Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Picture BooksUnpublished

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A Korean American girl celebrates food and family in this cheerful book about cooking a special meal by Newbery Medalist Linda Sue Park. In bouncy rhyming text, an excited and hungry child tells about helping her mother make bee-bim bop: shopping, preparing ingredients, setting the table,...

A companion to the Caldecott Honor book A Big Mooncake for Little Star! A heartwarming and tender picture book introducing readers to their first snow, from award-winning, bestselling author-illustrator Grace Lin. ...

A gorgeous picture book that tells a whimsical origin story of the phases of the moon, from award-winning, bestselling author-illustrator Grace Lin Pat, pat, pat... Little Star's soft feet tiptoed to the Big Mooncake. Little Star loves the delicious...

This exuberant story follows a Chinese American family as they prepare for the Lunar New Year. Each member of the family lends a hand as they sweep out the dust of the old year, hang decorations, and make dumplings. Then it’s time to put on new clothes and celebrate with family and friends....

A beautiful myth from India comes to life in this enchanting, New York Times bestselling picture book. Near a majestic mountain in a vast jungle with many mango trees, it has not rained for weeks and weeks. The village well and pond are dry. Monkey and his friends look...

Follow a stray cat as she braves the snowy city streets to find a home in this nearly-wordless picture book.   A calico cat with curious eyes cautiously approaches a grocery store. . . . only to be shooed away by the owner with a broom. She keeps wandering, and tries...

"This tale of sibling compassion and ingenuity provides enough story for enjoyment alone but would also work well as an introduction to another culture and religion" -- School Library Journal Chandra and Deena's family has a smoky oil lamp at home, which makes their baby...

Caldecott Medal Winner Newbery Honor Book APALA Award Winner A story about the power of sharing memories--including the painful ones--and the way our heritage stays with and shapes us, even when we don't see it.  New England Book Award Winner

The first book in a completely charming series by a well-known Japanese author and illustrator, Chirri & Chirra introduces two girl characters who go on wonderful adventures together through the natural world. Vibrant, lively, and astonishingly sweet in a pure, unsentimental way, these...

Sakura's dad gets a new job in America, so she and her parents make the move from their home in Japan. When she arrives in the States, most of all she misses her grandmother and the cherry blossom trees they used to picnic under. One day, she meets her neighbour, a boy named Luke, and begins to feel...

Mei-Mei had the six happiest hens in China. She gave them treats and fresh hay baths, and when she called to them-gu gu gu gu gu!-they all ran to her as fast as they could. But one of the hens, Daisy, was not always so happy. The other hens picked on Daisy and pushed her off the perch every night....

Extreme weather affects two children's lives in very different ways and shows how the power of nature can bring us together. One girl. One boy. Their lives couldn't be more different. While she turns her shoulder to sandstorms and blistering winds, he cuffs his pants...

Explore the first English children's picture book on how fireworks and gunpowder were created! This action-packed adventure features amazing illustrations which make history come alive. This is the second adventure in our series on cool inventions created in Asia. The...

This New Year's Eve for the first time Marisa gets to help her grandmother make the traditional dumpling soup for the family. As she wraps them Marisa worries whether anyone will want to eat her strangely shaped dumplings. Set in the Hawaiian islands where eating as a way to express love and...

Farmer Falgu's trips never go smoothly. In the fourth book of the popular series, he is on his way to the annual kite-flying festival with his daughter, Eila. But.... Whoosh! She loses her kite to the strong wind. Will our clever Farmer Falgu come up with a solution to make his daughter...

An immigrant family embarks on their first camping trip in the Midwest in this lively picture book by Ambreen Tariq, outdoors activist and founder of @BrownPeopleCamping Fatima Khazi is excited for the weekend. Her family is headed to a local state park for their first camping...

Learn all about Holi, the Indian Festival of Colors, in this lush picture book from bestselling mother/son duo Surishtha Sehgal and Kabir Sehgal with illustrations by Caldecott Medalist Vashti Harrison. Spring is here, and it's almost time for Holi, the Indian Festival of Colors....

After years of harsh monsoon seasons, a forest on the river island of Majuli is in danger of being slowly washed away. Jadav, a boy living on the island, is determined to save the forest he loves. This is the true story of how one young boy dedicated his life to creating and...

One day a young girl named Feng Huang finds a phoenix feather that has fallen from the sky. When she tries to draw the magical bird and share her inspiration, no one is able to tell what it is. Luckily for Feng Huang, the Queen Phoenix sees her troubles and swoops down from the heavens to offer her...

A retelling of a favorite fairy tale, set in a bustling contemporary Chinatown, that celebrates Chinese New Year. It's Chinese New Year, and Goldy Luck's mother wants her to take a plate of turnip cakes to the neighbors. The Chans aren't home, but that doesn't stop Goldy from...

Yumi and her grandmother have the same great idea: They want to see each other. So they each head out to do just that, only to completely miss each other along the way! No problem--they'll just head back home and wait for the other to return. The trouble is that they have the same great idea--again-...

Indonesian Children's Favorite Stories contains a charming selection of traditional tales from the rich store of Indonesian lore and legends. These beautifully illustrated stories, retold for an international audience, provide children with insight into the traditional...

Juna and her best friend, Hector, have many adventures together, and they love to collect things in empty kimchi jars. Then one day, Hector unexpectedly moves away without having a chance to say good-bye. Juna is heartbroken and left to wonder who will on go on adventures with her. Determined to...

"This masterfully retold version of Cinderella presents real Korean customs and includes dramatic, brightly colored illustrations" (Children's Literature). This is an enchanting and magical variant of the favorite fairy tale. Publishers Weekly noted that "the text is especially...

A beautifully illustrated, Zen-inspired picture book for children ages 4-8 about moving to a new home, making friends, and finding beauty wherever you are. Krit and his dog, Mu, love their beautiful home in Thailand--full of golden temples, colorful mountainsides, and endless...

A vivacious and endearing story of identification, values, and the rewards in looking closely and thinking imaginatively. Lali finds a little feather in the field. Who might it belong to? Lali sets out to find the feather a home, but one bird after another rejects it. The feather...

Ranked #387 in all of Amazon's 8 million books, this BEST SELLER book is a delightful way for kids to learn about the FIVE days of Diwali You know about the 12 Days of Christmas. But do you know about the 5 days of Diwali, India's Festival of Lights? Go on...

From the award-winning and bestselling creators of Drawn Together comes the fantastic tale of a magical elevator that will lift your spirits--and press all the right buttons! Iris loves to push the elevator buttons in her apartment...

Meet Little Kunoichi, a young ninja in training! On a "super secret island" in a "supersupersecret village," Little Kunoichi, is struggling at school.Inspired by tiny Chibi Samurai's practice and skills, she works harder than ever and makes a friend. Together, they show the power...

Inspired by the true story of a crane that rescued a Chinese village, and graced with sensitive watercolor illustrations, this lovely book about respecting nature offers deep emotion and delightful surprises. A winter illness left Lotus, a little girl, without a...

The electricity in Maya's house has gone out again. She is afraid of the dark -- and her fear has been even worse since her father died. Now it feels as if the darkness will never go away. Maya's mother distracts her with a legend about the banyan tree, which saved the world from the...

Ming wishes for three things at Christmas. First, to sing in the school Christmas choir. Second, to have a Christmas tree like the one in the department store window. And third, to feel she belongs somewhere.  As a daughter of immigrants in 1930s California, Ming is...

A Shelf Awareness Best Book of the Year, and a Junior Library Guide Selection! From one of China's most beloved, bestselling children's authors comes this touching story of friendship and empathy, which celebrates the traditional way of life for the Indigenous...

2020 EUREKA Excellence in Nonfiction Awards - Gold Winner 2020 Feather Quill Reviewer's Choice Award Mei hates springtime. Why? Because it's only in the spring that Nian, a fierce dragon, is able to leave his mountain prison under the sea to terrorize the local village. When the...

Natsumi is small but full of big exuberance, and puts her girl-power to good use when she discovers a Japanese tradition as energetic as she is. When Natsumi's family practices for their town's Japanese arts festival, Natsumi tries everything. But her stirring is way too vigorous...

Two young cousins are seperated by language, continent and culture meet for the first time when Jill's family travels from America to Japan to stay with Natsumi's family during the summer holidays. Natsumi's nervousness about meeting her cousin from across the sea quickly disappears when she...

The Original Art 2017 Exhibit 2017-2018 Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association Literature Award Picture Book Honor STARRED REVIEW! "Wang's story thrills but doesn't threaten: Chau's wonderfully vivid watercolors give the...

A girl longs to return to the Chinese island where she was born to look for dragons. Her dream finally comes true when her family returns to celebrate Chinese New Year. The girl helps her grandparents prepare for the holiday and then joins in on the big holiday parade. When night falls, she goes out...

A big imagination can make even the dullest journey a dazzling adventure. Nimesh is walking home from school. Except...there happens to be a shark in the corridor. And a dragon in the library! And why would crossing the road lead to the North Pole? A fun-filled story about a little boy...

A vibrant variation on the traditional flood myth from the Irular tribe in Southern India. When Pattan finds a yellow-flower vine wilting in his valley, he replants and cares for it, watching as a pumpkin appears and grows taller than the goats, taller than the elephants, as tall...

Retold for a modern audience, the story of The Phoenix of Persia is one of the ancient epic stories of Shahnameh (The Book of Kings) by the 10th century poet Ferdowsi, reminiscent of the classic fairytale Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. In this ancient Persian, a king awaits the birth of his son...

★ "Smith spins a quietly moving narrative...Wada's large-scale woodblock style illustrations are a perfect complement to the story's restrained text...The graceful way in which this book handles a sensitive and serious subject makes it a first purchase."--School Library Journal When...

Emmy loses her beloved blanket, made especially for her by her Nainai, on a trip to the Peabody Essex Museum. Looking high and low, she winds up on a magical journey of discovery and wonder. Exploring the museum's Chinese house, Yin Yu Tang, she finds a place reminiscent of her...

A child-friendly story about the trials and triumphs of starting over in a new place while keeping family and traditions close. When Hee Jun's family moves from Korea to West Virginia, he struggles to adjust to his new home. His eyes are not big and round like his classmates',...

Making sure the new year is lucky is serious business. Thankfully PoPo has come all the way from China to America to help! Join one little Chinese-American girl (and her baby brother) as her grandmother teaches her all the do's and don'ts of celebrating the Chinese New Year. From making...

Priya lives in the United States and her family is from India. She feels the magic of the place her family comes from through her Babi Ba's colorful descriptions of India--from the warm smell of spices to the swish-swish sound of a rustling sari. Together, Priya and Babi Ba make their heritage live...

Younger children will be engaged by Red Is a Dragon, as a young girl finds a rainbow of colors in her everyday life.

Rice from Heaven is a true story about compassion and bravery as a young girl and her community in South Korea help deliver rice via balloons to the starving and oppressed people in North Korea. "We reach a place where mountains become a wall. A wall so high, no one...

In this picture book by Vickie Lee celebrating Chinese New Year, animals from the Chinese zodiac help a little girl deliver a gift to her grandmother. Ruby has a special card to give to her grandmother for Chinese New Year. But who will help her get to grandmother's house to...

Sadiq loves stitching colorful patterns on rugs. However, his Ammi reminds him that boys in his community don't stitch, they tend to the livestock. But Sadiq is determined to pursue his passion.This winsome tale that defies gender norms and talks about a fading shepherd craft of Kashmir, is written...

A unique blend of traditional folklore and contemporary customs brings the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival to life. Two sisters and their grandmother celebrate a popular Chinese holiday with family. Their favorite part? Mooncakes, of course--along with Ah-ma's story of the ancient...

WSRA Children's Literature: Picture This 2021 Recommendation List The festival of lights is here--time to celebrate the New Year! Diwali has arrived! Rangoli art decorates the floor, and strings of flowers hang around the doors. Now it's time to ring the bells,...

With soft illustrations and soothing text, this is a quiet story about learning to find calm in the busy world around you. When the party's over and the baby finally falls asleep, when the dog is all barked out and the screens are dark, the Silence pads in on soft, furry feet. A warm,...

Sion is a fortune-teller who lives in an ancient Chinese kingdom with his son and a beloved horse. When Sion begins to experience a series of unlucky events, he shocks everyone in town by saying that it is a sign of good things to come. Will Sion lose his reputation for being the wisest man...

Born in Edinburgh in 1863, Helen Bannerman lived in India for thirty years. As a gift for her two little girls, she wrote and illustrated The Story of Little Black Sambo(1899), a story that clearly takes place in India (with its tigers and "ghi," or melted butter), even though the names she gave...

In captivating paintings full of movement and transformation, Tamaki follows a young girl through a year or a day as she examines the colors in the world around her. Egg yolks are sunny orange as expected, yet water cupped in her hands isn't blue like they say. But maybe a blue whale is blue. She...

Three siblings enjoy the Indian festival of Raksha Bandhan--a celebration of the special relationship between brothers and sisters--in this vibrant reinterpretation of the classic song Frère Jacques (Are You Sleeping) from New York Times bestselling mother/son duo Surishtha...

An adventurous boy defeats an unlikely foe in this story of reading, imagination, and tigers! Sometimes it's almost impossible to get your big sister to read your favorite book to you. Sometimes you have to go to great lengths even to get her attention! But if you're really...

Outstanding Merit, Bank Street Best Children's Books of the Year   "The striking artwork brings Miyuki's imagination to life with wondrous, bright colors that curiously set a dreamy stage for this gorgeous bedtime story that also highlights intergenerational...

Ojiisan, the oldest and wealthiest man in the village, doesn't join the others at the rice ceremony. Instead he watches from his balcony. He feels something is coming; something he can't describe. When he sees the monster wave pulling away from the beach, he knows. Tsunami! But the villagers below...

Rashin Kheiriyeh, 2014 IBBY Award winner and Iranian-American artist, makes Rumi's classical story of a parrot wishing to be free fly off the page! A plucky parrot living in the home of a wealthy merchant appears to have everything: the love of his owner, the best food,...

From the mother-son duo behind the New York Times bestselling A Bucket of Blessings comes a zany picture book about a wild ride on a tuk tuk taxi in India! This picture book brings an international twist to the beloved nursery rhyme, The Wheels on the Bus, by...

Batchelder Honor Winner, 2020 ALA Youth Media Awards Honorable Mention, 2019 Freeman Awards (National Consortium for Teaching about Asia) Korea's demilitarized zone (DMZ) has become an amazing accidental nature preserve that gives hope for a brighter future for a...

"[Adam] Rex delivers a storytime home run--hilarious, heartfelt, instructive, and interactive." --Booklist, starred review A sweet and appealing tale for anyone familiar with the universal tendency of young children to always ask WHY? When supervillain Doctor X-Ray...

Rhyming couplets describe a day in the life of an energetic, little girl who stretches "like a cat" and hangs "like a bat," while the illustrations show both the child and the succession of imaginary animals she mimics. Her activities wind up with a gentle goodnight as her parents tuck her,...

The Year of the Dragon is the most lucky and popular... for good reason! Dominic is an adventurous dragon whose journey celebrates the new year. 2012 was the Year of the Dragon! Dominic's proud parents rule the sea and sky, advise the Emperor, and have high...

Hannah is a spirited horse who has a lot riding on her! This feisty filly's amazing journey celebrates the new year and kids' can-do attitudes. 2014 is The Year of the Horse! Hannah is a foal who has a talented family and yearns to have special skills too. She...

Say hello to Rosie, a rascally rabbit with an enormous ear for adventure. Rosie is a funny bunny whose journey celebrates the new year. Born with very long ears, Rosie also has great sense for adventure. She wants new sights to see and plants to taste. After getting caught...

Ralph is an ambitious chick whose journey celebrates the new year. This edition features a bilingual Chinese translation. 2017 is the Year of the Rooster! Ray is a chick who proves to be very plucky! He loves his Mama hen and admires his Papa who has the important job of...

Sydney is a bold lamb with a keen nose for adventure. Her breathtaking journey celebrates the new year. 2015 was The Year of the Sheep. The lamb Sydney befriends the shepherd girl Zhi and other animals. But to her parents' dismay, Sydney may walk to the beat of a...

**2012 Creative Child Magazine Book of the Year Award Winner!** Yuko-chan and the Daruma Doll, a gorgeous multicultural children's book by author/illustrator Sunny Seki, takes readers on a journey into ancient Japan and the story behind the famous Daruma Doll. ...