Eric Huang's Guardians of the New Moon series


About Author
Eric Huang has always been fascinated by legends and lore and East Asian myths have helped inspire his debut series, Guardians of the New Moon.
As a boy, he was determined to find real-life dragons, so he studied palaeontology at university. Reality didn't live up to his Jurassic Park dreams, though, and he found himself working as secretary at Disney Publishing, launching a career in children's books.
Eric lives in London with his boyfriend Brian and cat McNulty. He's a podcaster, writer, and lecturer at City University of London's Masters in Publishing programme.
Interview
Eric Huang introduces his Guardians of the New Moon series (Little Tiger)
January 2025
Guardians of the New Moon series, inspired by the myths of the Chinese Lunar New Year, is an action-packed series for younger readers by author Eric Huang, illustrated by Phung Nguyen Quang. The series begins with Ming and Miaow's Great Race, which is followed by book two, The Year of the Rat.
ReadingZone spoke with Eric to find out more about his career in publishing and writing; how a ghostly nine-tailed fox helped inspire the Guardians of the New Moon stories; and how he explores East Asian folklore through the stories.
Q&A with Eric Huang, introducing the legends behind Guardians of the New Moon
"I hope the magical creatures, legendary places, and unpredictable divinities in the books will fuel a love of legends
that aren't as well known as the ones in superhero films."
1. Can you tell us a little about yourself, how you started writing, and what kinds of books you enjoy creating?
I was born in New Jersey, raised in California, and have lived in London … longer than anywhere else in the world. As a boy, I was curious about anything I didn't understand. I especially loved myths and legends because they were so fantastic. While I encountered Greek, Norse, and Egyptian legends by watching TV, playing video games, and reading books, my dad introduced me to Chinese folktales. These were stories his parents told him - and their parents told them.
I was also obsessed with dinosaurs. To me, they were real-life dragons! So I studied palaeontology at university, thinking it'd be just like Jurassic Park. It wasn't … After graduating and a series of random jobs, including a tour guide at Universal Studios and some entry-level movie-industry gigs, I landed a job as the secretary to the Creative Director at Disney Publishing. From Disney Publishing in LA, I moved to Melbourne for an editor position at Penguin Australia. Half a decade later, I had moved to London with a role at Penguin UK where I became one of the children's publishers.
It was during the COVID lockdown that everything changed. I had spent nearly three decades editing/publishing other peoples' stories. I was finally ready to write my own! First I launched a podcast, which I wrote, recorded, and produced by watching YouTube videos. Then I started writing the story that became Ming and Miaow's Great Race. Most of the books I write are inspired by legends and folklore. Many explore identity and fitting in. Magical creatures and deities make great characters for exploring these themes because they're all so weird and wonderful at the same time.
2. What happens in your Guardians of the New Moon series, and what inspired you to write the books?
The chapter books follow the epic adventures of an introverted black-and-white cat named Miaow and his best friend, a fiery nine-tailed fox named Ming, who can transform into a human girl. They're the titular Guardians of the New Moon, and it's their job to help each animal in the lunar zodiac prepare for their lunar new year.
The books are inspired by three things:
Baba's bedtime stories: My dad told me and my sister Chinese folktales at bedtime, including the legend of the Great Race, which is the basis for Book 1. He'd change plot points and characters - and cast us as the protagonists who caused all of the chaos. Ming and Miaow's dynamic is partly inspired by my relationship with my sister when we were kids.
Mama's nine-tailed fox: My mom's ancestral home in Shanghai was haunted by a family of nine-tailed foxes! They weren't horror-movie scary, though, they were cheeky pranksters. The head of the family was said to transform into an elderly man. When he was displeased, he'd cause the food in the kitchen to rot, create cold spots in the house, and make loud noises at night.
The lunar calendar: The lunar calendar and Lunar New Year celebrations figure prominently in the Guardians of the New Moon series. Many protagonists are lunar zodiac animals who must embody their zodiac traits to ensure an auspicious lunar year.
3. How does the first book, Ming and Miaow's Great Race, set the scene? And what happens in the second book, The Year of the Rat?
Ming and Miaow's Great Race introduces the fantastical East Asian setting of the series, as well as the two main characters, Ming and Miaow. They meet while competing in the Great Race, a competition held by the Jade Emperor, which is the origin story of the lunar zodiac. Outgoing Ming is determined to make the reserved Miaow her best friend, but she hadn't counted on Miaow making other friends too … including with a dragon!
In The Year of the Rat, Ming and Miaow are fresh from the excitement of the Great Race. Their mission: to help race winner Su the rat prepare for her upcoming year. Things don't go as planned, though, because Su tricked Miaow during the race. The frenemies' disruptive antics soon attract the attention of a furious sea goddess who decides to teach them a lesson …
4. What other books do you have planned for the series? Where do you plan to take your characters?
Subsequent books feature additional Great Race winners. Book 3 is entitled The Year of the Ox. It's a story about Xiao Nioh, a big strong ox who wants to be a dancer instead of the warrior his dad expects him to be. The story is a reimagining of the legend that explains the origins of fireworks and other Lunar New Year traditions. The Year of the Tiger is Book 4. Book 5 is The Year of the Rabbit, and so on.
Ming and Miaow appear in every book, as do the Jade Emperor and Tu Di Gong, a god of administration whose life is filled with paperwork and deadlines. They're joined by a cast of other legendary figures and creatures.
5. When are the books set, and what kinds of ancient myths do you explore through these books? How much research into these myths and settings have you done?
The books are set in a legendary once-upon-a-time China. It's been so much fun researching East Asian myths, expanding on what I remember from Baba's bedtime stories by reading the source material. One thing has become really clear: there isn't a definitive version of any tale.
Legends change with every retelling. Storytellers have been moulding them for centuries to keep them relevant as communities move across oceans and encounter new cultures and ideas. Perhaps the Guardians of the New Moon books are part of this storytelling tradition!
6. Which of the mythical characters from the Great Race is your favourite?
Nine-tailed foxes have been a favourite of mine since I was a boy, but … I've developed a soft spot for Tu Di Gong. Tu Di Gong is the name for a Taoist patron-god of a village or neighbourhood. In the books, he's the Jade Emperor's right hand in charge of all the boring stuff someone has to take care of: paperwork, schedules, permits, etc. He's often anxious and always stressed out, an unsung hero. He's someone I think the grown-ups in particular will relate to!
I also love a recurring unicorn character who appears in both books. They're gorgeous and self-obsessed. And why wouldn't you be if you were even half as amazing as they are?! And lastly, I've loved writing scenes featuring a couple of tanuki, shape-shifting racoon dogs from Japan. They're street-smart grifters, a nod to certain school chums from New Jersey.
7. What else will children learn through these books about ancient East Asian traditions?
The books explore East Asian celebrations like Lunar New Year and the Mid-autumn Festival. There's a chart in the back for readers to look up their lunar animal, as well as a glossary of Chinese words used in the stories. I hope the magical creatures, legendary places, and unpredictable divinities in the books will fuel a love of legends that aren't as well known as the ones in superhero films.
8. There is also lots to learn about friendship and empathy. What do you hope children will take from the first two books in the series?
I'd like young readers to appreciate the qualities that make each of us unique - embrace diversity, love who we are whether we're introverted like Miaow, fiery like Ming, anxious like Tu Di Gong, or super-social like Su.
9. What else are you writing currently? What kinds of children's books do you also enjoy reading?
I'm writing a nonfiction series published by Quarto called Oh No They Didn't and Oh No They Aren't that dispels commonly held myths, for example:
Marie Antoinette didn't say 'Let them eat cake'.
Pterodactyls aren't dinosaurs.
Lightning can - and often does! - strike in the same place twice.
I'm also working on a graphic novel with my boyfriend about a young necromancer who accidentally summons a demon.
I love reading sci-fi and fantasy books, especially those inspired by legends. The Paper Dragons series by Siobhan McDermott and the Drowned World series by Eliza Chan are two recent favourites.
10. And what kinds of real-life adventures do you have when you're not writing?
I'm a lecturer at City, University of London. I lead a few modules for the Masters in Publishing course. It's quite the adventure keeping up-to-date on the industry from the complexities of AI to the drive towards sustainability and representation. It's a lot of fun!
I love being part of the industry from this vantage. I get to meet fascinating people from around the world - while reconnecting with old colleagues - to discover their experiences and perspectives. And I'm so grateful to the students! They're helping me hold on to that boyhood fascination with things I don't understand.
If I can help it, I'll never become that person who tuts at anything unfamiliar. That said, I really don't get tiktok …