My name is Stephanie Sy (how to pronounce Sy) 施佳慧, and I am a Filipino-Chinese-Canadian from Hong Kong. I write picture books that explore and celebrate the vibrant, in-between spaces of my multicultural identity.

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A Roof! is illustrated by Daniel Tingcungco and published by Kokila (Penguin Random House). A celebration of the Filipino bayanihan spirit and a community that comes together to return a roof after a typhoon.

★ 2024 Freeman Book Award Of Note in Children's Literature title

★ “A bighearted tribute to a tradition rooted in love and community.”
—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

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You Can’t Tame a Tiger is illustrated by New York Times Bestselling Illustrator Julien Chung and published by Owlkids. A spirited read-aloud about identity, self-acceptance, and the importance of being unapologetically YOU.

★ CBC Books Best Canadian Children's Book of 2025

"Readers may find deeper meaning in this story about self-definition and accepting others for who they say they are."
- Kirkus Reviews

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Coming Soon (August 25, 2026)!

The Magnificent Banyan and the Green Tong Lau is illustrated by Ishita Jain and published by Kokila (Penguin Random House). A modern fable of a banyan tree that grows in the crack of a Hong Kong tong lau, and brings a divided community together.

★ “A lush and lovely celebration of urban nature’s gifts.”
—Kirkus Reviews, starred review


★ “This symbiotic, intergenerational, and interspecies story will encourage children to find their voice and remind adults to listen. A must-purchase for picture book shelves.”
—School Library Journal, starred review

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Jia Has a Dog Problem is illustrated by Isabella Kung and published by Kokila (Penguin Random House). A humorous story told in a dual narrative, of a child afraid of all dogs, and a dog afraid of all kids. A conversation starter about different points of view.

★ “A doggone delight.”
—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

ON THE HORIZON


Illustrated by Cindy Wume
Published by Crown, Penguin Random House

Join one boy on a quest for the longest, luckiest noodle for his great-grandmother’s birthday in this deliciously fun celebration of tradition, community, connection—and, of course, noodles.

Out March 2027!

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Books I love!

Saturdays are Sarah’s favorite day of the week. That’s when she helps her Papa deliver letters around Quezon City. She rides in a red wagon hitched to his bicycle, handing out envelopes and dreaming over postcards. With every picture of a
A young boy asks his grandfather how dragon boat races first began. Yeye tells him the legend of the guardian dragons who once carried the sun’s warmth, the sea’s breezes, and the sky’s rain to help humankind . On race day, as a fin
Wong Kim Ark was born in San Francisco in 1873. His parents were from China, but he had never lived anywhere else. He knew in his heart: “I am an American.” But when he returned from a visit to his parents in China, officials refused to l
Nunu is overwhelmed. She slams her door, screams, and tears up the origami house on her desk. Her tears become an ocean, and she sails away in a paper boat. Out at sea, she folds more origami creatures to keep her company. The yellow scraps of her de
Sona and Dada head to the market for a special surprise. They pick up twenty ladoos, nineteen elaichis, sixteen mangoes, ten butter naan, and seven samosas. The market is full of delicious treats, and the counting goes all the way down to one. But wh
Alice is tired of the cold gray rain and being stuck inside. She stomps through the house, bored and wishing she could be somewhere else. Then a book on the floor flutters its pages open. “Once upon a time, there was a girl,” it begins. A
Dot is the smallest person in her class. People call her “little” all the time. Little sister. Little girl. Little kid. But Dot doesn’t feel little. She feels like herself. When a new boy calls her the shortest person he’s eve
Min is twelve years old when the FBI takes his father away. No reason. No proof. Just suspicion. Before they lead him off, Papa presses a small smooth stone into Min’s hand. “For strength.” Soon Min and his family are stripped of th
Every Sunday, a girl’s whole family meets at the dim sum restaurant. Twelve people around one big table. Shrimp dumplings, rice noodle rolls, egg tarts, and her favorite—char siu buns. But she has to wait her turn as the bamboo baskets sp
Lunzi and Huangche came from the same factory. Side by side in a Beijing shop window, they watch the city together. They wish they could stay this way forever. But one day, a girl buys Huangche, the yellow bike. Soon after, a delivery boy picks Lunzi
Han is old and mostly ornery. That’s another word for grumpy. He likes his tea, his newspaper, and his quiet. Then Kate and Olly move in next door. They are curious and loquacious. That’s another word for talkative. They climb his peach t
All week, Emmylou’s classmates present their family trees. Their trees are thick with branches, grandparents, cousins, aunts, and uncles. Emmylou’s tree has only two names: Mama and me. She knows nothing about her father or grandfather, a

What I’ve been up to…

🎊 Happy Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, teachers and librarians! To celebrate, I have teamed up with my fellow AAPI author and illustrator friends to gift ONE lucky teacher/librarian this extensive collection of AAPI books for their
📖🇫🇷 My debut picture book A ROOF! is now in French! One of my favorite parts of seeing the French edition was discovering how they handled the onomatopoeia translations and the Filipino words. The French version actually added footnote translati
Signing stacks of JIA HAS A DOG PROBLEM for librarians across BC before I’d even received my own author copies. Pure joy. ✨ Thank you @unitedlibraryservices @penguincanada @kokilabooks for making this exclusive early launch at @bcla_connect 20
All for us, I mean you, Ellis ✨
Learned about oyster reef conservation, restoration, and mudflat wildlife in Pak Nai during a @tnc_hk eco tour organized by @deerfieldacademy Hong Kong 🦪🌊☀️ Support @tnc_hk ‘s conservation efforts — visit their page to see how you can
Kicked off @litfest_hk in the best way possible with @sarahkrose3! 📚✨ We hit @bookazinehk to sign copies of A Roof! 🖊️📖 and then settled in for an inspiring talk with @ericalyonswrites, @rashmiwriting, and Wesley King. Excited for the rest of the