Today we are very excited to share a special interview with author Aisha Saeed (The Together Tree)!
Read on to learn more about her, her book, and a giveaway!
Meet the Author: Aisha Saeed
Aisha Saeed is the author of Written in the Stars, which was listed as a Best Book of 2015 by Bank Street Books, a 2016 YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers, and named one of the Top Ten Books All Young Georgians Should Read in 2016. She is also the author of the middle grade novel Amal Unbound, which has received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Kirkus Reviews and is a Global Read Aloud for 2018. Her other picture books include Bilal Cooks Daal and The Together Tree. Aisha is a founding member of the nonprofit We Need Diverse Books. She has been featured on MTV, HuffPost, NBC, and the BBC, and her writings have appeared in publications including the journal ALAN and the Orlando Sentinel.
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Meet the Illustrator: LeUyen Pham
LeUyen Pham has illustrated more than fifty books, including board books, picture books, chapter books, and graphic novels. Her work has been recognized with numerous honors, including the Society of Illustrators Los Angeles Bronze Medal in the Children’s Book category, and Best Books of the Year lists in publications such as Kirkus Reviews, The Horn Book Magazine, and Comic Book Resources. She is also a New York Times bestseller for Grace for President, written by Kelly DiPucchio; Freckleface Strawberry and the Dodgeball Bully, written by Julianne Moore; and Princess in Black, written by Shannon and Dean Hale. Born in Vietnam, LeUyen came to the United States at the end of the Vietnam War when she was only two. She studied illustration at The Art Center College of Design, and for a short period of time worked at DreamWorks Animation as a layout artist before turning to illustration full time. She lives with her husband (who is also an artist) and two sons in Los Angeles. Visit her online at LeUyenPham.com.
About the Book: The Together Tree
All Are Welcome meets Be Kind in this poignant and accessible picture book about the power every bystander—no matter how small—has to extend kindness and stand up in the face of intolerance.
At his new school, quiet Rumi feels small and unwelcome, and a few kids bully him for his brown skin and bright shoes. He finds refuge beneath the old willow tree by the playground and builds his own world of hope and dreams of belonging.
One day, when Rumi is made a target again, one of his classmates bravely steps in to defend him. It’s in that moment of solidarity Rumi’s class finally realizes that under the shade of the willow tree, all are welcome, and they create a space they can all play in—together.
~Author Chat~
YABC: What gave you the inspiration to write/illustrate The Together Tree?
Pham: I think much of the world has felt a sense of tension and worry these past few years more than we ever have before. During this time, I’ve found myself gravitating more and more towards manuscripts that talk about kindness and civility, basic forces that keep us grounded and connected. The Together Tree is a lovely example of that type of story, using the microcosm of a playground and the children within it to make a case for the larger world. It used to be the case that I wanted the children to see themselves in these stories. Now I hope a few adults will recognize themselves as well.
Saeed: I love that so much, LeUyen! This is indeed a story for both children and the adults in their lives and I hope will be the spark of many conversations to come.
YABC: Who is your favorite character in The Together Tree?
Saeed: I love all the characters so much so it’s hard to pick. That said, given that Rumi– the main character– was inspired by own son and his experiences at school, Rumi has a special place in my heart.
Pham: My favorite character is Asher. That might seem odd to some people, but as I was illustrating the book, I realized that Asher had more of my sympathies because his actions come from a darker place. Who knows what led this little boy to an act of violence? As a character, he had further to grow than anyone, and that growth makes him a richer person by the end of the book.
YABC: What scene in The Together Tree are you most proud of, and why?
Pham: As an illustrator, I found that the most pivotal scene in the story was the moment Asher doesn’t think and throws a rock at Rumi. It’s a significant moment, this first introduction to violence in a child. I’ve seen these moments myself play out in real time on the playground, and the resulting actions seem to have a lasting effect on a child. I’ve seen a teacher reprimand a kid in nearly as violent of a way, yelling and showing anger at this prompting of violence. And I’ve seen the opposite happen, where the child is given a moment to be with this act, and realize it is not what they wanted to do. And less often, I’ve seen moments of forgiveness from the child who had been hurt. But that moment when it happens, when that child succumbs to violence, is poignant. In the story, when Asher gives in to violence for the first time and throws a rock at Rumi, I wanted it to stand out, I wanted the reader to take pause when this happens. The world stops, color drains, all that is shown is the simplicity and ugliness of the act in black and white. And while the other children move out of it towards forgiveness and towards color, Asher isn’t yet a whole person, he remains in the trap of his ugly act, and can’t move on until he too is forgiven. For me, I’m hoping children will be able to sense, more than read, that shift towards light and kindness.
Saeed: When I was asked who was my dream artist for this project, I told them that was easy: LeUyen Pham. We are huge fans of her work in our home, and this description of the details behind the spread of Asher throwing the rock at Rumi– his first true act of violence– how it is emphasized for the pivotal moment that it is, is everything you need to know about the care and thought that she puts into her storytelling and art. That was a huge moment in the book, but with picture books, you are limited with word count unlike novels, so I am grateful for the power of LeUyen’s art in bringing home the stakes of what had just happened in that important scene.
YABC: Thinking way back to the beginning, what’s the most important thing you’ve learned as a writer/illustrator from then to now?
Saeed: One of the most important things I’ve learned as a writer along the way in this journey, is that writing is a process. And that writing is always a process, no matter how many books one writes. There is a wonderful Studio Ghibli movie Whisper of the Heart that captures my sentiments on writing so well: just because you love something, doesn’t mean that it won’t take work.
Pham: I’ve learned that I can never stop learning. Each project brings new insight, a new way of doing something, of telling a story. But I’ve also learned that no matter how many times a story has been told, you can always find ways to tell it again. Books for children should be required reading for adults too, as adults seem to have forgotten many of the basic lessons of childhood.
YABC: What new release book are you looking most forward to in 2023?
Pham: Oh, I’ve got a few of my own! The tenth book in the Princess in Black series, with Shannon and Dean Hale, is coming out, called “The Prince In Pink”. It’s a fund one, involving a gang of unruly oversized birds. There’s also the third book my Itty Bitty Kitty-Corn series with Shannon Hale, called “Party Hearty, Kitty-Corn”, in which Kitty has to deal with feelings of jealousy with a rival puppy. And of course, The Together Tree. All three stories deal with love and acceptance.
Saeed: Me too! The Together Tree has been years in the making and I’m so excited for it to finally be out in the world! Also up next for me in 2023 is a middle grade novel set on a story night in an airport, Grounded, that I co-wrote with Huda Al-Marashi, S.K. Ali, and Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow. My young adult magical-realism novel Forty Words For Love is also coming out next year.
YABC: What’s a book you’ve recently read and loved?
Saeed: My kids and I are in the middle of The Orphan and the Ogress by Kelly Barhnhill and loving it!
Pham: On the kids’ book side, I’ve been losing myself in Sophie Blackall’s “Farmhouse”. I had the great fortune of seeing the book in progress, and it’s absolutely stunning. I also recently read “A High Five for Glenn Burke” by Phil Bildner, which was incredibly moving and a little heartbreaking as well. And one of my favorite graphic novels recently is Jen Wang’s “Stargazing”. Just beautiful.
YABC: What’s up next for you?
Pham: SO many things! I never stay still for too long. I have a picture book I’m working on called “The Man Who Didn’t Like Animals”, by Deborah Underwood. It’s funny and silly and such a joy to paint. I also have books with Meg Medina and Laurel Snyder coming up. I’m forever collaborating with my bestie Shannon Hale on projects, including more Kitty-Corn books, and maybe a couple other surprises. My husband Alex Puvilland and I are going to begin working on a graphic novel version of “Madeline”, by John Marciano, which should be fun! And right now I’m neck deep in a graphic novel with Gene Yang, a romance involving Lunar New Year and lion dancing. As I said, so many things!
YABC: What gave you the most trouble when writing/illustrating The Together Tree?
Pham: While the scene in which Asher throws a rock at Rumi was the scene I was most proud of, it’s also the scene that was the most difficult for me. As a parent, you have a tendency to want to focus on all the good memories of childhood, and as a children’s book illustrator, you sometimes fall into that trap as well. But areas of real growth are the moments in which kids are the most challenged, and must find solutions to difficult problems. Drawing that image of Asher inflicting harm, and the look on Rumi’s face when it happens, is a hard moment to capture. I think in a way I simplified it to black and white as well to make it easier to deal with. Because in color, it seemed somehow less significant. I rarely draw my characters without being able to read what thought is in their head. When Asher throws the rock, the thought is ugly, and that’s not a moment that I enjoy drawing. But as I said, it’s a significant moment, the moment in which the character pivots, and the next image, of total shock on his face when he realizes what he has done, undoes much of the damage the previous drawing had done.
Saeed: In The Together Tree, Han is the bystander watching with discomfort, Asher’s escalations of violence. He does not like it, but he does not know what to do. This is the case for so many of us– kids and adults– in situations like this. It took many revisions for me to get that part just right. Again, thanks to LeUyen’s illustrations, I believe this came through very well.
YABC: What is the main message or lesson you would like your reader to remember from The Together Tree?
Pham: Anger, violence, is almost a learned thing. But so is kindness. We must choose to be one or the other. It is a choice we must make as adults as well. It is that kindness that moves us towards humanity.
Saeed: Couldn’t have said it better myself.
YABC: What would you say is your superpower?
Saeed: Making character voices when I read picture books! It’s my favorite thing.
Pham: I used to say drawing. But that’s an easy answer. I think my real superpower is capturing — capturing moments, capturing a feeling, capturing and shedding light on things that we don’t spend enough time looking at. Somehow getting that on paper. It’s what I’ve worked my entire life at getting to, and I keep working at it. That, and I can fly!
YABC: Is there an organization or cause that is close to your heart?
Pham: While I donate and put time towards many charities, the one organization I feel most strongly about is Plan International, which advances children’s rights and equality for girls all over the world. I’m lucky to have been able to immigrate to the United States and to take advantage of much this country has to offer. But I’m aware that many children, particularly girls, won’t have that same option, and I appreciate that Plan Int’l helps children in their corner of the world as well. The world is a much smaller place than it used to be.
Saeed: In a world with increasing challenges to books by marginalized creators, I am grateful for the work that We Need Diverse Books continues to do in spreading the word about the importance of diverse reading in our children’s lives.
YABC: What advice do you have for new writers/illustrators?
Pham: Being unsure of what you’re doing is a sure sign that you’re doing something new. If something comes easy, then you’ve already done it. Moving towards exploration of what you can do leads to growth, and to me, that’s the way to stay new and vital in creating books.
Saeed: If you want to be a writer– read widely! And write! Write messy stories, write silly stories, write the stories that sing to you– your stories are yours and only you can tell them.
Title: The Together Tree
Author: Aisha Saeed
Illustrator: LeUyen Pham
ISBN-13: 9781534462960
ISBN-10: 1534462961
On-sale date: May 30, 2023
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Imprint: Salaam Reads
Ages: Ages 4-8, Grades P to 3
~ Giveaway Details ~
Three (3) winners will receive a copy of The Together Tree (Aisha Saeed) ~US Only! (No P.O. Boxes)
*Click the Rafflecopter link below to enter the giveaway*
This looks like a great concept
This seems like a beautiful story, and it sends a great message! I like the cover – it’s so pretty!
The tree on the cover is beautiful and sends such a sweet message as the kids are gathered underneath it. I’ve seen this book recently in some advertisements and can’t wait to finally read it. I absolutely love any book that displays diversity and has a positive message about something our son will definitely encounter at some point.
This sounds essential for young kids to read.
This would be a great book to use for SEL lessons with young students!
This book sounds powerful and much needed. The cover is cute.