Episode
Celebrating Night Owls And Night Markets
- Published
- Apr 23, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 3338
- Processing state
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Summary
In this episode, Jed welcomes Emily Sun Li , debut picture book author of Mister Chow's Night Market , for a warm and lively conversation about creativity, culture, and doing life a little differently. Emily shares how living in Taiwan for two years —zipping around on a moped, drinking fresh juice, and visiting night markets almost every evening—inspired her story of a sleepy grocery store and its equally sleepy, grumpy owner, Mister Chow. When they can't manage mornings, they reinvent the store as a night market , celebrating night owls, Taiwanese snacks, and the courage to pivot instead of forcing yourself to fit a schedule that doesn't work for you. Emily and Jed talk about adaptability as a crucial skill for kids today, the joy and community of Taiwanese night markets, and the importance of stories that are immersively rooted in a culture rather than told through an outsider's gaze. Emily also reflects on intergenerational relationships , explaining why she loves that older characters are central to her book and how picture books can show that growth and self-discovery don't stop when you become an adult. She describes her path from teaching in Connecticut to teaching in Taiwan, then studying writing for children, discovering picture books as a poetic form, and learning how to leave space for the illustrator's storytelling. Later in the episode, Jed is joined by Andrea Wang , author of the Newbery Honor–winning picture book Watercress , who talks about growing up as one of the only Asian American kids in rural Ohio, finding refuge in books, and writing emotionally honest stories about family, belonging, and heritage.