AT SHIELDS LIBRARY

In connection with Words Take Wing, the General Library presents an exhibition of selected works by Ying Chang Compestine. Look for the exhibition in the lobby of Shields Library, through winter quarter.

UC Davis is once again flying high in celebration of diversity in children’s literature, at the annual Words Take Wing program, this year featuring the author Ying Chang Compestine.

She is due on campus next Thursday, Feb. 23, to present two programs, one primarily for children and the other for adults. Both programs are open to the public.

Born in Wauhau, China, Compestine came to the United States more than 20 years ago to attend graduate school. She is married now, living in the San Francisco Bay Area and writing in English.

She has written for young adults (the multiple award-winning Revolution Is Not a Dinner Party, drawing from her childhood and described as “Anne Frank in the Cultural Revolution,” and A Banquet for Hungry Ghosts) and for younger ages (Boy Dumplings and The Runaway Rice Cake, as well as picture books).

She also puts out cookbooks, and she has a novel (Conversation with a Terra Cotta Soldier) coming out in the fall.

The School of Education and the Sutter Children’s Center, Sacramento, are sponsoring Words Take Wing.

Notable authors and illustrators have been participating in this event for the last eight years, sharing glimpses into the art of shaping stories and images that seize young hearts and minds.

Each guest presents two programs, one during the day for school-aged children. “It is always rewarding to talk to the children who attend the matinee and to realize that this event goes way beyond the impact of a mere hour,” said Joanne Galli-Banducci, a lecturer in the School of Education and co-chair of Words Take Wing.

“Many tell us this is the first time they have visited a campus and the first time they have thought about what the life of a writer might be like. We hope to inspire them to share their own stories, as well.”

AT A GLANCE

WHAT: Words Take Wing — Honoring Diversity in Children's Literature, presented by the School of Education and Sutter Children’s Center, Sacramento

WHO: Ying Chang Compestine

WHEN AND WHERE: Thursday, Feb. 23

• 10:30 a.m., Freeborn Hall — During this program, for up to 1,000 elementary school students from Northern California, Compestine will ask for volunteers to help her make Chinese dumplings.
• 7:30 p.m., Buehler Alumni and Visitors Center — A more formal presentation for adults, featuring Compestine’s perspective on bridging different cultures and writing in her second language.

TICKETS FOR EITHER PROGRAM: $15 for the general public, $7 for students, available through the UC Davis ticket office at Freeborn Hall, telephone (530) 752-1915; online; or at the door.