I’m so sad about the hate crimes and racism against Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) over the past year. While we need far more than books to heal our country, I firmly believe that learning about a culture and people helps you to be more understanding. You can’t hate someone once you’ve walked in their shoes.
If you’re like me and want to help your children learn more about Asian-American and Pacific Islander culture, this list will help you start. Read on for my favorite picture books featuring AAPI characters. Asian authors and artists wrote and illustrated almost all of them, too!
Eyes That Kiss in the Corners by Joanna Ho. I saw this new release on Amazon as a preorder months before it was published and should have bought it then. It nearly brought tears to my eyes the first time I read it. This beautiful story is about a little girl who notices she and the other women in her family all have “eyes that kiss in the corners.” She learns to love and accept herself even though she looks different from her friends. I adore the empowering messages of this book, and the illustrations are stunning, too. Every time I see this book on our shelf, I smile.
Ohana Means Family by Ilima Loomis. The lyrical text and illustrations in this picture book will blow you away. It’s written in a “House That Jack Built” style and explains how a Hawaiian family harvests taro to make poi for the village luau. I seriously wanted to go back to Hawaii when I read this. I also better understood the culture of family there. This book also reminds me a bit of the film Moana (and that is one of my favorites).
A Big Mooncake for Little Star by Grace Lin. All of Grace Lin’s books are great (I also love the Ling and Ting series), but this one is so magical. It tells the story of Little Star, who can’t resist taking nibbles of the giant mooncake she made with her mother. As she nibbles a little bit more every night, the pictures also clearly show the mooncake in different phases of the moon. I love that this is a simple, cute story that also helps kids explain how the moon changes.
The Fearless Flights of Hazel Ying Lee by Julie Leung. I was so inspired by this book and can’t stop gushing about it! Hazel Ying Lee was the first Chinese-American woman to fly for the U.S. military. She got her chance to be a pilot after years of discrimination when the military hired Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) during WWII. We loved reading her story, and my son, who wants to be a pilot himself, was SO impressed. I’ll probably be buying this one.
Ocean Meets Sky by The Fan Brothers. I loved this so much when I first read it with my kids that I immediately bought it. The illustrations are steampunk-inspired and very different from the art you normally see in children’s books. In the story, which the authors say nods to their Asian heritage, a boy named Finn is devastated to lose his grandfather. Fortunately, he can imagine their world together (in ships in the sky) and find comfort in that.
Bee-Bim Bop by Linda Sue Park. This is SUCH a fun book to read out loud. It’s all about a Korean-American girl who’s making bee-bim bop (a traditional Korean dish with rice, meat, and vegetables) with her family. The text rhymes and has a great rhythm to it, and it’ll make you want to cook with your kids. It has a recipe, too!
A Scarf for Keiko by Ann Malaspina. We first read this about a year ago, and when I talked to my kids about the racism currently happening to Asian-Americans, they both remembered the book. That says volumes about its impact on them. In this story, a Japanese-American girl is forced to move to a camp during WWII and leave her school behind. I especially love that the book includes facts about the mistreatment of Japanese people during the 1940s. In fact, because of this book, I learned about Japanese-American camps in both Idaho (where I grew up) and Utah (where I live now). It’s a sad but important part of American history kids should learn about..
It Began With a Page: How Gyo Fujikawa Drew the Way by Kyo Maclear. I have read several of Kyo Maclear’s picture book biographies and loved all of them. This one is about Japanese-American illustrator Gyo Fujikawa, who broke racial barriers by drawing children of all races in her children’s books. The illustrator paid homage to Fujikawa with her depictions of diverse kids, and it’s really cool to read more about Fujikawa’s life at the end and see a timeline.
Our Favorite Day by Joowon Oh. Books about grandparents’ relationships with their grandchildren always warm my heart, and this one is adorable. The grandfather follows a specific routine every day (which is reminiscent of Mr. Rogers’ routines). On the day his granddaughter comes to visit each week, everything changes. The illustrations are adorable, and I love the simple text and the love you can feel through the pages. Such a cute book!
Amy Wu and the Perfect Bao by Kat Zhang. We all loved this cute story about a girl who keeps trying to make bao with her family but gets frustrated when it doesn’t turn out perfectly. My son is also frustrated when he can’t draw something the first time. This was a good message for him (and all of us) about perseverance. As an added bonus, it includes a recipe (and it will make you crave bao).
Maya-Lin: Artist-Architect of Light and Lines by Jeanne Walker Harvey. Did you know that a Chinese-American architect designed the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in 1981? I did not know anything about Maya-Lin until I read this book with my kids, and it’s quite the story. Despite racism and sexism, Maya-Lin achieved her dreams, and her beautiful monument is now an icon in Washington, D.C.
The Empty Pot by Demi. This is a classic fairytale that lots of kids hear in elementary school, but somehow I never did. The emperor of China is growing old and has to choose an heir. He decides to give each child in the kingdom a flower seed and see who can grow the prettiest flowers. A little boy named Ping tries his best but can never get the flowers to grow — and he learns that everything is not as it seems. I love fables, and this one has a great message about honesty.
My First Day by Phung Nguyen Quang. I just read this brand-new release to my kids a few days ago, and it is stunning. It begins with a Vietnamese boy embarking on a journey alone in a wooden boat. He encounters huge waves, a creepy forest, and lots of rain but finally reaches the destination: his school. This book is absolutely beautiful and definitely fun to page through. It also helped me start a conversation with my kids about what it would be like to ride a boat to school every day.
Magic Ramen: The Story of Momofuko Ando by Andrea Wang. I asked my husband to walk to 7-11 (it’s around the corner from our house) to get me some ramen noodles after reading this book last year because we did not have any and I desperately wanted some. Even if you don’t like ramen, you will love this true story about the man who invented the instant noodles.
Danbi Leads the School Parade by Anna Kim. When Danbi starts at a brand-new school in America, she is understandably nervous. She feels even worse when she doesn’t know the language and can’t seem to get anyone to play with her. Fortunately, she comes up with a new game that brings everyone together. This is such an important and sweet story about acceptance and love. Everyone has been the new kid at one point, and this one just warms your heart.
Do you have favorite books featuring Asian-American and Pacific Islander characters? Please share!
