Ginnie Lo and her sister Beth are the creators of Mahjong All Day Long, which won the Marion Vannett Ridgway Award for an outstanding picture book debut. Like their first book, Auntie Yang's Great Soybean Picnic is inspired by the sisters' memories of growing up Chinese American in the Midwest.

Ginnie Lo is a retired computer science professor who taught at the University of Oregon for many years. She enjoys hiking, international folk dancing, and traveling—especially taking family trips to China. The mother of two grown children, she lives with her husband in Eugene, Oregon.

Beth Lo and her sister Ginnie are the creators of Mahjong All Day Long, which won the Marion Vannett Ridgway Award for an outstanding picture book debut. Like their first book, Auntie Yang's Great Soybean Picnic is inspired by the sisters' memories of growing up Chinese American in the Midwest.

Beth Lo is an award-winning ceramic artist who has received fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and United States Artists. An art professor at the University of Montana, she also plays bass in two bands. She has one grown son, and she and her husband live in Missoula, Montana. Her Web site is bethlo.com

by School Library Journal


"Adding fullness to the narrative, wonderfully appropriate to the content, and paying homage to China's rich art history, Beth Lo's series of hand-painted porcelain plates serve as the book's illustrations. The soft, rounded compositions and earthy shades create feelings of easy comfort and warmth, and are a joy to behold. An author's note, information about soybeans, family photos, and a glossary/pronunciation guide are included. This is a stellar title that will rest comfortably next to acclaimed picture-book memoirs by Allen Say, Peter Sís, and Uri Shulevitz."


by Booklist


"Historical fiction, at its best, makes the specific universal. Here that happens in the story of two sisters, Jinyi and Pei, who live in a small Indiana town in the 1950s. . . . This heartfelt story (based on the authors' childhoods) is absolutely delicious. Readers will feel a kinship with the young cousins, who are isolated at first, but soon become the center of an annual tradition. Adding an extra layer of charm to the story is the unique artwork. Beth Lo is a ceramic artist, and she painted the illustrations on plates that fill the pages. The winsome pictures, drawn with a childlike charm, capture the warmth of family, friendship, and food. The afterword, with photos, is a bonus."


by Publishers Weekly


"Lo echoes the message about the importance of personal heritage with her engrossing domestic

scenes, painted on glazed porcelain plates. Each expressive composition stands alone, but together they provide an intimate chronicle of a multigenerational family."