Instagram story viewer> @charlenedraws> Tagged

Charlene Chua

@charlenedraws

7.3K

followers

2693

following

Children’s illustrator-author| THE PINK PAJAMAS (S&S, 08/25) | Rep’d by Tracy Marchini | 🇨🇦🇸🇬🏳️‍🌈| No NFT/AI

POSTS STORIES REELS TAGGED

Lunar New Year #giveaway ! Let's celebrate the Lunar New Year with these wonderful books about family, friends and traditions new and old.

Win a copy of @bshum79 Alex's Good Fortune and We Are Lion Dancers + Amy Wu & the Lantern Festival (illus. by @charlenedraws )!

⭐UPDATE! Congratulations to our winners @that.oakville.librarian (Canadian) & @pintsizecarmen (US) for our #lunarnewyear giveaway

1 US & 1 Canadian winner will be drawn!

To enter:

- Follow @bshum79 & @charlenedraws
- Like and save this post
- Tag a friend
- Indicate 'US' or 'CAN' (we will pick 1 winner for each country)

Giveaway ends 11.59pm, Feb 3rd, 2026

#bookgiveaway #bookstagram #lunarnewyearbooks lunarnewyear

260

86

@outraleighpridenc !! 🏳️‍🌈✨

It was hot, but it was full of so much love & joy. Our Love, Violet wall encouraged everyone to share a little love note. Our book selections encouraged diversifying bookshelves. Our activities encouraged creativity & allowed everyone to express themselves freely.

Big thanks to @dragstoryhourtriangle for joining us in the kid zone. Milo’s (our 7yo) homemade tshirt said “Drag Queens Taught Me To Read” & if that isn’t the most beautiful thing 🥹

If you’re looking for a list of books to read this June & beyond, check out our book list in our stories of all the incredible queer picture books we brought to Out Raleigh Pride in our stories!!

#mosskidsbooks #mosskidsevents #outraleigh #raleighpride #pridemonth #happypride

32

4

Brp brp brrrrrrp! Hear ye, hear ye! Coming from the magical medieval Land of La-Dee-Dah, I cordially invite you to feast your eyes on this incredible cover of the first book in the new young graphic novel series ONCE UPON A TAIL by me and Charlene Chua (@charlenedraws) coming in April! And it is officially available for pre-order today!!

Wallace and Poppy disagree on *almost* everything. Even still, they are the best of pals whose hilarious fun-filled shenanigans will leave readers turning page after page in each of their three silly, snarky, and sweet friendship stories.

From our publisher @AbramsKids:
A high-interest fantasy setting, accessible reading level, and kid-perfect humor, this series is perfect for fans of Narwhal and Jelly or Peter & Ernesto.

Book 1 coming April 21, 2026!

#GraphicNovel #KidLit #ChildrensBook #OnceUponATail #LandOfLaDeeDah #KidsBooks #AHorseAndDragonGraphicNovel #Series

114

58

I was not prepared.

The subtitle does clearly state “a story about love and loss”, I just didn’t expect to relate to this one this much.

The Pink Pajamas is the story of Ling Ling, whose aunt Ah Yi loves to sew. The sound of her sewing machine is how the girl knows she’s home. Ah Yi shows her love by sewing her niece pajamas. Pajamas that are soft and fit perfectly - always.

When Ah Yi makes a pink pair, she can tell her niece doesn’t love them, so she puts them away and says she’ll make another pair. But when Ling Ling visits again, the sewing machine is silent. Ah Yi is in hospital.

This is a story of love and loss. Ah Yi doesn’t come home from the hospital. There is hopeful waiting, there is hearing the bad news, there is a wake - swipe across to the last image in carousel shows part of the illustration with the casket (partially covered by the jacket flap), and then there is missing Ah Yi and sorting through her belongings.

The ending has LIng Ling finding a way to show love to her aunt and honour her memory.

I also had an aunt who loved to sew, and who made things for her nieces and nephews as one way to show her love. I was an adult when she passed away, not nearly as young as Ling Ling when her aunt passed. But I remember finding a partially completed outfit that she had been making for me amongst her various fabrics. Fabrics that had been packed away to move closer to family when she became ill. And this book transported me back to learning she was ill, and hoping we would get more time, and grieving her loss while planning my wedding (instead of having her be part of the preparations).

The words are simple - from a child’s perspective - focused on where they go, what they wear, who they see and what is said. The illustrations have a muted palette, a balance of detailed and simple images and including facial expressions which convey emotions. Charlene Chua has created a powerful book which can help families think of ways they can show love to those who have died, and also help prepare kids for attending a wake or a funeral visitation.

The Pink Pajamas
A Story about Love and Loss
By Charlene Chua
@simonschusterca @simonkids

56

42

The Pink Pajamas- Charlene Chua

4⭐️/ 5⭐️/ 5⭐️

“I liked the cat stuffy. The book made me think about the funeral we went to.”

“I like it because I like it when Ah Yi sews her stuff. It made me feel happy and loved.”

“What I liked about it is all of it. It made me feel happy.”

This is such a complex book about love and loss and navigating grief as a child. This was so beautifully done and would be an incredible tool to help children talk about loss.

This book left me choking back tears 🤍 Our children most recently went to a funeral this summer and this was an opportunity for us chat about those we love that have passed.

Thank you @simonschusterca for the copy 🤍

How do you show love to others?

65

35

The Pink Pajamas, a story about loss and familial ties, by kidlit author and illustrator @charlenedraws, is now available! You can find this book and other books illustrated by Charlene, at the Comics and Games Bodega!

Purchase of any Charlene Chua title comes with a free sticker, bookmark, and signed bookplate. Available while supplies last!

Located inside the Rust Belt Market
Friday 12pm-7pm
Saturday 11am-7pm
Sunday 11am-6pm

31

0

Based on the real pajamas her aunt sewed her, THE PINK PAJAMAS by Charlene Chua is a heartfelt story about love, loss, and the innumerable ways to carry someone in your heart. Get your copy today from the link in our bio!

63

1

One of our favourite picture books (and Rep Pick) of the season is out now! 🐉 ✏️

The human school is full, but don’t worry, there’s a spot waiting for you at the local dragon school! Even though you might not have scales or wings or the ability to breathe fire, with a little bit of courage and your own special talents, you’ll have no trouble fitting in. Even if your classmates are a little bit… toothy.

Perfect for fans of ‘Dragons Love Tacos’ and ‘We Don’t Eat Our Classmates,’ this hilarious picture book is sure to become a favorite storytime read-aloud in every little reader’s library—human or dragon.

40

3

Holiday heads up: Lunar New Year begins on February 10th, which is just under two weeks away! Lunar New Year is a joyous celebration that marks the beginning of a new year on the traditional lunisolar Chinese calendar. It is a multi-day celebration, typically lasting 15 days, involving much preparation and various traditions.

‼️Comment LUNARNEWYEAR to get a link sent to your inbox. ‼️

Here’s a bit about each of the books:

Chinese New Year (Spring Festival):
❤️Bizzy Bear Chinese New Year | This new addition to one of my preschooler’s favorite board book series includes various interactive elements while showing littles Chinese New Year dress, food, and other customs.
❤️The Lunar New Year Surprise | Through the Lunar New Year celebrations, a child waits for a good opportunity to gift a special present to his little sister.
❤️Two New Years | Highlighting a family’s celebrations of both Rosh Hashanah and Lunar New Year, this book helps readers observe parallels, as well as differences, between the two holidays.
❤️The Lucky Red Envelope | This stunning picture book (with over 140 intricate flaps to open) highlights a family’s celebrations, their first with a new baby at home!
❤️Lunar New Year (Celebrations & Festivals) | In this firsthand account of Lunar New Year, we follow Ling and her family through their celebrations. It features a ton of awesome back matter including greetings, activities, and more.

Korean New Year (Seollal):
❤️Tomorrow Is New Year’s Day | In this truly adorable book, Mina introduces some of her Seollal traditions to her class at school.

Malaysian New Year (Tahun Baru Cina):
❤️Boys Don’t Fry | This sweet story challenges gender norms while highlighting the sweetest intergenerational relationship between a young boy and his grandma as they work together to prepare a celebratory meal in the kitchen.

🙏 Many thanks and much love to the publishers who sent gifted review copies! The titles in this round up are either recent releases or new to me. Do you recognize any of them?

If you celebrate Lunar New Year, let us know in the comments below!! 👇

591

45

Wake me up, September has ended and October is officially here - which means that BOYS DON’T FRY releases in a month’s time! 💃🏻

Sharing a few scenes from our upcoming book, gorgeously illustrated by @charlenedraws, and the real-life moments and memories that inspired them. Charlene’s art captures this so authentically, from the heritage houses of Malaysia and Singapore (the video shows a short glimpse of Malacca’s Heeren Street), to the vibrant colors of Peranakan food and the simple joys of the kitchen, to the exquisite details of our traditional attire, the Nyonya kebaya (modeled by my beautiful grandma and mum) 💕

This was a joy to film- and I hope you’ll enjoy this sneak peek as well!

#boysdontfry #kidlit #picturebooks #childrensbooks #peranakan #nyonya #southeastasia #malaysia #singapore #diversebooksforkids #educators #libraries #authorsofinstagram #bookstagram #librarians #illustratorsofinstagram #foodstagram #booksforkids #malacca

95

17

Had the incredible honor of dropping by @mackidsbooks’ office today - and finally met my wonderful editor @trishadeg in person!

Trisha, I couldn’t have asked for a better champion for BOYS DON’T FRY - thank you for pouring out so much love into this book of ours and for the generosity of your time and thoughts. I’m endlessly grateful for you! 💕

#boysdontfry #kidlit #picturebook #childrensbooks #diversebooks #peranakan #nyonya #malaysia #singapore #authorsofinstagram #bookstagram #educator #librarian #macmillan #mackidsbooks #bookpublishing #nyc

114

10

PRIDE MONTH! PRIDE MONTH! PRIDE MONTH! 🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈 Okay, our staff might be going a wee bit feral now that Pride Month is here. You don't want to know how many displays in our stores are now Pride displays. (Hint: it's, uh, a LOT of them.)

We'll feature a whole slew of queer books in-store and here on Instagram over the next month, but get started with this massive pile of queer reads across genres and age categories. There's no wrong book here—only a whole stack of beautiful rainbow goodness.

See any of your favorites?

[ #PrideMonth #HappyPride #ReadQueerBooks ] Oblong Books Rhinebeck manager Nicole lies on the carpet SURROUNDED by various queer fiction books for all ages. She is smiling and holding a copy of the picture book LOVE, VIOLET.

113

18