Jack Wong was born in Hong Kong, raised in Vancouver, and now lives in Halifax where he works as a writer and illustrator of children’s books. Prior to earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts from NSCAD University in Halifax, Wong was a bridge engineer.
Fiction (Juvenile, Picture book)
All that Grows
Toronto: Groundwood Books, 2024.
Publisher’s Synopsis (From its website)
On their neighborhood walks together, a boy learns from his older sister all about the plants they see — magnolias that smell like lemon cake, creeping weeds that used to be planted for decoration, and even how dandelion greens can be eaten with spaghetti! But what makes a plant a flower, vegetable or weed, anyway? How can his sister tell, and how does she know so much?
The boy’s head spins as he realizes how vast the universe is and how much there is to learn … until he resolves to let his knowledge grow in its own way and time, just like the mysterious plants he has decided to nurture in the garden.
Fiction (Juvenile, Picture book)
When You Can Swim
Orchard Books/Scholastic Books, 2023.
Publisher’s Synopsis (From the Scholastic website)
In this exploration of what it truly means to swim, expansive vignettes introduce sandpipers, tannin-soaked lakes, and the feeling of a small waterfall on sun-soaked shoulders. But what about those who are afraid of the water’s mysterious ways and resist learning to swim? Painting a compelling picture of the many joys and surprises that the water holds, artist and author Jack Wong has delivered an empowering, poetic journey that invites children to discover their confidence within to receive the warmth and wonder of the natural world.
Awards and Honours
2023 Boston Globe-Horn Book Award in Picture Books (Winner)
2023 Governor General’s Literary Awards–Young People’s Literature: Illustrated Books, English (Winner)
Fiction (Juvenile, Picture book)
The Words We Share = [Yee Yu Tong Sum]
Toronto: Annick Press, 2023.
(Chinese title transliterated in accordance with Cantonese sounds)
Publisher’s Synopsis (From its website)
Angie is used to helping her dad. Ever since they moved to Canada, he relies on her to translate for him from English to Chinese. Angie is happy to help: when they go to restaurants, at the grocery store, and, one day, when her dad needs help writing some signs for his work.
Building off her success with her dad’s signs, Angie offers her translation skills to others in their community. She’s thrilled when her new business takes off, until one of her clients says he’s unhappy with her work. When her dad offers to help, she can’t imagine how he could. Working together, they find a surprising solution, fixing the problem in a way Angie never would have predicted.
Awards and Honours
2024 Ann Connor Brimer Award for Atlantic Canadian Children’s Literature (Winner)
Links
Jack Wong personal website
Publisher Annick Press
Publisher House of Anansi, publisher of Groundwood Books
Publisher Scholastic
Author profile with Inderjit Deogun on the Quill & Quire website