I Love You More Author Q&A

Q: What aspects of your own life helped inspire this book?

A: Growing up as a 1.5 generation Asian American to traditional, 1st Gen parents, I’ve rarely heard “I love you”. I learn that love equals piety, as I must love my parents because I owe my existence to them. It wasn’t until after college when I came across the Five Languages of Love, written by Gary Chapman. It was so inspirational as it helped me for the first time understand my own love languages.

When my daughter was born, I felt for the first time what it means to have unconditional love. A love so true, so pure, with zero expectation, asking for nothing in return. It was life changing. I truly believe, that when a child grows up loved, s/he will have more confidence in life, and in themselves.

This book is a love letter to my child. A promise that I will make and keep. A love letter I wished my parents would have written me, but due to cultural barriers have not been able to explicitly. Inspired by the five languages of love, this is my take of a version for young children.

 

Q: Tell us the inspiration for the visuals in this book?

A: This book features the papercut style. I’m inspired by this style because it
is cross-cultural and cross-generational. I wanted to feature a single parent with his/her child — to be inclusive of modern families we have around us. Love is personal, and the promise one makes while reading is personal. Featuring the parent-child one-to-one is most fitting. I wanted to feature a mother-son combo and a father-daughter combo. Men and boys are also capable of emotions and love. I want to show just that.

Sabrina Deigert was the perfect artist for this book. Being mixed race herself, she longs to see more diversity in books, especially children’s books. She still remembers her childhood favorite book was still kept at her parents‘ house as if it’s an heirloom. Taking an abstract concept such as unconditional love and bringing it to life in simple papercut art style is no easy task, but she did the most amazing job.

 

Q: Who would you recommend this book to?

A: Any new parents, especially with newborns.

 

Q: What can parents and children hope to learn from this book?

A: Aside from seeing the diverse representation in the main characters, I’d
encourage parents to leverage this book at different age to spark meaningful
conversations.

If your child is under 1	Encourage your child to wonder with the bright, contrasting colors. This book will bring so much emotions to a new parents. Enjoy these little moments, and quality bonding time with your child.
If your child is 1-2 years old	Read the simple phrases as they learn to talk. These positive phrases will become part of their vocabulary and will help guide them as they grow. Point out things on the pages to help increase their vocabulary.
If your child is 3-5 years old	Instill confidence in your child as they repeat these positive phrases, and teach him/her that there are many different ways to love. Talk about your promises. Tell your child they are loved, just the way they are and they don’t need to earn it. Take your child down the memory lane and recall the experiences you both shared, as you journey through the book.