Crystal Z. Lee Talks About her Career
Crystal Z. Lee has written five picture books in the past six years that provide a window into Asian culture and a mirror for Asian children. Her newest book Miya’s Mooncakes shows that anyone can celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival!
Interview with Cyrstal Z. Lee
Q. Crystal, thank you for taking time for this interview. You spent your early career in public relations, what motivated the change to become an author?
A. Prior to writing books, I had worked as a public relations manager in the fashion, beauty and technology industries. One of my roles was composing press releases. I’d written countless press releases but yearned to write creatively instead of for corporations. I started working on some manuscripts, enrolled in publishing courses at Stanford University, then transitioned into writing books full time.
Q. After the success of your first novel, why did you switch to creating picture books?
A. My first book is a novel titled Love and Other Moods. All of books I’ve written thereafter are picture books. The children’s books I write are mostly inspired by my daughters. I’m currently working on a second novel and hope to have it completed soon!
Q. You provide a window into Asian culture. Your first four picture books impart a lot of Asian history, geography, mythology and culture along with themes of cooperation, ecology and empathy. Was it important to you as a Taiwanese American to teach kids about the region?
A. Growing up as a Taiwanese American, I’ve found it challenging to see myself in the children’s literature of my day. When I became a mother, I vowed to write stories about my heritage so my kids could find that representation. Taiwan is a beautiful island with an abundance of flora and fauna. The Taiwanese have endured colonization, wars, political threats and frequent natural disasters, thus we’ve been raised as a resilient people. I hope readers can catch a glimpse of Taiwan’s rich culture and traditions through my stories.
Q. Your most recent book is set in a multiethnic American neighborhood. Why the change?
A. Miya’s Mooncakes is set in a multicultural town, which I think mirrors many neighborhoods around the world today. We live in an increasingly interconnected world where it’s very common to encounter people from a variety of different cultures and backgrounds. There’s a beauty in that kind of intercultural connection and diversity, and I wanted to bring attention to that in this book.
Q. Miya’s Mooncakes provides a mirror for young Asian American kids. Readers learn about Mid-Autumn Festival, but they also see that their festivities can be shared and celebrated by everyone. What was the spark behind this particular story?
A. The Mid-Autumn Festivals I experienced inspired me to write Miya’s Mooncakes. I grew up in Taiwan and in California, later residing in New York and in Shanghai with frequent travels to Singapore and business trips to Paris. I’ve celebrated the Mid-Autumn Festival in many different cities either with family, friends, co-workers or neighbors. Mooncakes are also becoming more popular with inventive flavors and new looks each year. I’ve found that exchanging and gifting mooncakes is a great way to connect with people of all backgrounds.
Mooncakes for everyone!
Q. Most illustrators are chosen by the publisher and there is very little communication between the author and the illustrator. You have been working with illustrator Allie Su for several books now. Do you provide any illustration notes for her? Since this is your fourth book together do you actually collaborate?
A. Yes, Allie Su and I have a close relationship and we’re in frequent communication. I adore working with her and am enamored with her art and talent!
Q. I always like to close by asking what is in store for your readers. Can you share your current projects?
A. Currently I’m working on more children’s books and a novel. I hope to share more about those projects soon!
I look forward to reading them. thank you for taking time to tell me the story behind your stories.
About Miya’s Mooncakes
Miya's Mooncakes
by Crystal Z. Lee
Illustrator: Allie Su
Published by Balestier Press on June 25, 2026
Pages: 40
Genres: Juvenile Fiction / Asian American & Pacific Islander, Juvenile Fiction / Diversity & Multicultural, Juvenile Fiction / Holidays & Celebrations / Asia
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It's almost time for Miya's favorite holiday, the Mid-Autumn Festival. She loves all the holiday traditions: moon gazing, lighting lanterns, and best of all, baking and eating mooncakes! Miya notices that many in her town seem to have lost the holiday spirit lately, including her father. She has an idea to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival in a more meaningful manner this year. It will involve some extra special mooncakes and the entire neighborhood. Can Miya pull it off in time for the festival?
This is a story of ingenuity, empathy, creating new traditions while honoring old ones. It's also an ode to neighbors, immigrants, and all those that make up a community!
About the Author:
Storybook Lady
Review
Mid Autumn Festival for Everyone
in Miya’s Mooncakes
Miya’s Mooncakes is a delightful picture book that combines Chinese culture and a tale of friendship and neighborliness. The simple tale follows a youngster who decides to invite all the neighbors in her multicultural area to her bakery ‘s Mid-Autumn Festival party. Business owners and their families are feeling nervous because of a hate message that is left on one of the store windows. Maya lets everyone know that they help make the neighborhood great. Crystal Z. Lee’s sweet story extends a story about a Chinese holiday to a celebration of all cultures. Once again she has teemed up with illustrator Allie Su whose colorful pictures show a rich varied retail neighborhood with restaurants and stores that reflect cultures from around the world. My preschool listener enjoyed the story but also loved looking at the details on the illustrations including the 2 neighborhood cats who show up on all the exterior pictures. The story ends with a letter from Miya to her cousin Pei in Taiwan, tying in the team’s previous book Pei’s Pineapple Cakes.
About Cyrstal Z. Lee
About Crystal Z. Lee
Crystal Z. Lee is a writer who divides her time between the U.S. and Asia. She is an avid traveler. Her favorite travel memories include island hopping in Italy, hiking the Ever White Mountain near the border of North Korea, sipping afternoon tea in Portuguese palaces and Irish castles, admiring Peranakan tiles in Singapore, sailing in the Aegean Sea, trekking on a biblical archaeological expedition in Türkiye, voyaging to UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and making mooncakes and pineapple cakes in Taiwan. Her stories are often inspired by her journeys. Besides children's books, Crystal's other published works consist of poetry and a novel. She is the author of Miya’s Mooncakes, Pei's Pineapple Cakes, Mei's Mermaid Mission, Kai the Dancing Butterfly, A Unicorn Named Rin, and Love and Other Moods.
Want to read more of my reviews?
Read my reviews of all of Crystal’s picture at Goodreads on my dedicated shelf for Crystal Z. Lee. There are more picture books with Asian themes on the Asian bookshelf and of course there are hundreds of children’s book reviews my Goodreads Children’s Books shelf.
