Jenny Shieh is a fifth grade teacher at the Penn Alexander Elementary School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Originally from Colonial Heights, Virginia, Jenny now resides in Center City, Philadelphia with her husband, Paul, and their two cats, Emma and Duke.

Meiling’s Dumplings was written in honor of Jenny’s mother, Meiling Hsu Shieh, who at the age of 22 moved from Taiwan to the United States with her husband to create a better life for their children. This story is reflective of the Taiwanese art of dumpling making and, more importantly, the challenges and successes that many immigrants encounter when moving to a new country. Meiling is now a proud mother of four daughters and a loving grandmother of two grandchildren, Andrew and little Meiling.

Jenny would like to thank her family and friends for their support during the writing of Meiling’s Dumplings. She hopes to have the opportunity to continue developing Meiling’s character in future children’s books.