Hi! I’m Melissa, and I’m a Chinese-American SCBWI picture book author and illustrator from Brooklyn, NY now based in Chicago. I’m a mom of 3 (4 if you count the puppy… 6 if you count the guinea pigs!) with a background in yoga teaching, mental health & wellness counseling, and a lifelong passion for making things that spread joy. I especially love creating stories and illustrations that are full of wonder, imagination, and possibility; art that can make a kid (of any age) feel understood and inspired to be more of who they already are.

When I’m not doodling or writing you can usually find me baking with my kids, twisted in a yoga pose somewhere, or dancing to the music inside my own head.

For more on my journey, check out Nina Rycroft’s interview with me on 3 Mindset Shifts for Creative Success!