Ying Chang Compestine was born in Wuhan, China, and came to the U.S. when she was twenty-three. Growing up in China during the lean years of the Cultural Revolution, Ying often dreamed of the kind of Chinese New Year celebrated in this book. Aside from playing with her young son and his friends, Ying loves to write, cook, eat, and travel. Consequently, she spends a lot of time writing stories for children and cookbooks for adults. She lives in Boulder, Colorado, with her husband and son.
