Join us as we chat with Cindy Wume, Taiwanese author and illustrator, about her new picture book, Home is a Hug. The book imagines all the different ways in which we can think about home. It has interactive elements with cutouts and flaps and lots of great details to seek out when reading it.

Find out about her journey from Taiwan to Cambridge, her creative process and discover how her travels and personal stories shape her vibrant illustrations and stories.

We talk about:

• Cindy's background and path to becoming an illustrator
• Inspiration behind "Home is a Hug" and its themes of belonging and emotional connection
• The creative process, including use of materials, digital tools, and interactive design elements like flaps and cutouts
• How travel and cultural experiences influence her artwork
• Favourite picture books growing up, including Where the Wild Things Are and the Japanese series 14 Forest Mice
• Future projects, including her new book about noodles and explorations of feelings and abstract concepts
• Meet her pet cat Bao

Links to books by or mentioned by Cindy:

• Home is a Hug by Cindy Wume
• The Bookshop Cat by Cindy Wume
• The Gardening Dog by Cindy Wume
• The Bed Book, by Sylvia Plath, illustrated by Cindy Hume
• Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
• Miki's First Errand by Yoriko Tsutsui
• A Lion in Paris by Beatrice Alemagna
• Three Happy Lions by Louise Fatio, illustrated by Roger Duvoisin
• 14 Forest Mice by Kazuo Iwamura

Books reviewed:

Puggle Snuggles by Mo O'Hara, illustrated by Loretta Schauer

Seahorse is Furious by Morag Hood

Other Links:

• Cambridge School of Art
• Natural History Museum London - Giant Squid Exhibit

Connect with Cindy Wume:

• Instagram
• Official Website

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