Yong's latest book, A Gift, which he both wrote and illustrated, was published in September to favorable reviews in Booklist, ForeWord Magazine and School Library Journal. It is a story of a gift that has arrived for Amy just in time for Chinese New Year... Click here to view the watercolor paintings.

From the year 1995, I have been teaching drawing, painting, design, and illustration classes at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design and Bunker Hill Community College (Boston, Massachusetts), and had my solo watercolor painting exhibits in a few galleries in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. As early as in 1993, I started illustrating stories. My first published children's picture book was "Maria's Loose Tooth" published by Special Gifts International when I was studying in the Massachusetts College of Art in Boston. By the time I graduated with my BFA in Illustration, I accepted the children's book illustration project for picture book "Miz Fannie Mae's Fine New Easter Hat" from Little, Brown and Company in Boston. Since then, I have been authored/illustrated a several children's books and worked for some children's magazines. In 2009 I graduated from the University of Hartford with a Master of Fine Arts in Illustration. At the same time, "A Gift", the picture book with my story and paintings were published by Boyds Mills Press. It marked my beginning as a serious children's book author and illustrator.

I love to illustrate for children's books and magazines. In the past ten years, I have illustrated four published children's books and a number of stories for AppleSeeds Magazine, Cricket Magazine and Spider Magazine. My published works include:

Published Children's Books

Children's picture book "A Gift" (written and illustrated by Yong Chen, published by Boyds Mills Press, a Highlights Company in the September of 2009)

Children's picture book "Finding Joy" (written by Marion Coste, published by Boyds Mills Press, a Highlights Company in the October of 2006)

Children's chapter book "Swimming with Sharks" (written by Twig C. George, published by HarperCollins Publishers in the Summer of 1999)

Children's chapter book "Starfish Summer" (written by Ona Gritz-Gilbert, published by HarperCollins Publishers in the Summer of 1998)

Children's picture book "Miz Fannie Mae's Fine New Easter Hat" (written by Melissa Milich, published by Little, Brown and Company in 1997)

And my very early watercolor illustrations for picture book "Maria's Loose Tooth" for International Special Gifts Inc. I also illustrated a few stories for Spider Magazine, Cricket Magazine, and AppleSeeds Magazine.

At this moment I am illustrating a new children's picture book. I always have the passion to create some good artwork for our children and future generations.