Spotlight – Pei’s Pineapple Cakes – picture book
Guide to Categories – Spotlight – I have not read this book so I cannot speak to its appropriateness for a K-12 Christian School library. I encourage librarians to read the book before making a purchasing decision.
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Book Title: Pei’s Pineapple Cakes by Crystal Z. Lee
Category: Children’s Fiction (Ages 3-7), 38 pages
Genre: Children’s Picture Book
Publisher: Balestier Press
Publication Date: May 10, 2025.
Tour dates: June 9 to June 27
Content Rating: G
While visiting her grandmother in central Taiwan, Pei finds herself in the middle of a mystery. The pineapple cakes from her grandmother’s bakery have disappeared! Soon Pei is collecting clues as she embarks on a quest to find the missing pineapple cakes.
From traditional Taiwanese artisan craftsmanship to picturesque villages of central Taiwan, Pei discovers the beauty of her grandmother’s hometown. This is a charming story of courage, adventure, and the love between grandchildren and grandparents.
Pei’s Pineapple Cakes is an elaborately illustrated picture book that makes an ideal gift:
- -Real locations from central Taiwan make for an inspiring geographical, historical and cultural reading experience
- -Storyline sparks dialogue around kindness, empathy, courage, and resilience
- -Exquisite illustrations of Taiwanese artisans’ craftsmanship foster appreciation for heritage and traditions
- -Bilingual text in English and Mandarin encourages learning in both languages
Crystal Z. Lee is a bilingual writer who divides her time between the U.S. and Asia. Crystal grew up in Taipei and later returned to live there in her adult years. Some of Crystal’s fondest memories in Taiwan include boating at Sun Moon Lake, chasing butterflies in Maolin, making pineapple cakes and eating her way through night markets with her family. Besides children’s books, Crystal’s other published works include poetry and a novel. Her other book about Taiwan is titled Kai the Dancing Butterfly. She is also the author of Mei’s Mermaid Mission, A Unicorn Named Rin, and Love and Other Moods.
connect with the author: website ~ instagram ~ goodreads
Meet the Illustrator:
Allie Su grew up in Yunlin county, Taiwan. She often finds her illustration inspiration from the great outdoors. One of her favorite places to hike in Taiwan is Sun-Link-Sea Forest in Nantou. She adores Taiwanese cuisine and night market foods, such as stinky tofu, vegetarian noodles and taro pastries from Taichung. Allie also illustrated Mei’s Mermaid Mission and Kai the Dancing Butterfly.
PEI’S PINEAPPLE CAKES by Crystal Z Lee Book Tour Giveaway
