SJPL Picks: Picture Books Celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander VoicesLike this list

50 items

• The Mochi Makers

  Fujimoto-Johnson, Sharon,

  Add The Mochi Makers to your for later shelf

  A girl and her grandmother spend the day making mochi together in this gentle and joyous celebration of family, tradition, and the memories that matter most. Includes information on mochi and a recipe.

• Boys Don't Fry

  Lee, Kimberly,

  Add Boys Don't Fry to your for later shelf

  A young Malaysian boy enthusiastically assists his grandmother prepare their Lunar New Year dinner, all the while learning about the history of their traditional cuisine.

• A Kurta to Remember

  Pandya, Gauri Dalvi,

  Add A Kurta to Remember to your for later shelf

  Before a big move, a little girl receives a handmade kurta from her Aaji, with two big pockets filled with small reminders of her grandparents, and she helps make two more kurtas for them, allowing the family to feel close despite the…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Kapaemahu

  Wong-Kalu, Hinaleimoana,

  Add Kapaemahu to your for later shelf

  Four individuals of dual male and female spirit bring their healing arts from Tahiti to Hawaii, where they are beloved for their gentle ways and miraculous cures and where they imbue four giant boulders with their powers.

• Tokyo Night Parade

  Takahashi, J. P.,

  Add Tokyo Night Parade to your for later shelf

  The ground thunders in Tokyo. A gust of wind blows. The pitter patter of paws and claws draws closer. The air is thick with swirling, swooping demons. It's Eka's favorite evening of the year, the one night she refuses to miss. But it's…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Ramen for Everyone

  Tanumihardja, Patricia,

  Add Ramen for Everyone to your for later shelf

  A young boy aspires to make a bowl of ramen as delicious as his dad's, and runs into some surprises--both delightful and disastrous--on his first attempt.

• Girls on Wheels

  Venkat, Srividhya,

  Add Girls on Wheels to your for later shelf

  Follows three friends who support one another through the ups and downs of learning to skateboard.

• Dim Sum, Here We Come!

  Lam, Maple,

  Add Dim Sum, Here We Come! to your for later shelf

  Today is Sunday and that means its dim sum time with my whole family! I can't wait to see everyone, especially Grandma. I'm going to eat lots of shrimp dumplings, rice noodle rolls, egg tarts, and my favorite--char siu buns. We will have…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Punky Aloha

  Tuiasoa, Shar,

  Add Punky Aloha to your for later shelf

  Punky loves to do a lot of things--except meeting new friends. She doesn't feel brave enough. So when her grandmother asks her to go out and get butter for her famous banana bread, Punky hesitates. But with the help of her grandmother's…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• How This Book Got Red

  Greanias, Margaret Chiu,

  Add How This Book Got Red to your for later shelf

  When Red, a young red panda, finds her book about pandas completely omits red pandas, she decides to write a book herself.

• Niki Nakayama

  a Chef's Tale in 13 Bites

  Michalak, Jamie,

  Add Niki Nakayama to your for later shelf

  This picture book biography tells the story of powerhouse female Japanese-American chef Niki Nakayama and her rise to fame. As a child and adult, Niki faced many naysayers who said that a woman couldn't be a master chef. Using the…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• You Are Life

  Phi, Bao, 1975-

  Add You Are Life to your for later shelf

  Every child is bursting with amazing possibilities and poet Bao Phi celebrates the complex identity of the children of immigrants and refugees

• The Star Festival

  Ritchie Hadley, Moni,

  Add The Star Festival to your for later shelf

  As five-year-old Keiko and her eighty-five year old Obaasan, or grandmother, excitedly prepare to celebrate the Star Festival, Tanabata Matsuri, Oba tells the story of Tanabata.

• A Gift for Amma

  Market Day in India

  Sriram, Meera,

  Add A Gift for Amma to your for later shelf

  A young girl explores the vibrant rainbow of items for sale in a southern Indian street market as she searches for a gift for her mother.

• Gigi and Ojiji

  Iwai, Melissa,

  Add Gigi and Ojiji to your for later shelf

  Gigi can't wait for her Ojiji--Japanese grandpa--to move in. Gigi plans lots of things to do with him, like playing tag, reading books, and teaching Roscoe, the family dog, new tricks. But her plans don't work out quite the way she'd…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Eyes That Kiss in the Corners

  Ho, Joanna,

  Add Eyes That Kiss in the Corners to your for later shelf

  A young Asian girl notices that her eyes look different from her peers'. They have big, round eyes and long lashes. She realizes that her eyes are like her mother’s, her grandmother's, and her little sister.

• Love in the Library

  Tokuda-Hall, Maggie,

  Add Love in the Library to your for later shelf

  After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Tama – like all West Coast Japanese Americans - is sent to live in Minidoka, a prison camp in the desert. Working in the camp's tiny library, she meets George, who helps her see that her worries and fears…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Kimchi, Kimchi Every Day

  Kim, Erica,

  Add Kimchi, Kimchi Every Day to your for later shelf

  Explore the different ways to eat kimchi in this fun, rhyming tale that also teaches the days of the week.

• How We Say I Love You

  Chen, Nicole, 1980-

  Add How We Say I Love You to your for later shelf

  An Asian American girl shares how her family expresses their love for one another through actions rather than words.

• Anni Dreams of Biryani

  Mehra, Namita Moolani, 1978-

  Add Anni Dreams of Biryani to your for later shelf

  The café across the street from Anni's home in Little India makes the best biryani in the world. Fluffy and fragrant, spicy and succulent, Anni could eat it every day. In fact, Anni loves that biryani so much that she's determined to…Read moreRead more of this annotation