Children’s Book Event with Livia Blackburne and Julia Kuo

In-person Seattle launch party featuring both Livia and Julia. March 15, 2026, at 2:00 pm at Little Saigon Creative, hosted by Friends of Little Sài Gòn. Signing at 11 am

Enjoy story time and a drawing activity at 2:00 pm with book signings at 3:00 pm.

This free community event is open to all ages on Sunday, March 2nd, from 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm at Little Saigon Creative

Books will be available for purchase during the event thanks to mam's bookstore.

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The Little Saigon Creative is a community gathering space dedicated to Vietnamese culture and experiences, providing community-centered services and a place to socialize and dream of new ideas. Friends of Little Saigon launched Little Saigon Creative in November 2020 to create a community gathering space dedicated to Vietnamese culture and community-centered services.

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mam’s books is the only independent Asian American bookstore in Seattle and the entire Pacific Northwest. Their focus is on providing books and titles to the community by Asian American authors and writers.

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About the Creators:

Livia Blackburne is a New York Times bestselling author of novels and picture books. Her titles include “I Dream of Popo”, which received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, Kirkus, and Booklist; Midnight Thief, an Indies Introduce New Voices selection; and Rosemarked, A YALSA Teens Top Ten nominee. Born in Taiwan and raised in Albuquerque, she now lives in Los Angeles with her husband and daughter.

Julia Kuo is the author and illustrator of “Let’s Do Everything” and “Nothing and Luminous: Living Things that Light Up the Night”. She is the illustrator of several picture books including “I Dream of Popo” by Livia Blackburne, “I Am an American: The Wong Kim Ark Story” by Martha Brockenbrough and Grace Lin, and New York Times bestselling “Rise” by Jeff Yang, Phil Yu, and Philip Wang. Julia has created editorial illustrations for publications such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Economist. She currently lives in Bellevue, WA.

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About the Book:

A modern American tall tale woven by a girl and her father about Ah Bing, the Chinese immigrant behind the Pacific Northwest's most delicious cherries.

You've heard of a Bing cherry, but did you know the story of the Chinese American immigrant for whom the dark, luscious cherry is named?

Long ago, Ah Bing was a father who travelled across the sea from China looking for work. It was in Oregon where he met a man who hired him to work in his orchards, where eventually, Bing cultivated the delicious cherries we know of today.

But what was it that made this man and the cherries he made so special? a young girl wonders as she sits together with her father, enjoying cherries from their backyard. Weaving together cultural memory, historical fact, and her own imagination, the young girl imagines a narrative of Ah Bing that is as larger than life and as sweet as his namesake.

With touching text and lush illustrations, Livia Blackburne and Julia Kuo forge an unforgettable Chinese American folktale that has largely been untold. The backmatter includes a letter from the author and illustrator, as well as a recipe!

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Host or Publisher Friends of Little Sài Gòn