"Hearts in My Pocket" and Nancy Tupper Ling

I first discovered children’s author and poet Nancy Tupper Ling when I read her blog post on Tara Lazar’s popular Storystorm event in January. Having written everything from blog posts to poems, from picture books to books for adults, Nancy has done it all! She’s been featured on Write2Ignite’s blog before, too. In case you missed that, you can read her guest post here. Today, we welcome Nancy as she celebrates the release of her latest picture book, Hearts in My Pocket (illustrated by Shirley Ng-Benitez, published by Union Square Kids, 2024).

Sue: In much of your writing, you tackle heavy subjects in a tender way for little ones. My Sister, Alicia May shares the story of a child with special needs. Hearts in My Pocket touches on change: family separation/divorce, the beginning of a new school year, the turn in seasons, etc. Any tips on how to approach these big subjects as a Christian writer writing for the general market?

Nancy: I appreciate your kind words about my stories. I believe as writers of faith it’s important to bring a combination of empathy and observation to our work. We need the heart of Christ (i.e. to love our neighbor as ourselves) and also the gift of observation, so that we notice the world around us and where it’s hurting. In the words of poet, Mary Oliver: “To pay attention, this is our endless and proper work.” In my mind, the best writing is a gift to our readers. With so much chaos and unrest in the world, it’s as good a time as any to introduce young readers to words and stories with lots of heart. Empathy is certainly an emotion that can be fostered from a young age. After all, most of us could use a listening ear or extra hug. As Katherine Patterson wrote, another goal as children’s writers in particular is to reach the invisible child, going back to the child that we were, as well as reaching forward to the child who will be picking up our story and become enveloped by it. Certainly, my childhood experiences are what I return to as a children’s author. Sometimes it is those days like the one in Judith Viorst’s book, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day that we remember best. Our most difficult days foster the kind of compassion that we need for the imagined child who is our reader.

Sue: What are some ways parents and educators might use Hearts in My Pocket?

Nancy: While this is a story about a young child, Leilah, and her experience with her parents’ separation, I hope the story resonates on many levels. It’s about whenever a child feels a loss or grief after a big change, whether it’s a move, the loss of a grandparent, or finding a new friend. I want the reader, no matter their age, to think about how we can show up for our friends who are going through tiny or tough challenges. A few activities on my website help to provide some concrete examples which you can find here. By writing down or drawing their joys and loves on the cutout hearts, children can then place them inside their paper pockets or share them with their friends and family. Another fun craft is to look for hearts in nature (see below) and that helps with the art of observation mentioned above.

Sue: The artwork in Hearts in My Pocket mirrors the story beautifully. If you were asked to choose just one spread to frame and hang on the wall, which one would it be?

Nancy: Oh, that’s so hard! I’m so in love with the illustrations by Shirley Ng-Benitez; her collage and mixed-media is warm and inviting. That said, I think my favorite scene can be found on page 18, near the middle of the book. The scene is of Leilah and her father sharing a noodle soup together in a restaurant. It reminds me of my own husband eating with one of our daughters. Since my husband is Asian-American, our family often enjoys a bowl of noodles together. This is similar to what Leilah is doing with her Dad as they try to navigate this new world of divorce together. One review by “Reading for Sanity” blogger sums up much of the sentiment of this scene and story by writing that Hearts in my Pocket is a “reminder that the love they share is everlasting.”

Sue: What’s the next writing project you might have up your sleeve?

Nancy: I often encourage students or new writers to have more than one story up their sleeves at all times. It’s so important, especially since we never know which story will be appealing to a publisher and what will sell. One of my latest stories, which is currently out on submission, is about a lonely boy named Elliot who one day follows a piece of paper floating in the wind. The paper leads him through a hollow tree into a magical world called Papertown.

Sue: Please finish these thoughts:

In my pocket… I carry a heart for you!

My heart is happiest when… everyone is home and we’re enjoying a yummy hot pot together.

I was hoping you’d ask… about one of my latest reads which is All the Beauty in the World by Patrick Bringley.

Sue: Thanks again, Nancy, for joining us, and for sharing your expertise with us!

This interview first appeared on July 31, 2025 on the Write2Ignite blog.