FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 28, 2026

“Connect & Create” with author-illustrator Cherry Mo at Columbus Library

COLUMBUS, N. C., (April 28, 2026) Join Cherry Mo, author and illustrator of the Caldecott Honor Book Home in a Lunchbox, at “Connect & Create” on Tuesday, May 12th at 5pm at Columbus Library. Participants will get creative and unwind during a hands-on art experience about wellness and self-expression. Alongside Cherry, explore your imagination as you create a drawing or painting, then share your work and connect with others in a relaxed, supportive space. No art experience is needed, just bring your creativity! This program is for adults only. Registration is required and space is limited. Email asnyder@polklibrary.org by May 8th to register. This program may be cancelled if minimum registration is not met.

Inspired by Cherry’s personal experience of moving from Hong Kong to America at the age of ten, Home in a Lunchbox is an Indie Next List Pick, an ALSC Notable Children’s Book, a New York Public Library Best Book of the Year, a Bookshop Best Book of the Year, a Kirkus Best Book of the Year, and it garnered starred reviews from Publisher Weekly and School Library Journal. Through writing and illustrating, Cherry hopes to bring young readers a sense of comfort and belonging. She draws inspiration from her personal experiences and Chinese-American background. Besides her creative work, Cherry is actively involved in a nonprofit organization focusing on self-awareness. She translates her practices of self-awareness into her author-illustrator work, and she hopes to continue creating meaningful stories that inspire children to understand themselves and assist others.

Polk County Public Libraries has two libraries, Columbus Library and Saluda Library, with books, movies, music, audiobooks, and downloadable ebooks and audiobooks available for checkout, as well as public computers and wireless internet access. PCPL also offers regularly scheduled programs for all ages. To learn more, visit www.polklibrary.org.