familiar situation for many families. So many parents have thanked me for bringing light to this topic through the pugs’ adventures. I think the book enabled them as a family to talk about this subject without it being too heavy and direct while opening up to children to share their thoughts and emotions.

For those of us who love to read as much as you do, what is your favorite book to curl up with through the cold Beijing winter and why?
For adults – I have been enjoying two books by chef and writer Jen Lin-Liu. I have traveled through time in Beijing (and China) with Jen’s Serve the People. It has also made me quite hungry with all the delicious recipes inside. I have almost finished The Noodle Road, which has had me enjoying all the author’s food adventures and fantasizing about what my next big trip will be when traveling becomes normal again. I am sure I am not alone in saying this; half the reason I love to travel so much is that I love tasting new food and going to local markets worldwide.

For children – I love The Mitten by Jan Brett – this Ukrainian folk tale is timeless and is enchanting for the young and old. How many animals will fit in the mitten? Will Nicki find his mitten again? Bedtime Stories for Rebel Girls fills our home with interesting chats each night, great for all seasons but especially the winter as we snuggle up and chat for longer when it is cold outside.

What would you say to others who want to write?
For all those people with book ideas, do it! Put pen to paper and follow your dreams! Anyone who knows me knows I can spin a good yarn, I’m confident at public speaking, but I’m not the most natural writer. And I knew nothing about how to get a book published and how to market it when I got into this. Lots of friends, and friends of friends, have asked for my advice since they saw a copy of Peking Pugs, Papa’s Playdate, or heard my personal story, and several of them have successfully got published.

 Where can I get a copy of the book and of course those cute little stuffed pug toys to go with them?
 We have plenty of signed copies here and fluffy pugs! If you are in China, you can order directly from me – WeChat ID janouski. If you are outside The People’s Republic, you can get a copy from Amazon or Book Depository with delivery within a few days. We also have yoga and tote bags and 2022 calendars on the horizon. Please add me on WeChat for more information.

Photos: Janice Stewart-Yates

KEEP READING: A Home For Christmas for Pups

For the second in our series profiling authors who are appearing at the Bookworm Literary Festival, we talked to David Hill. David is a New Zealand author, best known for his stories for young adults.

You were writing for a long time before you started writing for young people. What inspired you to turn to YA fiction?
I’d been writing mainly fiction and non-fiction for adults. Then one of our daughter’s best friends died when they were both 15. I saw her sadness and courage, wrote a book called See Ya, Simon for teenagers, and realized what a rich lode of material there was to write about their lives. Plus I was a high school teacher for some years, and so many of the events and students I knew gave me ideas for stories and plays.

Did your own teenage years provide you with material for your books?
 
I appear in a lot of ways in my books. A lot of the protagonists think (or fail to!) like me. And like my son and my grandsons. A few books – one set in 1950s NZ, called Journey to Tangiwai have events lifted straight from my own childhood. But mainly it’s attitudes and feelings that I’ve had which seem to appear in the books.

Your event at the festival centers on Maori mythology. When were you first exposed to these stories and how have they shaped you as a writer?
 
In fact I haven’t written a great deal about Maori mythology, though the novel I’m trying to start does incorporate some elements of it. I feel it’s best written about my Maori writers. But of course there are some wonderful myths and legends, and I’ve felt privileged to write about a few.

What advice would you give to a young person who wants to become a writer?
 
To any aspiring young writer, I’d say: a. Read heaps. Every time you read, you’re seeing how other writers use certain tricks and techniques; b. keep a copy of everything you write; never throw anything away. You don’t know when you may be able to improve it or use it in something else. c. Think about mistakes you’ve made, embarrassments you’ve had, things you wish you had done better. Writing about your own blunders can result in some great stories – both tragic and funny.
 

David will be sharing Maori Legends of New Zealand on March 15 at 10.30am at the Bookworm.

In the run up to the Bookworm Literary Festival, we’ll be profiling some of the authors who write either for children or on family/ parenting issues. First up is Graeme Base, an award-winning author and illustrator, who has been writing children’s books for over 30 years.

Where did you grow up?
I was born at a very early age in England. I recovered from this setback at the age of eight when my parents moved to Australia and I decided to tag along.

Why did you start creating books for children?
I always wanted to be an artist, ever since I was a kid. I was always drawing in the margins of my school books. Eventually I did a graphic design course then got a job in advertising. I hated it! They didn’t like me much either – I was sacked for incompetence (hard to do a good job if you have zero interest in what you are doing). I started to do freelance illustration for some publishing companies, doing pictures for other people’s texts, then decided to have a go at writing a story myself. It was a poem called My Grandma Lived in Gooligulch. It was published in 1983 and I’ve been writing and illustrating my own books ever since.

Do your own children serve as inspiration for your books?
Strange to say, not a lot. I began writing and illustrating long before I had kids and the impetus was purely my own need to create. I had ideas for pictures and I wanted to make them real. Another strange fact is that my kids have probably read fewer of my books than many of their friends – my wife and I would always read to them but it just felt weird reading them one of my own books! Occasionally I have read them a draft manuscript (the original verse version of TruckDogs for instance, before it morphed into a novel) but this was rare.

What advice would you give to a young person who wants to be an illustrator?
The Four Ps.
PASSION: you have to love what you do.
PERSPIRATION: you must be prepared to work hard to turn your ideas into reality.
PERSISTENCE: never give up; you will strike disappointments, keep going regardless.
PROVENANCE: sometimes you just need to be in the right place at the right time – be aware of these times and capitalize on them. Luck is part of the equation!

Can you tell me about your biggest inspirations for Eye to Eye? 
When I was a child I used to imagine, like most children, that I could fly. I also remember pretending I was tiny, like an ant, or traveled to another planet, or climbed to the top of the highest mountain. These childhood memories were behind the idea for Eye to Eye. Then, a few years ago, I was lucky enough to go with my family to Antarctica. While we were there we had an amazing close-up encounter with a whale – it came right up alongside our little boat, rolled over so that its eye was right out of the water, and looked at us. This experience inspired me to create the whale painting in the book – it is my favourite image.

How does Eye to Eye stand out from the rest of your work? What aspects of it show your evolution and progression as an artist?
My early books, like Animalia and The Eleventh Hour, were packed with detail. I felt I had to fill every corner of the page with something to look. In recent years I have tried let the pictures have a greater feeling of space – more ‘filmic’ perhaps. In Eye to Eye there are some very open vistas with uncluttered horizons. I really enjoy this sense of the ‘wide blue yonder’!

What are you working on next, and why does it have you excited?
Right now I am taking a break from making books and concentrating on a toy idea I have had for many years. It is one of several ideas that I would like to try to make real. Soon I will start a new book (I have several ideas in mind) but right now I am having a great time in the workshop making wooden models and prototypes.

Can you please tell me a few anecdotal examples of parents or children who have approached you (after a book reading or an event) to tell you how their books have affected them? How is this gratifying and rewarding for you?
Ever since Animalia came out in 1986 I have been hearing how teacher and parents have used this book and others as springboards into language and other areas of learning. I never plan my books to be ‘educational’ but it is wonderful to see how people have used them in this way. These days, when I do book signings, I frequently meet young parents bringing their children to get a book signed who tell me their own parents brought them to see me when they were children themselves. It makes me feel very old (!) but also very, very lucky.

Graeme will be on the panel for Disseminating the Magic: Children’s Writing in the Digital Age, at 2pm on Saturday 12 March at Bookworm Beijing. 

For the 10th year, The Bookworm Literary Festival will be taking place from March 11-27. The exact dates, times, and prices are yet to be released but the list of authors is ready. The only thing that’s for sure is that the workshops are RMB 260 but which ones are going to be offered are  Here are the authors short biographies for children’s books only courtesy of the Bookworm:

Graeme Base is one of the world’s leading creators of picture books. His alphabet book Animalia received international acclaim when it was first published in 1986, and has sold around three million copies worldwide, in addition to inspiring an animated TV series. Other books include The Eleventh Hour, My Grandma Lived in Gooligulch, The Sign of the Seahorse, The Waterhole, Jungle Drums, and Uno’s Garden. In 2007, Uno’s Garden featured in six major awards and was winner of three: Speech Pathology Book of the Year, younger readers; The Green Earth Book, USA; The Wilderness Society Environment Award. Graeme’s latest book is Eye to Eye.

Agnès Desarthe is the author of more than 30 children’s books, nine novels, an essay on Virginia Woolf (with Geneviève Brisac), and a story on the dual portrait of her grandfather, education specialist Janusz Korczak. She is also an award-winning translator who has translated into French the works of Loïs Lowry, Anne Fine, Cynthia Ozick, Jay McInerney, and Woolf. She won the Livre Inter Prize in 1996 for her novel Un secret sans importance, the Marcel Pagnol and Virgin/femina version for Le remplaçant, and the Renaudot Prize for High-schoolers for The Foundling. Her latest book, Ce Coeur changeant, has received this year’s Le Monde Literary Prize.

Larry Feign has been disappointing his mother since the age of 7, when he started writing stories and cartoons for his primary school magazine. Mom is not satisfied that his cartoons have appeared in such insignificant journals as Time, Newsweek, The Economist, Fortune, the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Der Spiegel, and Pravda, to name a few, or that he’s produced animated cartoons for obscure little companies like Cartoon Network and Disney. She’s not happy that he’s published only 15 books or received a number of awards. All of this only postpones her goal of being able to utter the magic words: “My son the doctor.”

Jane Godwin is the Publisher for Young Readers at Penguin Books Australia. She is also a highly acclaimed author of many books for children, whose works include the bestselling picture books Little Cat and the Big Red Bus, All Through the Year, Today We Have No Plans, Starting School, and, most recently, What Do You Wish For? (published with Anna Walker). Her many commendations include the Queensland Premier’s Award (Children’s Books), the Aurealis Award, and the Animal Welfare Award. Godwin’s most recent novel is Falling From Grace, a mystery book for young adults.

Mark Greenwood is an author with a passion for history. His award-winning books, such as The Donkey of Gallipoli and Jandamarra, examine myths and legends, and have been published and honored internationally. He has twice received the West Australian Premier’s Award and the West Australian Young Readers’ Book Award. Greenwood often teams with his wife, illustrator Frané Lessac, to produce books that promote understanding of multicultural issues, such as Drummer Boy of John John, Magic Boomerang, Outback Adventure, and Our Big Island. Greenwood’s other books include The Mayflower and Midnight and the recent Boomerang and Bat.

David Hill is a multiple-award-winning author of fiction and nonfiction books for children and adults, including the Esther Glen Medal (NZ) for Fat-Four-Eyed and Useless and Right Where it Hurts. He won a Notable Children’s Book Award in the US for See Ya, Simon, which also was awarded the NES Times Educational Award in the UK and the Silver Feather Award in Germany. Coming Back won two awards in France, and most recently, My Brother’s War was honored several times. Hill has been writing full time since 1983, and his books have been translated into French, German, Danish, Dutch, Chinese, Slovenian, Japanese, and Korean.

Josh Lacey is the author of the Grk and Dragonsitter series of children’s books; A Dog Called Grk was shortlisted for the Branford Boase Award, while The Dragonsitter was shortlisted for the Roald Dahl Funny Prize. He has written many other books for children, including The Island of Thieves, The Sultan’s Tigers, and Bearkeeper. He regularly visits schools, where he enjoys talking about the writing experience, the origin of ideas, and magic of inspiration. Lacey has also written one book for adults, God is Brazilian, a biography of the man who introduced football to Brazil. He lives in London with his wife and daughters.

Ian Whybrow has written more than 100 children’s books since his first, The Sniff Stories, was published in 1989. They have been translated into nearly 30 languages and have won awards in multiple countries. Harry and the Bucketful of Dinosaurs was adapted into a 104-episode animated series, and Little Wolf’s Book of Badness was adapted into an award-winning movie and a play. For all his accomplishments as a children’s writer, Whybrow actually began his writing career as a poet — he is the recipient of the Leeds Poetry Prize. Engaging and easygoing, Whybrow was born in Gillingham, Kent, England, and grew up in Margate in East Kent and Hong Kong.

Photo: penguin.com.au