Author programming
Carren seeks to affirm young people's voices and help them see their unique perspectives as superpowers. She visits classrooms and libraries with storytime, a hands-on activity, and stories of her Chinese and Filipino heritage. She's also glad to talk craft (how 15 years as a journalist taught her to find and shape a true story) and history (how geopolitics affect Filipino American stories).
Her presentations are custom-tailored by age group, suitable from kindergarten through high school. A bilingual speaker, she is glad to present in English or Tagalog.
Presentation topics
From kindergarten classrooms to adult and community groups, I offer a range of talks on storytelling, culture, and the creative process.
What's the Shape of Love?
Carren reads The Shape of Love aloud, then leads a conversation about the shapes hiding in the story. She closes with a simple 3D drawing demo: how to turn a flat square into a box on paper, step by step, so kids leave with a drawing (and a new trick) in hand.
Love is a Metaphor
Carren reads from The Shape of Love and uses the book as a way into figurative language: how the balikbayan box itself is a metaphor for love that can't be said out loud. She shows a few more examples from favorite picture books, then leads students through writing their own metaphor or simile about something ordinary in their life (a lunchbox, a backpack, a phone call) standing in for something bigger.
Boxes Full of Stories: Ideas from Histories
Carren traces how The Shape of Love grew out of a real history: Filipino labor migration to the U.S. (nurses especially), the diaspora economy that built businesses like LBC, and how the balikbayan box became a physical stand-in for love across an ocean. It's part social studies lesson, part author-origin story.
From Newsroom to Picture Books
Carren walks through her path from Emmy-nominated journalist to content strategist to debut picture book author. What storytelling skills carried over (finding the human detail, structuring for emotional impact, revising under a deadline) and what had to be relearned (writing for a 40-page container, working with an illustrator instead of a photographer). Major takeaways from this talk include the importance of curiosity and cultivating a growth mindset.
Beautiful Beginnings
Carren reads the opening lines of The Shape of Love alongside a few other picture books, unpacking what makes an opening line do its job — hook, tone, promise. Then, students draft their own opening lines and (if the room's up for it) swap and continue each other's.
Picture Book Anatomy Lesson
With her background as an editor and writer, Carren walks participants through the jobs that touch The Shape of Love: writer, editor, illustrator, designer, marketer. Optional: students will try their hand at other parts of the publishing process (editing, illustrating, designing, and marketing).
Powerful Symbols
Carren reads from The Shape of Love and talks about what led her to write a book centered on a specific cultural object — the balikbayan box. She discusses how she decided the box could be the central figure in a story, then opens the question to the room: what's an object or symbol from your own family or culture that you're proud of? Students write or sketch a short reflection on their own symbol.
How To Fight Procrastination as a Creative
A tight, practical talk on time management specifically for creative work. How Carren structures deadlines for herself as a freelancer/author when no one else is enforcing them, what she does when a project stalls, and a few concrete habits that keep a manuscript moving.
Formats
Custom Q&A Video
Free · up to 10 min
Reading one of Carren's books with your class or book club? Email your questions and Carren will record a personal video answering them, posted just for you on YouTube.
Virtual Storytime
20 min
A read-aloud of The Shape of Love over video call, perfect for story time circles and younger audiences who want a quick, warm dose of the book.
Virtual Visit + Q&A
30–45 min
A relaxed video chat with no formal presentation required — just Carren, your group, and an open conversation about the book, the writing process, or whatever's on their minds.
In-Person Presentation and Activity
A full author visit built around one of Carren's presentation topics (see above), paired with a hands-on activity so students leave with tactile reminder of what they learned.
If budgets are tight, don't hesitate to ask for a negotiated fee. Every young person deserves the chance to be heard, regardless of circumstance. Email carren [dot] jao [at] gmail.com.