Hello book divas and divos and Happy Indigenous Peoples’ Day to those of you in the US! I’ve been an avid reader all of my life. I can vividly recall sitting beside my mother as she read stories to my from assorted picture books when I was much younger. One of my paternal aunts, my father’s youngest sister, also helped to instill a love of reading by providing me with boxes of children’s books when I was in elementary and junior high school (aka middle school). I’ve tried to instill the love of reading in my nieces and nephews, often gifting them with books when they were younger and taking them with me to various book festivals. Not all are book divas and divos in later years, but they all fondly recall these experiences. I love helping to spread the love of reading in our youth and it is for this reason that I’m excited to welcome Cindy Wang Brandt, author of the soon-to-be-released You Are Revolutionary, a picture book for young readers. I hope you’ll enjoy learning more about this author and book and perhaps enter the giveaway for a print copy of You Are Revolutionary to share with young book diva or divo. Please help me welcome Cindy Wang Brandt as she answers a few questions about her background and the impetus for You Are Revolutionary.
Author Q&A
1. Where did you grow up / live now?
A. I grew up and still live in the Southern city of Taiwan called Kaohsiung (pronounced Gao Shung), where we were pandemic free for most of the year 2020!!
2. What is your education/career background?
A. I grew up conservative evangelical so I was very religious. I went to a Christian college and seminary, and actually became a career missionary for 5+ years! But now I have “faith shifted” and am no longer part of that world—this shift informs much of my work now.
3. Do you have kids and/or pets?
A. I have two awesome kids and I had the cutest Yorkie in the world named Caramel, but we lost her a few years ago. 😦
4. What inspired you to write?
A. I entered the blogging scene in the early 2010s and eventually developed a career as a writer, publishing my first book in 2019 and now a children’s book in 2021. I didn’t grow up in a literary family, in fact, English is my second language, so there was no support or resources for my journey to become a writer. The democratization of the internet made it possible for me to share my words with the public and I am forever grateful for the platform. Now, looking back, there were many clues that I was meant to be a writer, I just didn’t know it at the time. Anytime I needed to write in life—for school, writing family newsletters, and eventually on social media, it lit me up inside and I felt the most joy when I found any opportunity to put words together.
5. Where/when do you best like to write?
A. I’m a morning person, so I only ever write in the mornings. However, I do get my best ideas randomly throughout the day—often in the shower, which I do at night.
6. What inspired your story?
A. As I’ve previously mentioned, I have “faith shifted” meaning I’ve left the faith of my childhood. This has caused significant anxiety and trauma in adulthood. As I’ve sought to understand the source of my angst, much of it was having power wielded over me when I was a child. A big part of my own healing is to become an advocate for children today, that they be afforded full autonomy because they are human beings, not any lesser than adults. If kids are to be treated and respected as adults are, then what excludes them from becoming revolutionaries, people who make a change in the world? It is a human right to have a say in the way we live our lives, and yet we exclude kids from this work. I think our world still has a long way to go to extend children the rights they deserve, and I hope my book helps move progress.
7. Who do you hope will read your book?
A. I work with parents and I want parents to know that their responsibility isn’t just to raise happy and healthy children, but that we have an awesome responsibility to raise conscious citizens that together create a better world for all. The best way to love our kids is to create a world that is kind to all kids. Parenting is a revolution in itself, an act of changing the world. I hope parents who feel this responsibility deeply will pick up my book and read it for their inner child as well as their own kids.
You Are Revolutionary
written by Cindy Wang Brandt and illustrated by Lynnor Bontigao
Synopsis:
You have what it takes to change the world!
This is the empowering message parenting author and podcaster Cindy Wang Brandt wants every child to hear and embrace. In this inspiring picture book she speaks to every child who sees injustice in the world, revealing that they already have inside themselves everything they need to make big, transformative change in the world—just as they are. Every kid is a revolutionary! You don’t need to wait until you grow up. You don’t even need any special skills. Kids who are loud, kids who are quiet, kids who make art, kids who are good at math, kids with lots of energy, kids who are good listeners—all kids have what it takes to make a difference.
Lynnor Bontigao’s vibrant illustrations feature a diverse group of children taking up a call to action and using their individual gifts to change the world.
Book Details:
Genre: Children’s Picture Book (Ages 5-8)
Published by: Beaming Books
Publication Date: October 12, 2021
Number of Pages: 32
ISBN: 9781506478302 (Hardcover)
ISBN: 9781506478982 (ebook)
ASIN: B08VLQX3PJ (Kindle version)
Purchase Links #CommissionEarned: IndieBound.org | Amazon | Amazon Kindle | BookDepository.com | BN.com | eBooks.com | !ndigo eBook | Kobo eBook
Connect with the Author via: Instagram | Twitter
Connect with the Illustrator via: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Website
Giveaway:
This is a Rafflecopter giveaway hosted by The Book Diva’s Reads. There will be one (1) winner of a print copy of You Are Revolutionary by Cindy Wang Brandt, illustrated by Lynnor Bontigao. This giveaway is open to residents of the United States and Canada only. The giveaway begins at 12:01 AM ET on October 11th and ends at 11:59 PM ET on October 18, 2021. The winner will be announced on October 19, 2021 by 10:00 AM ET. All person entering that resides outside of the US and Canada will be disqualified. Void where prohibited by law.
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