Ping’s Perfect Pot by Helen H. Wu (and illustrated by Zihua Yang) starts off with Ping and her grandfather strolling along the market. Everything is decorated and excitement is in the air as Lunar New Year celebrations are about to take place. Grandpa finds a tangerine tree to buy, which is sure to bring prosperity and luck to their family. Once they are home, Ping decides she wants to make the perfect pot for the tangerine tree to sit in. However, making a perfect pot takes a lot of work! Ping uses lots of different materials to figure out what is going to work out the best; meanwhile, Grandpa tidies the home and brings out traditional New Year snacks.
This colorful book teaches young readers the value of persistence while also sharing cultural traditions. It is important to learn that things don’t always work the first time we try them. As an adult, I feel like I am still learning this lesson. As Ping works on finishing her perfect pot, her grandfather mentions that all the pots she made are important “because of the love and effort you put into them.” This simple phrase will help readers remember that the process is just as important as the result.
Ping’s Perfect Pot features some notes at the end. The first one is a more detailed look at Lunar New Year traditions. It is so fun to learn about a time of the year that is important to many different Asian cultures. The second note mentions that the inspiration for this story came from Wu’s father. Wu’s note also encourages readers to find joy in creating something with their own hands.
I had the pleasure of interviewing Wu about Ping’s Perfect Pot, the publishing process, and what projects are coming next.
ES: In Ping’s Perfect Pot, Ping and her grandpa are preparing for Lunar New Year celebrations. Do you have a favorite Lunar New Year tradition?
HHW: Yes sure! One of my favorite Lunar New Year traditions is gathering with family for the reunion dinner. It’s such a warm and joyful time, and I love all the jokes and catching up from our family members and relatives. I love delicious food and the excitement in welcoming the new year and a fresh start. Also, I love the symbolism behind many of the dishes we eat, like dumplings for prosperity and fish for abundance. A whole fish for abundance; really, I don’t like eating a whole fish, but I always do eat some for the new year. Also, rice cakes for growth and success.
And also, growing up, I enjoyed decorating the home with red couplets and lanterns with my family. It made everything feel extra festive, and now I love passing these traditions down to my kids and seeing the excitement in their eyes as we celebrate together.
ES: That’s so exciting! As you were talking, I was thinking how special that must be to pass on traditions to your kids. Do they also get excited about all the food and celebration?
HHW: Yeah, absolutely! We have all the decorations, and we also read stories together. I tell them stories about how I grew up; they’re always curious about how I grew up when I was little and how we spent holidays and our everyday life. It’s totally new to them. And since it’s the New Year, we have the family reunion, and so my parents — their grandpa and grandma — will tell stories about when they were little, and that brings something new to me as well!
ES: That’s so special, I love connecting with family and seeing different generations discuss life. I read on your website that your journey to picture-book illustrating and writing started with teaching yourself to illustrate in Photoshop. How does it feel to go from illustrating self-published books to now working at an independent publisher (Yeehoo Press)?
HHW: It’s been a really incredible journey! Teaching myself to illustrate in Photoshop and starting with self-published books gave me the freedom to experiment and find my creative voice. One good thing I can say about self-publishing is there’s no one there to judge you and you have the full control over the pace of the book. It’s also a good place to push your limit creatively. Sometimes I can get really into those details and I’m able to fine-tune those details to be the best possible. Those self-published projects give you this freedom to experiment, to do your best, and find your own voice.
Working at an independent publisher is also a very rewarding experience because there is a whole team’s effort. We have editors, illustrators, designers, and they all bring their talents together to create something truly special. I learned to listen to others and hear feedback from all team members. Sometimes you have to decide which feedback to listen to. There’s all sorts of different feedback … which leads to different directions, and you have to make the decision of which direction to go. It’s a good problem to have, and it’s an opportunity to reflect on which direction will most line up with the team’s long-term goals. I have learned so much during this process: about teamwork, about the whole publishing journey, also about storytelling and refining a book’s message, and the collaborative process of publishing. Also, seeing my books reach a wider audience and knowing they resonate with readers has been a really amazing feeling.
ES: That’s excellent! I am also a writer, so seeing other writers’ process and the different journeys everyone goes on has been so interesting. I love that you say that “picture books have the potential to pass on the joy from generation to generation.” I review a lot of picture books for the International Examiner, and I’ve been amazed by the amazing work being published lately, especially the books that share different cultural traditions. What are some of your favorite picture books to share with your kids? And what stories would you love to share in picture-book form?
HHW: There are so many wonderful picture books right now, and some of my favorites to share with my kids include: Drawn Together by Minh Lê and Dan Santat, Eyes that Kiss in the Corners by Joanna Ho and Dung Ho — they have several titles in the same series, and I love all of them — and Thank You, Omu! by Oge Mora. I love the stories that celebrate cultural heritage and family bonds and different traditions in a way that feels personal and universal.
For stories I’d love to share in picture-book format: I am always drawn to stories of resilience, creativity, hands-on experience, and finding joy in everyday life. I am working on a series of books featuring a capybara; that’s a new brand I’m working on. It is called Capyfun; it’s a brand featuring capybaras and the chill, calm attitudes and life that they have. It’s about bringing joy to life’s simple moments and simple joys. The picture book is called A Cup of Happy: Capybara Bubble Tea. It features three capybara friends from another planet. They visit Earth and learn how to make their own bubble tea. They also have some creative interactions with Earthlings and Earth’s different animals. There are also all types of bubble tea in this book. It’s a picture book, and there is also a companion coloring book called Capybara Bubble Tea, which is very straightforward. It features capybaras enjoying bubble tea or tea or any type of drinks in everyday life. They are coming out this August. I’m also working on more books featuring the capybaras. With Capybaras, I really like their chillness. They are friendly to many other animals. They just enjoy life, and that could be you or be me! They enjoy life’s simple joys, and that’s why I like creating this new brand. I like their vibe, they remind us of peacefulness. The combination of capybaras and their Zen-like attitude reminds me of the peacefulness of Eastern Buddhism’s philosophy. Even though the capybara is native to South America, I love bringing their unique charm and diversity to my work. I also have a lot of artwork featuring capybara. I’m printing them on key chains and tote bags. I’m hoping to expand into a merchandise line. These objects would be useful for people to carry around in their daily life as a little reminder to be true to yourself and enjoy the moment.
ES: I love that, I’m sure you’ve seen the images of capybaras in hot springs. They are very chill and enjoying life for sure. I can’t wait to read it. I liked what you said about sharing stories that are personal but still universal. The note in the back of Ping’s Perfect Pot about how your father inspired this book really touched me. I think it is wonderful that this story honors his green thumb and also teaches young readers about Lunar New Year.
HHW: Thank you, I appreciate it!
Elinor Serumgard is a poet, artist, and book reviewer from Issaquah, WA. Elinor graduated from Western Washington University in 2022 with a degree in Creative Writing. For more of their work, please see elinorserumgard.com
