Q&A with Charlotte Cheng

 

 

 

Charlotte Cheng is the author of the new children's picture book Icy Fruit: How My Grandfather Spread the Joy of Ice Pops Across Taiwan. Her other books include Roar-Choo!. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. 

 

Q: Why did you decide to write a book about your grandfather?

 

A: My grandfather started a popular popsicle company in Taiwan called Dong Dong Guo or “Icy Fruit.” When my grandfather passed away, the entire family learned the jingle for his Icy Fruit company so that we could sing the song at his funeral.

 

As we were learning the jingle, my father, aunts, and uncles started sharing stories about my grandfather’s popsicle business. One of them even brought out an old uniform worn by the Icy Fruit employees. They would play the jingle on their bikes and sell delicious popsicle treats throughout the streets of Taipei, Taiwan.

 

When we finally performed the jingle at my grandfather’s funeral, the room was filled with tears and laughter.

 

Later on, the song lingered in my mind for many years and so did the story of Icy Fruit. I brought up the idea with my editor, Lauri Hornik, and I was able to write Icy Fruit with her encouragement and guidance.

 

Q: The Kirkus Review of the book says, “Cheng’s affectionate narrative flows naturally, marked by alliterative, elegant language.” What do you think of that description?

 

A: I was so grateful that Kirkus appreciated the affection for my grandfather that I integrated into my storytelling and how I put a lot of thought into my word choices so that the story is fun to read aloud.

 

I'm always thinking of the final experience -- of parents reading to their kids at bedtime, educators reading to their classes, and librarians reading aloud at story times. I want the language to bring in different senses and in this book specifically, I would even teach the kids how to sing the jingle with me. 

 

Q: Did you need to do additional research to write the book, or did you already know the information before you started?

 

A: As a child, my grandfather would always have a plastic bag in his pocket, where he would carry all of his coins. I remember asking him why he used the bag instead of a regular coin purse.

 

It turned out the bag was the packaging used for his popsicle company. Instead of popsicle sticks, they would place crushed fruit into small plastic bags that were perfect for the size of kids’ hands.

 

My grandfather didn’t share many details about his popsicle business but when he did, he always spoke about Icy Fruit with great pride.

 

Thus, when I started researching for the story, I needed to rely on support from my relatives. My father interviewed old acquaintances who used to work at the Icy Fruit company. My aunt shared a report she once wrote about Icy Fruit and many relatives shared photos that the talented artist, Vivian Mineker, referenced when illustrating the book.

 

Many of my cousins hadn’t heard about the details of the Icy Fruit company so they were excited to learn more about our grandfather’s past. I’ll definitely make sure they receive copies of the book when it comes out!

 

Q: What do you think Vivian Mineker’s illustrations add to the book?

 

A: Vivian Mineker is a talented Taiwanese artist who brought so much colorful fun to Icy Fruit. In the story, we follow my grandfather through different stages of his life – from when he was a young businessman to the year he passed away.

 

With the help of my relatives, I gathered several photos of my grandfather across the different decades of his life so that Vivian had references to illustrate his likeness. Furthermore, I shared photos of the packaging, the uniforms, and even the sheet music for Icy Fruit! 

 

Vivian was able to integrate details from the photos and our revision notes to truly capture the essence of my grandfather’s spirit in her illustrations. I know my grandfather would be so proud. She also made the popsicles look absolutely delicious – you want to grab them straight off the page!

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I have two more books coming out soon! 

 

Later in 2025, Rocky Pond Books will be publishing Ama’s Purse, illustrated by Xindi Yan, where a girl discovers the magic inside her grandmother’s purse during their family road trip.

 

In 2026, I also have a book coming out with Harper Kids called A Name for Sister, illustrated by Sophia Diao. It’s a magical new sister story inspired by a centuries old naming tradition from China. 

 

Additionally, I've been working on a few stories that involve pirates, islands, paintings, and more. 

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: You can learn more about my work at: www.charlotte.art. There, you can sign up for my newsletter where I send a few updates a year about my upcoming events and books along with free resources/activities.

 

I also love doing visits at schools, conferences, and events so you can contact me on the website to explore how we can collaborate together!

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with Charlotte Cheng.