Peking Pugs Author Janice Stewart- Yates Spills the Kibble

Janice Stewart-Yates is a Scottish expat. Her passport stamps chart her working and study history through Dublin, Paris, and Spain but the last 13 years have been spent right here in Beijing as an educator with The International Montessori School of Beijing. Like many of us, she and her family had a difficult stint during the height of the pandemic and its ensuing quarantines. But she made the most of her time by authoring and publishing a very special children’s book, Peking Pugs. We had the opportunity to chat with Stewart-Yates about her work and get an inside look at what’s next for this new author.

Tell me a little about your life and family here in Beijing.
I am married to Nick, my very patient English husband. We have one daughter, named Dylan, and a grumble of pugs, named Toby and Princess – otherwise known as the stars of Peking Pugs.

Did you always want to be an author, or was it a newfound passion?
As an educator with 17 years of experience and counting, I have read quite a few children’s books. I am sure there isn’t a teacher on the planet who has not thought about writing a children’s book.

My writing projects started over Covid. I was in the UK, isolated with my family as I waited for the golden PU letter to come through. Because of the time difference, I was working nights, which was tiring but also allowed me to be highly productive. I had often discussed my ideas of writing a book with close friends. During this period in the UK, I finally had the time as I was no longer in my busy Beijing life.

Tell me a little about the story. What is Peking Pugs about?
The story is about two pugs, Toby and Princess, based in Beijing, trying to reach their owners in the UK. They try all sorts of transportation methods, and as they are pugs, they have many mishaps along the way. This combination made for a funny story, which thankfully has a happy ending.

Where did the idea for the book come from?
The idea came from our situation. We were stuck in the UK and missing our life in Beijing and our pugs tremendously. Each day, like many expats outside of Beijing, I would be thinking about how I could get back to China or get my dogs out to join us should we not be able to return. At one point, I was ready to take the train from Scotland to the Chinese border in an attempt to take them back! (Short-snouted dogs like pugs can’t fly during hot seasons because of medical issues.) I took the reality I was living in, flipped it, and wrote about the pugs.

The illustrations are really beautiful. Can you tell me about the artists and why you chose them?
I first wrote Papa’s Playdate in April 2019. The talented Dilia Azizbaeva illustrated it. One day, Dilia mentioned to Nataliya Vota – another close friend and a gifted artist – about our project. Nataliya reached out and asked me if I had written any other books that she could illustrate. Like many of us, she was looking to put her energy into something positive at this challenging time. A week later, Peking Pugs was underway. Me in Scotland, Nataliya in Beijing, Dilia in Kyrgyzstan.

We would meet once a week on Zoom to share our ideas and feedback about their drawings, my text, and exchange things we wanted to add or remove. It was an exciting time for us as we felt that this was a golden period and an enjoyable project. We are now the Peking Pugs Team, and in addition to our books, we have yoga bags, a 2022 calendar, and tote bags!

How did you go about getting the book published?
When we decided and researched which route to take when publishing, it was a huge learning curve. We initially produced the first Peking Pugs and Papa’s Playdate as stories to read to our students for our online lessons. Papa’s Playdate linked to Father’s Day and Peking Pugs was a funny story that sparked discussion about separation from loved ones during the pandemic.

When we had such positive feedback from friends and family, we decided to take it a step further. I contacted different publishing houses in the UK and beyond. It was pretty complex as we planned to return to China. After many months of research, corresponding with many parties, and taking advice from other authors, we decided to go to KDP Publishing.

Will there be another book in your future?
The Peking Pugs Team has already finished two more books in the Peking Pug series. With Nataliya – Roaming in Russia and Dilia – The Best of Beijing. We are in the final stages of editing, formatting. We hope to release The Best of Beijing around Chinese New Year and Roaming in Russia in late Spring.

What inspires you as you write these new books?
Travel is my main inspiration. When I am writing, I constantly relive how places made me feel, smelled, people I saw, and atmosphere. The Best of Beijing travels through the seasons in the Chinese capital. It was great to sit in my study – with the real-life Toby and Princess – and think of all my favorite experiences in Beijing and beyond to create a story involving the pugs. My main goal is to make this appealing to children and enjoyable for adults to read. In my opinion, connecting and seeking to understand people, situations, and places new to us is what life is all about, and this is THE spice of life. Through the eyes of my comical and darling pugs, this makes it effortless for children to access.

I’m also inspired by the conversations children have with me, their teacher, parents, and each other after reading one of my books. The original Peking Pugs was a natural vehicle to open up discussions about separation and missed loved ones, which right now is an all-too-familiar situation for many families. So many parents have thanked me for bringing light to this topic through the pugs’ adventures. I think the book enabled them as a family to talk about this subject without it being too heavy and direct while opening up to children to share their thoughts and emotions.

For those of us who love to read as much as you do, what is your favorite book to curl up with through the cold Beijing winter and why?
For adults – I have been enjoying two books by chef and writer Jen Lin-Liu. I have traveled through time in Beijing (and China) with Jen’s Serve the People. It has also made me quite hungry with all the delicious recipes inside. I have almost finished The Noodle Road, which has had me enjoying all the author’s food adventures and fantasizing about what my next big trip will be when traveling becomes normal again. I am sure I am not alone in saying this; half the reason I love to travel so much is that I love tasting new food and going to local markets worldwide.

For children – I love The Mitten by Jan Brett – this Ukrainian folk tale is timeless and is enchanting for the young and old. How many animals will fit in the mitten? Will Nicki find his mitten again? Bedtime Stories for Rebel Girls fills our home with interesting chats each night, great for all seasons but especially the winter as we snuggle up and chat for longer when it is cold outside.

What would you say to others who want to write?
For all those people with book ideas, do it! Put pen to paper and follow your dreams! Anyone who knows me knows I can spin a good yarn, I’m confident at public speaking, but I’m not the most natural writer. And I knew nothing about how to get a book published and how to market it when I got into this. Lots of friends, and friends of friends, have asked for my advice since they saw a copy of Peking Pugs, Papa’s Playdate, or heard my personal story, and several of them have successfully got published.

Where can I get a copy of the book and of course those cute little stuffed pug toys to go with them?
We have plenty of signed copies here and fluffy pugs! If you are in China, you can order directly from me – WeChat ID janouski. If you are outside The People’s Republic, you can get a copy from Amazon or Book Depository with delivery within a few days. We also have yoga and tote bags and 2022 calendars on the horizon. Please add me on WeChat for more information.