Interview with Ken Min

After reading and loving Hot Hot Roti for Dada-ji by F. Zia and illustrated by Ken Min, I wanted to interview both debut artist. Hannah Ehrlich and Lucy Amon from Lee and Low Books were kind enough to make that happen. Lee and Low is having a great sale for the month of May. All books are 25% off free standard USPS on all orders just over $10.

In case you missed it my interview with Farhana Zia Now please welcome Ken Min


Hi Ken, Congratulations on a wonderful debut. Can you tell us a little about yourself?

I was born and raised in Los Angeles, CA and studied illustration at Art Center, College of Design. I have a background in storyboarding- having worked on some animated projects and for various commercial houses- but my true love is definitely illustrating. Working on a picture book has been a goal of mine for a very long time now and I'm grateful to Lee & Low for the opportunity to work on my first one.

It's very rare for author's and illustrators to have contact while working on a project. Though its not often they debut at the same time. Did you two exchange emails?

Well, the general rule of thumb is that the author and illustrator don't usually communicate with one another, but now that the book is out, I guess we can mention that we did indeed break that rule. Granted, Ms. Zia was aware about the 'no communication' policy that most publishers have, but she just wanted to drop a note to say hello. I, in return, understood where she was coming from and I also wanted to let her know that I was going to treat her story with all the respect, attention and dedication I could muster.

Hot Hot Roti for Dada-ji is the blending of two cultures. Making the story backdrop as essential as the two main characters, Aneel and his grandfather. Was there a particular character or scene you worked around first?

For my part, I did a lot of character design work initially. It helps to 'see' who they are and what they are about visually. Since Aneel and Dada-ji are the main characters, they were my primary focus. From there, the rest of the family came together nicely. Being a family, I wanted visual traits to carry from one to another.
As for starting with a scene, I really just went through from the beginning of the story and jotted down ideas for images. Sometimes I had a picture in mind, other times I skipped over parts to follow up later. It's a bit like a puzzle. Sometimes you'll work on the corner over here and then work on the face over there; going back and forth. Then, as you complete more and more sections, the entire image comes into focus, or, in this case, a picture book.

Have you had the opportunity to read Hot, Hot Roti for Dada-ji to a group of kids yet? If so what has the response been?

No, not yet. It's something I'm curious about doing and also mildly afraid of trying. I like kids, but not so good speaking and standing up in front of crowds. Oh, the conundrum!

The art work is beautiful. I love your use of color. Can you tell us a little about the style?

I work mainly in acrylics and color pencils. Textures always fascinated me so I rarely ever just put down a straight, flat color. Most times, I'll layer in colors till I get something I like. (This is where working in acrylics is so helpful, since one can paint right on top of the existing paint.) If one wants to talk about influences, it would have to start with Ezra Jack Keats.


I was in a bookstore when I came across his book, The Snowy Day. I remember how much I liked that title as a child for its colorful, clean edge shapes. And just flipping through it then, triggered an idea of how I might approach painting. Of course one can't talk about textures and colors without also referencing Eric Carle, Alice & Martin Provensen and Charley Harper. So, really, a lot of people had a part in this style.

How much different is the finished illustrations from the first drafts?

Well, certainly with any project, one goes through a series of sketches trying to find a layout or composition that best reflects the text. It's probably the most important aspect of the process and the most time consuming just in terms of wanting to get it right. Certainly a lot of discussion went on going back and forth with my art director and editor, but we're all after the same goal- getting the most narrative and fun images we can come up with for each piece of text.

Some images I came upon really quickly, some needed to be worked on and revised. The nice thing about book illustrations is that one has the time to let things marinate for a spell to try and bring out one's best work. Once the composition is working, the actual painting part can move about relatively smoothly. It's like building a house, once you have the foundation set, the rest is very straightforward.

Did you try roti and mango pickle? If so what did you think?

I think the phrase, "It's like a party in one's mouth" comes to mind.

Ken, thanks so much for your time. I look forward to seeing more of your work in the future.

Interview with Farhana. Zia

I recently read a wonderful picture book called Hot Hot Roti for Dada-ji by F.Zia illus. by Ken Min. It's a beautiful debut for author and artist. I wanted the chance to ask both a few questions. Hannah Ehrlich and Lucy Amon from Lee and Low books were both kind enough to make it happen. Lee & Low Books is having a great sale this month. All books are 25% off and free standard USPS on all orders over just $10.

I will be posting the interview with Ken Min soon, first Farhana Zia


Hi, Farhana, congratulations on a wonderful debut. Can you tell us a little about yourself?

I immigrated to the US from Hyderabad, India in 1967. My husband and I live in Framingham, Mass. We have two children and three grandchildren. Ages 5, 3 and 2. I am an elementary school teacher. I've taught the fourth grade for the past 26 years. You could say that teaching is my first passion and writing, my second. Hot -Hot Roti is my first picture book.

It's very rare for authors and illustrators to have contact while working on a project. Though its not often they debut at the same time.

Did you two exchange emails?

I was able to submit illustration notes to my editor but that was the extent of it; the publisher didn't encourage communication with the illustrator. I did send Ken an email, just to say ‘hello’. It seemed to be the proper thing to do. I am grateful to him for doing such a marvelous job of interpreting the text. I had heard that he’d do serious research before embarking on this project and knowing that really eased my mind.

Have you had the opportunity to read Hot, Hot Roti for Dada-ji to a group of kids yet? If so what has the response been?

So far, I have read the book in my classroom, at the India Society of Worcester in Shrewsbury and to a children’s group at my local town library. I combined the reading with a roti demonstration and a craft. The reaction was very positive. Children love the story and are particularly interested in the lad’s fantastical powers.

Some wonder if drinking milk will make them just as strong! They love to roll the roti dough, north, south, east and west with me. We also have nice discussions about grandparents and grandchildren in general and practice saying, “Arre Wah!”

When I was writing the review, I almost wrote "Aneel's grandparents were coming for a visit." but they were coming to stay.

Did you always known the grandparents would be staying?

Yes. That is the basic premise of the story….multi generations living together, somewhat like a mini joint family system. A lot of inspiration for the story comes from just such settings in the US, where aging parents have come to live with their children and grandchildren, forming three, or even four generation households.

I believe there is a great value in such a set up where everyone learns something valuable from everyone else---the old get to impart their wisdom and the young get to impart their vivacity. Each generation operates as a safety net for the other and there is a lot of sharing and giving. In actuality, Hot ,Hot Roti for Dada-ji really means to highlight and honor inter-generational family bonds.

Hot Hot Roti for Dada-ji is the blending of two cultures. Making the story backdrop as essential as the two main characters.

Was there a particular character or scene you worked around ?

Roti was foremost in my mind and I used it as the common cultural element to bridge the past and present in the story. Actually, the idea of Roti was the first thing that came to mind when I was mulling over what to write about, in the first place.


I did give weight to the roti making scenes and particularly wanted to show off Aneel’s initiative, his regard for his grandfather, and his sense of accomplishment at the end.

I love how well this story comes together. Its very seamless from the dada-ji tales wonderful tales, to the inclusion of the whole family and Hindi words sprinkled throughout.

Was it difficult to edit down?

I needed to bring two stories together, the ‘then’and the ‘now’, so to speak. I also wanted to insert cultural elements to bridge these two times. Dada ji’s storytelling and the roti making, were both appropriate common threads linking the past and the present.

The biggest challenge was to pare down the word count and get everything said in a concise manner without compromising the essence of the story.


Mango Pickle is another food dada-ji loves. What is mango pickle? Do you have a regional preference?

Pickles are popular condiments in the cuisine of the Indian sub continent and serve to enhance the taste of a meal. They are made from certain vegetables and fruits that are chopped up into small pieces and cooked in oils, brine and a variety of spices. A high concentration of oil, spices and salt acts as a preservative.

Mango pickle is made from unripe, green mangoes and is pretty popular. Other pickles include lime, carrot, radish, cauliflower, ginger, etc. The Hindi or Urdu term for pickle is achar.

Indian cuisine is regional, extensive and varied. There is something from each region that I love… deep fried puri (deep fried roti) and saag (curried greens) from the North;

a well made lamb or goat biryani (rice stewed with meat) from Hyderabad, accompanied by a dahi ki chutney(yogurt sauce with onion, coriander leaf and green chilli); crispy dosa (crepes made with fermented lentil/rice flour) from the South;

syrupy rasgolla from the East and dhokla from the West. And I absolutely love pani puri, a very popular snack.

I shouldn't have asked that last question because now I am hungry. Farhana Zia, thanks so much for your time and congratulations again on a wonderful debut.