Melissa Iwai is the children’s book author and illustrator of Soup Day and Pizza Day. She has illustrated over thirty books during her career, most recently Thirty Minutes Over Oregon, an Orbis Pictus Honor Book for Outstanding Nonfiction.
Melissa incorporates both traditional and digital media into her art, which she loves to infuse with the joy of cooking with children. “As an enthusiastic foodie, I have always loved the idea of food bringing family and friends together,” she says. “As a third generation Asian-American, I am fascinated by how immigrants celebrate and honor their cultures through their native cuisines. I was inspired to create Dumplings for Lili when I realized how the humble dumpling—a little dough-based package of savory or sweet filling—appears in so many cuisines around the world. I felt like it was the perfect food to celebrate multiculturalism and community.” When she’s not working on her artwork, Melissa is often cooking and developing her own recipes. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband, son, and their Shiba Inu, Nikki—who all love dumplings.
