Carmen Mok

"Grandmother lives with Grace's family. She teaches her how to measure water for rice. She tells her stories about growing up in China and together they savor the flavors of her childhood. Grandmother says goodbye when she drops Grace off at school every morning and hello when she picks her up at the end of the day. Then, Grandmother stops walking Grace to and from school, and the door to her room stays closed. Father comes home early to make dinner,...

"A young boy moves from the city, where there was always something to do and someone to do it with, to the country. His new home just isn't the same, but at least it's summertime -- flowers are blooming, baby birds are hatching, and caterpillars are transforming into butterflies. Percy tastes wild strawberries, climbs trees and tries to catch fish in the river with his bare hands. Even at night, the garden is full of life. When he gets home, Percy...

Violet Shrink doesn't like parties. Or bashes, or gatherings. Lots of people and lots of noise make Violet's tummy ache and her hands sweat. She would much rather spend time on her own, watching the birds in her backyard, reading comics or listening to music through her purple headphones. The problem is that the whole Shrink family loves parties with loud music and games and dancing. At cousin Char's birthday party, Violet hides under a table and...

When a child is asked to "Please, be quiet!" they sit silent … and their imagination sweeps them away on a breathtaking journey. Through the window, the child can hear the trees breathe and watches them sway back and forth as they begin to dance. Then bears join in, accompanied by the child on their drum, making so much noise they wake up a dragon! The dragon's smoky breath fills the sky, and the wind forms a knight on a steed that gallops through...