I have written six award-winning picture books. Are you here because you discovered The Wonderful Thing About Hiccups through the National Association of Parenting Publications Honors award? Or perhaps you found me because of the ALA Amelia Bloomer List - I am so proud that my book Tough Chicks is on this amazing list of feminist literature. Or perhaps your reluctant reader is now addicted to I Will Not Read This Book. 

Or maybe you just like meaningful books that make you and your child laugh and grow.

Bedtime is Canceled

What my publisher says:

The note read: Bedtime is canceled. Maggie thought of it. Her brother wrote it. A journalist read it. This was big news. He reported it. Before they knew it, the whole city discovered that bedtime had officially been canceled, so no one went to sleep!

Cece Meng, author of I WILL NOT READ THIS BOOK and TOUGH CHICKS, delivers once again with a pitch perfect cautionary tale, a wry parody of our information-glutted age, and heart-warming brother & sister adventure. Illustrated by French artist, Aurélie Neyret, who makes her U.S. debut with wit and whimsy.

What I say:

Sleep is good. I wish my babies understood that very simple concept, because they certainly didn't let me get much of it in those early parenting days. The real moral of this story, though, is to not believe everything you read.

In such a commercialized, information-driven world I want my kids to look at the source of their information and question its validity. I want them to understand how information, good and bad, travels at lightening speed.

And if that's too complicated for your young listeners, then by all means fall back on the other important message. Sleep is good. Very good.

I Will Not Read This Book!

What my publisher says:

This is the story of how the ultimate reluctant reader became a book lover.

The little boy in I Will Not Read This Book has a lot of excuses, because if there is one thing he doesn’t want to do, it’s read this book. He won’t read it even if you hang him upside down by one toe, over a cliff, with sharks down below. And you know what? You. Can’t. Make. Him.

In this book illustrated with wit and whimsy by Joy Ang, Cece Meng delivers once again with a pitch-perfect reluctant reader who is finally convinced to read the book if—and only if—someone he loves will read it with him.

What I say:

My son Alex was a reluctant reader. Was. I had a hard time understanding why such a creative, thoughtful child, my child, hated books. Plus, given my profession, he was making me look bad.

I wrote this book for him. It contained all his favorite things: sharks, a train, a dragon, suspense, adventure. I wanted him to know books are fun and interesting and unpredictable.

I also wanted to validate that learning to read can be scary and overwhelming and it is okay to get frustrated. I added loads of repetition so reluctant readers would pick up on words and phrases without even knowing they were (shhh, don't tell them) actually learning to read.

Tough Chicks

What my publisher says:

From the moment Penny, Polly, and Molly hatch from their eggs, the whole farm knows they are truly tough chicks. They wrestle worms, rope roosters, and are often found under the hood of the tractor.

All the other animals and even the farmer himself tell Mama Hen to make her chicks good. "They are good!" Mama Hen replies. But could her chicks be too loud, too independent, and too tough?

Lively language and bold illustrations capture all the fun and humor of this delightfully different farmyard romp that's also a resounding endorsement for letting girls be girls (even if they're loud and tough and like to play with tractors.)

What I say:

I love all my books. But this one is special. My dad, a graduate of MIT, worked at the UC Berkeley Lab as a research scientist. He also, along with my mom, raised four spirited daughters (and one son). We were told from a young age that girls are smart and capable and can kick-ass in math and science. And we did.

But this book is more than just a you-can-do-it book for girls. It's a BE YOURSELF book for everybody. I love spirited children. I'm partial to the rule-breakers, the nonconformists, the questioners.

And I want to ask parents to stop for a moment and question why they want their kids - especially girls - to be quiet and obey and fit in at all times. To be "good". Kids have something important to say. Please, please, please listen. Honor their impulses and find the right outlet for their energy!