ABOUT MRS. LITTLE (aka Catherine Hong)

I worked as an editor at W, Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Allure, Us Weekly, and InStyle for nearly 20 years, covering fashion, art, design, books, beauty, food, film, celebrities and society.  These days I’m a freelance writer focusing mostly on food and design.  You may have seen my byline in Martha Stewart Living, Architectural Digest, Elle Decor, Real Simple, Parents, Surface, Town & Country, Galerie, Domino, The Wall Street Journal or The New York Times Book Review. I also co-host a fun podcast about creative Korean Americans in arts & culture for KoreanAmericanStory.org, called K-Pod.

But at the end of the day, here’s what I want by my bedside: Stuart Little, Harriet the Spy, Danny the Champion of the World, The Twenty-One Balloons, the Little House series and The Pushcart War. I am crazy for William Steig and Bernard Waber and I wish that my family and I could move into the House on East 88th Street, minus some of that bric-a-brac.

In 2021 I was a judge for The New York Times/New York Public Library Best Illustrated Children’s Books Award. (Click here for details.)

FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM!!! @mrslittlebooks

Check out my magazine work here:  catherine-hong.com

You can also email me at mrslittlebooks [at] g mail

 

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17 thoughts on “ABOUT MRS. LITTLE (aka Catherine Hong)

  1. Lisa

    I am thrilled to stumble upon your blog! Your graphic designer Meghan shared it with me because she is creating a logo for my blog right now. I feature a list of my favorite books for kids ages 0-5 every month on my blog foreverfiveblog.com. If you have any interest in doing a guest blog on my Books for Kids page, I would love it. I would be happy to return the favor if you are into it. Children’s books are intoxicating once you get into it:).
    Take care,
    Lisa (aka Mommy Frazzle)

    Reply
  2. Samantha Steele

    I LOVE your blogs. I am an ELA teacher, the mother of small children, and a children’s book ADICT! I often post short reviews at the end of my blog posts as well. It’s so funny, because life has not always been easy for us, and I often thinking about The First Four Years…
    Samantha
    salmonordinonuggets.com

    Reply
  3. Jacqueline Preiss Weitzman

    It was so wonderful to meet you today in the Hillside Library and I have been having the best time reading your blog. I immediately recognized a kindred spirit when you listed as favorite books not only The 21 Balloons and the Little House series, but The Pushcart War as well!

    I know you and your family will be very happy here, and I hope we can get together once you have all settled in. I’m in the house across the street from Charlotte Zolotow’s!

    Reply
    1. Mrs. Little Post author

      Yes yes we will definitely get together. I was delighted to meet you too! You will have to give me some book suggestions. (And tell Charlotte I am a big fan!)

      Reply
  4. Shayne Johnson

    So fun to read though your blog. Ran into it as a link from “Dinneralovestory.”
    I am a huge fan of Children’s Lit, grew up with Richard Scary and have tried to pass on many of my favorites to my girls. They are older now, but I still love all the memories the books bring back.

    One of my absolute favorites from childhood is “Lost Bear” by Ann Durell. The pictures are all photos of Stief Stuffed Animals and are magical. My husband tracked down a copy of this book a few years ago for me and I treasure it!

    Reply
    1. Mrs. Little Post author

      Thank you for the tip. I am going to hunt down a copy of Lost Bear right now! The artwork looks a little like The Lonely Doll, right? I can’t wait to read it!

      Reply
  5. Luisa

    So happy to find your blog (via DALS…). I too have never gotten over the genius beauty of my childhood books. So looking forward to reading your blog!

    Reply
  6. Vincent Noot

    Dear Mrs. Little,

    I like your blog. I have a request, something that could be good for both of us, which hopefully will be a win-win situation.

    Here’s the thing: For the past year I have been putting hundreds of hours into drawing a children’s book. It’s not an ordinary story, but a search book. Ever heard of “Where is Waldo?” Mine is a similar concept, but it’s more focused on kids, with pages that are about a birthday party, petting zoo, swimming pool, playground, etc. The title of the book is, “Find the Cutes.” It could become a big hit. Now that the book is done and that my wife and I are investing in printing, we need some help. On March 1st we will launch the project on kickstarter.com. You may have heard of it. It’s a crowd funding website. And to get our name out there and achieve our goal, we would love to put a story on your blog.

    I already have a question and answer interview written out. And I have a lot of fun images you may use. The best of help would be if I could send the text and images to you, and you could pick and select whatever you think fits your blog best. It would really help us out! The most important thing to us is that we get our name out there, and that people will be aware of the project on March 1st – March 31st, so we can get more backers. The website is http://www.findthecutes.com.

    Hope to hear from you soon.

    Vincent Noot, Illustrator

    Reply
  7. Paulis Waber

    Your posts are so original. I love what you’ve written about my dad and I think I read one of your posts to him. Thank you for them. Also, if you have time, can you please email me? I have a question for you. Thanks!

    Reply
  8. Susan

    i am letting go of my childrens book (mine) mostly published 1950s. Where is the best place to sell them–those worth selling? Or appraised? Thanks! Susan

    Reply
  9. Judy Snow

    Hi ! I just read one of your children’s book reviews in the NYTimes and I’m excited to find your blog. As a children’s librarian and childhood friend I love it !

    Reply
  10. Lynden

    Good Morning,
    Well, thanks to an early Christmas e- subscription to Real Simple, I have been introduced to your website!
    I just mentioned to my husband about your site and shared with him what you like as your bedside reading and he replied, ‘Ahhhh, a kindred spirit’!
    Children’s books are truly a world of fascination!
    I look forward to exploring your site!
    Thank you

    Reply
    1. Mrs. Little Post author

      So happy to hear this! Tell your dear husband to please follow me on Instagram because I am (obviously) the laziest blogger ever. @mrslittlebooks

      Reply
  11. Barbara Michael

    Because of your blog and the mention of The Fourteen Bears in Summer and Winter by Evelyn Scott, I have solved a mystery of what that beloved book was and I have just ordered a copy for myself.
    My grandmother had that book for all of us grandkids to share at her house. It was one of our favorites. I would sit for hours and hours pondering over the lives each of those little bears lives in their individual homes of different kinds. I could see the images of the book but had no other information about it until I somehow stumbled across your blog and the photo referring to it. I ordered one off Amazon and I can’t wait so share it with my own grandchildren someday. Sometimes a pebble creates a wave that is far-reaching. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!!!!!

    Reply

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