“Cheng draws on her own memories of Taiwanese night markets to write a lively readaloud about finding one’s way home . . .  neat digital illustrations from Ren glow brightly in iridescent hues that grow more vibrant as the story reaches a happy ending for the solitary pooch.” — Publishers Weekly

Charlotte Cheng creates stories on rocks, sidewalks, libraries, and once in a while, the good old traditional piece of paper.

Charlotte Cheng has written and illustrated a variety of books including Night Market Rescue, Roar-Choo!, I Miss You Most, and BoBo Loves Dumplings. Represented by Red Fox Literary, Charlotte has spoken at a wide variety of events, given school assemblies, and taught interactive workshops for both children and adults. These events have included the National American Librarian Association Conference, LA Times Book Festival, Bay Area Book Festival, and the Your Author Series of Los Angeles Public Library. Charlotte has also been a guest speaker at both Harvard University and Stanford University.

With over 20 years of EdTech experience, Charlotte has also written and published K-12 curriculum for a variety of companies including CodeCombat, LeapFrog, Disney, and Wonder Workshop. She also hosts and produces the EdTech Adventures podcast, which explores the role of technology, STEM, and creative play in education. Charlotte lives in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she enjoys playing board games and the ukulele while sampling local boba beverages.

Charlotte's Featured Titles

Icy Fruit: How My Grandfather Spread the Joy of Ice Pops Across Taiwan

Rocky Pond Books |
Children’s

This fun and fascinating biography of a Taiwanese ice pop entrepreneur—the author’s beloved grandfather—is a terrific read-aloud about inventiveness and the treats of summer.

Charlotte Cheng’s grandfather always had a bag of coins rustling in his pocket. That bag carried with it “a story of joyful jingles, sultry summers, and fresh frozen fruit which began in 1965 in the lush valleys and mountains of an island called Taiwan.”

This story of Agong’s Icy Fruit company, from first inspired idea through experimentation to countrywide success, is a lyrical, lively, and richly illustrated read that’s part biography, part family tribute, and part celebration of summer. Gather round for Icy Fruit!

I Miss You Most

Rocky Pond Books |
Children’s

A girl remembers her grandfather fondly in this heartwarming, comforting picture book about coping with loss.

The memories of a beloved grandpa bring sadness but also solace to the young girl in this glowing and nourishing book. We see the close and lively relationship they shared and all the ways she has been enriched by knowing him—the ways he will always be there for her. This book is just right for starting necessary conversations about grief, and for paying tribute to the loved ones we’ve lost.

“When I miss you dearly, which is almost every day, I know your love is with me and will never go away.”

Roar-Choo!

Rocky Pond Books |
Children’s

Patient, peaceful Phoenix tries to take care of rambunctious and cold-ridden Dragon, which leads to hilarious and sweet results (with vibrant illustrations by the Caldecott Medal-winning creator of Beekle).

Everyone knows that dragons are fierce, capable of taking on the world!

But this dragon can’t stop sneezing long enough to get a roar out. Even with friendly Phoenix insisting that Dragon get some rest, this powerful creature refuses to stop for any orange ginger tea or a drop of bone broth soup.

It’s only when Dragon realizes Phoenix has caught the same cold that they are both able to take the break they so badly need. This tale of helping your friends and valuing differences is a sure-thing for story time.

Night Market Rescue

Rocky Pond Books |
Children’s

A stray dog stumbles upon the gift of friendship — and maybe even the promise of home — while wandering the delight-filled night market in Taipei.

While resting on a stoop, Gogo smells something sweet and spicy on the breeze. It leads him to a place he’s never been—a bustling night market where vendors sell delicious treats. As he wanders, sniffing for scraps, GoGo discovers something else as well: a little girl who has gotten separated from her parents. He knows he can help and guides her through the market . . . to where her worried parents wait for her—with open arms for their daughter and GoGo, their new pet!

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Persistence Pays Off: The Path to Success

Charlotte will share how she has used the design thinking process to stay persistent in past projects, which have included building robots, making Roblox games, and of course, writing and revising books! This presentation if chock full of concrete examples of how failing forward, embracing the revision process, and staying focused on your goals can help you tackle any problem.

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Storyboarding and Creative Writing

Storyboarding is a method that illustrators and artists often use to plan out the pacing of their story. Charlotte will share how she has used storyboards to map her stories as both an author and an illustrator. This talk will include activities for audience members to practice creating a story and storyboard themselves through guided brainstorming along with an optional art project.

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The Art of Revision: A Toolbox of Hands-On Strategies

Do you get lost or stuck in the middle of revising your children’s book? From gathering inspiration to revising story arcs to gathering constructive feedback, we’ll explore a wide variety of hands-on strategies that will help you stay focused and motivated throughout the revision process!

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Solving Everyday Problems with STEAM and Computational Thinking

Charlotte breaks down how we can solve everyday problems through the 4 pillars of computational thinking. This talk is chock full of examples and activities that audience members can try themselves. Great for schools and educational program that want to foster proactive problem solvers in their community.

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Combining Coding and Art to Express Your Ideas

Charlotte will share how her past projects have often included merging art and coding together. From designing a sketch accessory for a robot to developing 3 dimensional creative spaces in a Roblox game, Charlotte will leave audience members with inspiring ideas of how they can find coding and art connections in their own projects!

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Bringing Authentic Representation to EdTech and Literature

Charlotte Cheng will share how she brings authentic representation to children’s books, video games, and EdTech learning experiences. We’ll then explore ways you can foster authentic representation in your students’ day to day environment through strategies that include identity maps, design thinking, focus groups, and so much more!

Story Map Activity Packet

Night Market Rescue Activity Sheet

Roar-Choo! Activity Sheet

Honors, Awards & Recognition

2024 Children’s Book Council Teacher and Librarian Favorite List, (Night Market Rescue)
Southern California Indie Bestseller, (Roar-Choo!)
Featured in a New York Times article, which spotlights 6 picture books that “bring maximum read-aloud joy”, (Roar-Choo!)
#1 Amazon New Releases in their respective categories, (Night Market Rescue and Roar-Choo!)
Powell’s Picks of the Month (Night Market Rescue and Roar-Choo!)
Starred review from School Library Journal, (Roar-Choo!)
Riot’s Best New Children’s Books in April 2024, (Roar-Choo!)
The Taiwan Academy selected Night Market Rescue as their top 7 books about Taiwan in 2024
Visiting author for the Your Author Series for LA Public Library
Awarded the Scholar-in-Residence for SCBWI San Francisco/South

Media Kit

By clicking the link below you will be directed to a Google Docs Folder
where you can download author photos and cover images.

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