Yong Chen hails from Taishan, a town in the Guangdong province of China. Yong was educated in both China and the United States. In 2009 Yong received a Masters of Fine Arts degree in Illustration from University of Hartford. He has been teaching illustration and paintings at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design, and Bunker Hill Community College since 1995. Yong is also the creator and developer of the multimedia online learning center YongChen.com where he generously provides free painting technique demonstrations and lessons.

Yong has been illustrating and writing children's books and magazines since 1995. His publishers include: "Little, Brown and Company", "HarperCollins Children's Books", "Boyds Mills Press", "Carus Publishing Company”, and “Cobblestone Publishing".

Yong is available for school visits and book signings and always enjoys his readers' comments and questions. He loves to speak to students (children or adults) about his books, the process of writing and illustrating, and the journey of the story from an idea, to the final book. Please contact Yong for more information, and consider him for your next author/illustrator visit.

Yong Chen’s latest children’s books:

Picture book "A Gift" – A story about home, culture, family, hope, and love.
Published by Boyds Mills Press, 2009.

Picture book "Finding Joy" – A story about multi-cultural and child adoption.
Published by Boyds Mills Press, 2006.

To learn more about Yong Chen, please visit his main website, or contact us today.