Today we are very excited to share an interview with Author Kelly Yang (Little Bird Laila)!
Meet the Author: Kelly Yang
Kelly Yang is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the picture book Yes We Will, the middle grade New From Here, the Front Desk series, and the young adult novels Parachutes and Private Label. Her books have earned multiple awards, including the 2019 APALA Award for Children’s Literature, the Parents’ Choice Gold Medal, and multiple best of the year lists, and her writing has been published in the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Atlantic. Kelly immigrated to the United States when she was six years old and grew up in Southern California. Today, she and her family live in Los Angeles.
About the Book: Little Bird Laila
From New York Times bestselling author and illustrator, Kelly Yang and Xindi Yan, is a joyful story of a Chinese American girl translating for her immigrant parents
Laila knows how clever, kind, and funny her Mama and Baba are—but sometimes they need her help translating things from English. With English classes being too expensive, Laila decides to become her parents’ teacher, even though she’s just learning the language too. There’s lots that Laila knows (like you don’t pronounce the t in ballet) but there’s so much she doesn’t know too. Together, they embrace the joy and struggles of learning a new language.
~Author Chat~
YABC: What gave you the inspiration to write this book?
I was inspired to write Little Bird Laila because of my own experience translating for my parents when I was a kid!
YABC: What came first, the concept, landscape, characters, or something else?
Definitely the concept, and then the characters! I love how much Laila supports her parents and vice versa!
YABC: If you could only write one genre for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?
Middle grade forever! I love middle grade because you get to write the world not just as it is but what it can be!
YABC: What can readers expect to find in your books?
Readers can expect to find lots of humor and heart!
YABC: What is your favorite snack when writing?
I don’t snack while writing, which is very weird, I know! I do drink lots of water though!
YABC: What daily thing do you see that brings you joy?
My family brings me lots of joy and my dogs!
YABC: What do you do when you procrastinate?
Usually I’ll go down rabbit holes on the internet.
YABC: What’s a book you’ve recently read and loved?
Saving Five by Amanda Nguyen – SO good!
Title: Little Bird Laila
Author: Kelly Yang
Illustrator: Xindi Yan
Publisher: Penguin Young Readers; Dial
Release Date: 4/15/2025
