Prolific kidlit artist Qin Leng joins the ranks of author-illustrators with her picture book, I Am Small (Kids Can, Oct.). She talks to Q&Q about her inspiration:

When I was growing up in Bordeaux, France, in the late ’80s, early ’90s, it felt very local: you went to the butcher, you knew each other, you walked down the street to the fishmonger, he gave you tips on recipes. There’s a lot of nostalgia in this book. I remember having conversations with the fishmonger and him showing me the craziest fish he had. I like the idea of the character going by herself – her parents feel it’s safe and that the child needs this experience. Yet, at the same time, it was terrifying because you’re on your own and everything is so huge.