10 Children’s Books To Read This AAPI Heritage Month
Whether they’re acting as “windows” or “mirrors,” these beautiful picture books will help your family learn about and celebrate Asian and Pacific Island cultures and experiences
Written By
Jennifer Chen & Marnie Schwartz
"Eyes That Kiss In The Corners" by Joanna Ho
With poetic text and beautiful illustrations, this story of a young girl learning to love and celebrate her Asian-shaped eyes teaches the beauty of diversity and self-love to all kids.
This story gives readers a child’s perspective on the experience of immigrating to the United States, navigating two cultures, and deriving a rich experience from blending two backgrounds and homes.
In this follow-up to Amy Wu and the Perfect Bao, Amy struggles to craft the perfect dragon. She draws inspiration from a dragon costume used during Chinese New Year and adds elements of dragons more typical in Western culture. The end result is the perfect patchwork.
A young boy and his grandfather become frustrated and silenced by their lack of a common language. But when they discover a mutual passion for art, they find that they can communicate through drawing and are able to connect.
Juna and her best friend Hector have adventures together and collect things in empty Kimchi jars. When Hector suddenly moves away, Juna copes by using her imagination and her special kimchi jars to search for her friend. This touching book and its dreamy illustrations will help kids feeling lost after a friend moves away.
Based on the author's experiences as a Hmong refugee, this story explores themes of resilience, gratitude, and the beauty of intergenerational familial love—and depicts them with incredible mixed-media visuals.
In this contemporary fable set in Northern Thailand, Mela refuses to take her little brother along with her on her adventures. When her boat is swept downstream, she learns her lesson, and the importance of kindness and generosity, among other things.
Two forms of Japanese martial arts—sumo and aikido—are set against each other. So are Joe’s love for Sumo and devotion to his younger sister in this tale of sibling rivalry and inclusion. The book includes an illustrated glossary for readers unfamiliar with Japanese culture.
A poem in the style of “The House That Jack Built” explores the importance of the Hawaiian staple of poi as well as the plant it’s made from, kalo, and Native Hawaiian cultural traditions and values. The book includes an author's note about kalo and poi, as well as a glossary.
Filipino traditions and the staples of an American summer come together in a book that engages all the senses. When Lola comes from the Philippines for the summer, she brings the aroma of mango jam, songs sung in Tagalog, and the strong bonds of intergenerational family love. (You can preorder it now—it comes out May 18th.)
In this joyful picture book, Mei learns about the history of her name, her ancestry, and the beauty of being a young Chinese American girl. Author Eva Chen creates a self-love manifesto in her third picture book.
As the third book in the wonderful Amy Wu series, a new classmate from China joins Amy’s class. Amy attempts to befriend Lin, but he doesn’t respond when she invites him over to her family’s dumpling party. But when Amy sees Lin speaking Mandarin Chinese with his little sister, she understands why Lin doesn’t understand her. At the dumpling dinner, Amy welcomes Lin in his native language.
"Yes We Will: Asian Americans Who Shaped This Country" by Kelly Yang
This comprehensive book features amazing Asian Americans—from astronaut Franklin Chang-Díaz to Vice President Kamala Harris—with stunning illustrations created by Asian and Asian American artists. Each hero has a one-line biography on their page with extended details at the end of the book.
Based on the author's experiences as a Hmong refugee, this story explores themes of resilience, gratitude, and the beauty of intergenerational familial love—and depicts them with incredible mixed-media visuals.
"The Ocean Calls: A Haenyeo Mermaid Story" by Tina Cho
Dayeon’s grandmother is a real-life mermaid. As a haenyeo, her grandmother free dives into the ocean and catches abalone and sea creatures to eat and sell. Dayeon strives to be like her grandmother and follows her out during a dive. In her first adventure, Dayeon witnesses the powerful wonders in the ocean.
Little Star and her mama make a big mooncake that they place in the sky. Mama asks Little Star to not touch the mooncake. Little Star is too tempted by the golden and delicious mooncake to resist. Author Grace Lin shares her love for the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival in this Caldecott Honor book.
