2025 CLA Breakfast Invitation: Hear from the Award-Winning Children’s Author and Illustrator Jason Chin

By Meghan Valerio and Jongsun Wee on behalf of the 2025 CLA Breakfast Committee

​We are thrilled to invite you to the Children’s Literature Assembly Breakfast at the 2025 NCTE Annual Convention in Denver, Colorado! Join us on Sunday, November 23, 2025 from 7:00-8:45am MST in the Four Seasons 4 Ballroom at the Colorado Convention Center (Ballroom Level) to hear from our keynote speaker, Jason Chin.

The CLA breakfast promises to be one of the most memorable sessions at NCTE, offering multiple ways for you to connect and participate. You’ll hear from Jason Chin as he shares his experiences writing and illustrating nonfiction picturebooks. His award-winning works invite readers to journey from the towering redwoods to the vast universe. 
 
In addition to hearing from our speaker, you’ll have a chance to network with fellow CLA members, bid on original artwork in our CLA Silent Auction, team up for a trivia quiz at your table, and enter our book raffle. You will also learn more about CLA membership and opportunities.

Please do not forget to purchase a ticket to attend the CLA breakfast. If you have not already registered for this wonderful event, you can reach out to [email protected] for assistance.

​The Children’s Literature Assembly (CLA) Breakfast keynote speaker, Jason Chin is the award-winning author and illustrator of numerous children’s nonfiction titles. His work has received multiple prestigious honors. Life After Whale: The Amazing Ecosystem of a Whale Fall (2024), written by Lynn Brunelle and illustrated by Jason Chin, earned a 2025 NCTE Orbis Pictus Award honor. Watercress (2021), written by Andrea Wang and illustrated by Jason Chin, received the Caldecott Medal in 2022. Grand Canyon (2017), written and illustrated by Jason Chin, was recognized with the Orbis Pictus Award, the Caldecott Honor, and the Sibert Honor in 2018.

Jason Chin’s most recent book, Hurricane (2025), explores how hurricanes form and how communities prepare for and respond to them. Last May, we had the privilege of interviewing Jason, during which he shared insights into his research and creative process for Hurricane, as well as his illustration work for Life After Whale (2024). Our interview will be published in the Fall 2025 issue of the Journal of Children’s Literature. We are excited for you to hear Jason Chin’s story and learn from his experiences at the CLA Breakfast at this NCTE Annual Convention!

Meghan Valerio, PhD, is a District Literacy Coach (K-12) in Canfield, Ohio. She teaches literacy education courses for graduate students at Bowling Green State University. Meghan is an active NCTE member and serves as the Co-Chair for the 2025 CLA Breakfast Committee.
 
Jongsun Wee, PhD, is an associate professor at Pacific University, Oregon. Currently, she serves on the NCTE Poetry Awards Committee and the ILA Children’s and Young Adult Book Awards Committee. She serves as the Co-Chair for the 2025 CLA Breakfast Committee.