Picture Books We Read This AAPI Heritage Month
Let's Celebrate!
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Let's Celebrate! 🎆
Written by: Shayne (Bookseller)
We’re almost at the end of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, a time to celebrate an incredibly diverse number of racial and cultural identities. Even though more and more people are celebrating this holiday, finding books—children’s books in particular—with AAPI characters still requires some searching. Many stores don't call attention to this month at all.
Don’t force yourself to trudge through big box stores that prominently (and unironically) display books by people like Ron DeSantis. Come to Indigo Bridge! We have a selection of picture books that will teach children to appreciate these histories and cultures and give them Asian heroes to admire.
Eyes That Kiss in the Corners by Joanna Ho. Illustrated by Dung Ho.
This book reminds me why I love picture books. The illustrations—goddesses, dragons, and more, all imagined by a little girl—are overflowing with detail and color. This young girl recognizes that she has eyes that aren’t like those of her friends, but she doesn’t despair; her features are similar to her family’s. The reader can clearly see that the family is full of love for both each other and themselves, and it definitely doesn’t make me feel unreasonably emotional at all.
“My eyes that kiss in the corners and glow like warm tea are a revolution.”
(Image copyright © 2021 by Thi Hanh Dung Ho. Retrieved from HarperCollins Publishers.)
Eyes That Speak to the Stars by Joanna Ho. Illustrated by Dung Ho.
Another book by the same author and illustrator with similar themes. It’s also worth a read!
When a boy’s “friend” draws his eyes in a hurtful way, his father soothes him by telling him that his eyes speak to the stars. He learns to love his features by seeing them reflected in his family.
(Image copyright © 2022 by Thi Hanh Dung Ho. Retrieved from HarperCollins Publishers.)
Sunday Funday in Koreatown, written and illustrated by Aram Kim.
This is a roller coaster of a tale. Disasters ruin what is supposed to be a fun Sunday, but in a twist of fate, all the problems are neatly solved by the last page. This book is surprisingly complex: Koreatowns exist all over the world, so the author uses animal characters and signs written in Hangul to make the book feel more universal. It also includes a recipe for kimbap.
(Image copyright © 2021 by Aram Kim. Retrieved from Penguin Random House.)
Luli and the Language of Tea by Andrea Wang. Illustrated by Hyewon Yum.
Luli is a young Chinese girl in an English as a Second Language (ESL) class. She and the other kids have no language in common, but when she brings in a pot of tea, they all bond over their shared experiences. By focusing on the children Luli shares tea with, the book is also able to show readers how tea is prepared in several more countries, like India and Iran.
(Illustrations copyright © 2022 by Hyewon Yum. Retrieved from Holiday House.)
Amazing: Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders Who Inspire Us All by Maia and Alex Shibutani and Dane Liu. Illustrated by Aaliya Jaleel.
So many nonfiction books are depressing: they tell you exactly how and why the world is a mess of seemingly unsolvable issues. But this book has plenty of heartwarming examples of inspirational people to learn from. Parents and guardians can introduce their children to activists, actors, astronauts, and so many other trailblazers. Learn about household names like Mindy Kaling and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, or expand your history knowledge. Did you know Carissa Moore, a native to Hawaii, won a gold medal in surfing for the United States in 2020?
(Illustrations copyright © 2023 Aaliya Jaleel. Retrieved from Penguin Random House.)
Even More Books!
Singapore Children's Favorite Stories by Di Taylor.
Pirates! Mermaids! Magic! The Lion City!
The ABCs of Asian American History: A Celebration from A to Z of All Asian Americans, from Bangladeshi Americans to Vietnamese Americans by Renee Macalino Rutledge.
Every letter stands for multiple things: a person, a holiday, a tradition. It shows us just a fraction of what Asian-Americans can be!
An Asian American A to Z: A Children's Guide to Our History by Cathy Linh Che and Kyle Lucia Wu.
A more serious book that focuses on the Asian-American fight for representation and civil rights. Come for the history, stay for the vibrant and expressive art.
Peng's Vase: A Chinese Folktale by Paolo Proietti.
The art in this book is so calming and beautiful.
All the books that are listed are currently available in-store and can be found on our Bookshop page!
Why does this matter?
To be serious: The FBI released statistics regarding hate crimes that took place in 2020. The numbers are startling and disheartening: from 2019 to 2020, there was a 77% increase in anti-Asian crimes. Teaching Asian and Pacific Islander children to appreciate and celebrate their race, cultures, and heritages—the things that mark them as different—is one of the first steps toward creating a better and more welcoming community for all Nebraskans.
Read these AAPI Heritage Month books with your family today!
