Children's Literature: Asian/Asian-American

In this version of Cinderella, set in the Philippines, Abadeha endures abuse by her stepmother before being helped by the Spirit of the Forest and becoming the bride of the island chieftan's son.

A Cambodian version of Cinderella in which a poor girl marries a prince, is killed by her jealous stepfamily, and then, through her virtue, returns to become queen.

Cinduri, hungry and ragged, is befriended by Godfather Snake, who feeds her delicacies and dresses her in gold cloth and anklets with bells and diamonds, to meet the prince.

A Japanese American boy learns to play baseball when he and his family are forced to live in an internment camp during World War II, and his ability to play helps him after the war is over.

Zubi, a happy Bangladeshi girl, is excited about her first day of school, but at breakfast she is puzzled by her mother and older sister worrying about being "too big," and even at school she hears other people criticizing each other's bodies, and she starts to worry that maybe something is wrong with how she looks--until her declaration at dinner that she is on a diet makes her family realize what they have been doing wrong.

This charming picture book is about a little girl who loves her bindis (and the many creative shapes they come in!). The bindis are also a connection to her Nani who lives in India. When Nani comes to visit Bindu and brings the bindis to her, it is just in time to wear something new to the school talent show. Bindu and Nani work together to shine their brightest and embrace their sparkle, even when they stand out from the crowd.

Binny's class is learning about different holiday traditions, and today it is time for Binny to share the story of her favorite holiday, Diwali, the Festival of Lights--and she even has some special treats to give her classmates. Includes information on the five days of Diwali, what it commemorates, and its special traditions.

Sachiko's family home was about half a mile from where the atomic bomb fell on August 9, 1945. Her family experienced devastating loss. When they returned to the rubble where their home once stood, her father miraculously found their serving bowl fully intact. This delicate, green, leaf-shaped bowl―which once held their daily meals―now holds memories of the past and serves as a vessel of hope, peace, and new traditions for Sachiko and the surviving members of her family.

When Zimdalamashkermishkada starts at a new school, he knows he'll have to introduce himself to lots of new people. He trips over his long name and decides to shrink it down to the shorter, simpler "Zim." The nickname works fine for introductions, but deep down, it doesn't feel right. It's not until a new friend sees him for who he truly is that Zimdalamashkermishkada finds the confidence to step proudly into his long name. The Boy Who Tried to Shrink His Name is a warm and uplifting story that encourages young readers to celebrate their authentic selves, and proclaims that no one should ever have to shrink themselves to fit in.

Chin Chiang has long dreamed of dancing the dragon's dance, but when the first day of the Year of the Dragon arrives and he is to dance with his grandfather, he is sure he will shame his family and bring bad luck to everyone.

After Yohei tends a wounded crane, a beautiful young woman begs to become his wife and three times weaves for him an exquisite silken fabric on her loom.

As a young boy, Harish hears and feels the music of the Thar Desert, all around him: "When the khamaicha thrums and the dholak drums and the boy's feet tap and his fingers sway... it is softly... softly, so no one sees." Harish knows the line between what men and women should want, and he keeps it in sight. But when Harish's family suffers loss, he finds himself in charge of two sisters, in charge of making money. And so he begins to dance publicly, in the bright colors and kohl rimmed eyes of the god Krishna.. and in the rhythm-making anklets and the swirling costumes of the female Rajasthani dancers he so admired. A new persona is born. The path of Queen Harish to stardom is not without trial, but it is one of bravery and fearlessness. A story of triumph and inspiration. Something to sing about out loudly, proudly, so everyone can hear.

As a young boy, Bao Phi awoke early, hours before his father's long workday began, to fish on the shores of a small pond in Minneapolis. Unlike many other anglers, Bao and his father fished for food, not recreation. Between hope-filled casts, Bao's father told him about a different pond in their homeland of Vietnam.

Norman Ah Sing is a successful, newly-arrived Chinese grocer in the San Francisco of the 1850s. He is thrilled to be in the Land of the Golden Mountain. His delight prompts him to invite all to celebrate the Lunar New Year and to organize the first big celebration in 1851 Chinatown.

A boy and his grandfather cross a language and cultural barrier using their shared love of art, storytelling, and fantasy.

When Tuyet finds out that her Vietnamese family is having duck rather than turkey for Thanksgiving dinner, she is upset until she finds out that other children in her class did not eat turkey either.

Emma's grandfather, newly arrived from China, introduces her to the power of dragons.

After falling in love with Japan as a little girl, Erika becomes a teacher and fulfills her childhood dream by moving to a remote Japanese island.

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's. They have eyes that kiss in the corners and glow like warm tea, crinkle into crescent moons, and are filled with stories of the past and hope for the future. Drawing from the strength of these powerful women in her life, she recognizes her own beauty and discovers a path to self love and empowerment.

A young Asian boy notices that his eyes look different from his peers' after seeing his friend's drawing of them. After talking to his father, the boy realizes that his eyes rise to the skies and speak to the stars, shine like sunlit rays, and glimpse trails of light from those who came before--in fact, his eyes are like his father's, his agong's, and his little brother's, and they are visionary. Inspired by the men in his family, he recognizes his own power and strength from within. This extraordinary picture book redefines what it means to be truly you.

A powerful true story of a young girl who has never known life outside a refugee camp and a father determined to help her dream beyond the fences that confine them

When Dat starts school in a country where he does not speak the language, everything around him sounds like gibberish until a new friend helps him make sense of his new world.

In this Indonesian version of the Cinderella story, a girl named Damura escapes her cruel stepmother and stepsister and marries a handsome prince with the help of Grandmother Crocodile.

A young girl visits her grandmother in Vietnam where her parents were born and learns that she can call two places home. In Vietnamese and English.

When Ji-su's mother is chosen by the emperor to be a seamstress in his court, Ji-su vows to learn to sew the beautiful Korean bojagi, or wrapping cloths, just as well so that she will also be summoned to the palace and be reunited with her mother.

As nighttime falls over the city, two children visiting their grandparents in India find there's so much fun to be had! Whether it's listening to epic stories or observing rituals in the puja room, there are many moments that make this time together special.

A Japanese American man recounts his grandfather's journey to America which he later also undertakes, and the feelings of being torn by a love for two different countries.

Follows a Sikh father and his daughter as they go through their daily hair routine.
Every morning Papa combs through his daughter's waves like he does his own--parting it down the middle, using coconut oil to get all the tangles out. Some days he braids her hair in two twists down the side of her face. Other days he weaves it into one long braid hanging down her back. But her favorite style is when he combs her hair in a tight bun on the top of her head, just like the joora he wears every day under his turban. They call this their hair twin look! This charming story about the special hair bond between a Sikh father and daughter is sure to inspire readers to boldly celebrate and proudly share their own family traditions.

Japanese American Donnie, whose playmates insist he be the "bad guy" in their war games, calls on his reluctant father and uncle to help him get away from that role.

This powerful, poignant, and exquisitely illustrated memoir is the story of one of our most beloved children's illustrators and the house his baba built.

An American sailor courts a Japanese girl and each tries, in secret, to learn the other's way of eating.

Tired of being treated like a child, a young girl sets out to prove herself capable to her multi-generational Indian-American family, but an ill-fated attempt at putting on a sari has an unexpected outcome.

A lullaby which asks animals such as a lizard, monkey, and water-buffalo to be quiet and not disturb the sleeping baby.

This moving ode to the immigrant experience, as well as a manifesto of self-love for Chinese American children, is a jubilant celebration of accepting who you are.

A small boy loses his Dad while browsing in the toy section of a department store.

Despite a cruel stepmother's schemes, Jouanah, a young Hmong girl, finds true love and happiness with the aid of her dead mother's spirit and a pair of special sandals.

After her best friend, Hector, moves away, Juna's brother Minho tries to make her feel better by finding things to put in her special kimchi jar, and each night, whatever is in the jar takes her on a magical journey in search of Hector.

Claire and her mother are working together on a scrapbook as they relive their first days and hours together following Claire's arrival from her birth home in China. Claire's big brother, Conor, had kept a journal as he anticipated the day his new sister would arrive, and these entries also become part of their book of memories.

Kadooboo! Golden brown, puffy, sweet, and crunchy, it's fresh from the pan--a delicious treat! As soon as it's ready, Kabir runs home with some to share. He's got to be quick, before the rain! But wait ... can he remember the treat's name? (His Amma is sure to ask!) Of course he can. That is, if fun and friends aren't too distracting along the way. As Kabir makes his way, the sights and sounds of the street and interactions with friends start to jumble his memory. A cool new comic, and suddenly the treat is book-oo-doo! When a ball whizzes toward him--duck-oo-boo! With so much fun to be had, Kabir reaches home with a trail of friends ... and a jumble of names. Could he possibly remember the right one? This modern retelling of a South Indian folktale blends playful wordplay with delightfully quick pacing in a story about friends, family, and food--the perfect recipe for a satisfying story time.

Although Kongi is treated unfairly by her stepmother and stepsister, she proves she is worthy to become the Prince's bride.

Kuan Yin, whose name means "one who hears the cries of the world," is perhaps the most widely revered Buddhist saint in the world. Known as Avalokiteshvara in Sanskrit, Kannon in Japanese, and Chenrezig in Tibetan, this compassionate bodhisattva is at the heart of all Mahayana Buddhist traditions. Sometimes depicted as male and other times as female, Kuan Yin took the vow to free all sentient beings from their suffering. The legend of Princess Miao-Shan is the origin story of how she became the bodhisattva known as Kuan Yin.

After Laxmi's friend Zoe points out the hairs on her lip, Laxmi is very self-conscious until her East Indian parents help her to accept and celebrate her appearance.

Illustrations and text celebrate the special moments-- both big and small-- shared with a child.

Three sisters staying home alone are endangered by a hungry wolf who is disguised as their grandmother.

Tama works in the library at the Minidoka incarceration camp, where she has been imprisoned because she is Japanese American. Life in the Idaho camp is relentless, and getting through each day is hard. Tama prefers to escape into her books, with their stories of honor and adventure. But every day, George is there, too -- with a smile, yet another stack of books, and his comforting presence. It is George who helps Tama understand that she isn't alone, and in that realization, hope is found. Based on the experience of author Maggie Tokuda-Hall's own grandparents, who met in Minidoka during World War II, this is a wrenching and beautiful tale of two people who find each other during a time of extreme darkness, and the family born out of their love.

A strange event occurs across the land when a little Chinese goose girl sprinkles her shoulders with water and begins to wave her arms, believing that she will sprout wings, fly, and enjoy all the beautiful flowers of spring.

Ming, the daughter of Chinese immigrants in 1930s California, wants to be like other children at school and celebrate Christmas with a tree, but after her father takes her to see a wise old friend, she discovers a better way to honor her heritage.

A little Chinese girl in Los Angeles participates in the celebration of the Chinese New Year.

Introduces Chinese language to preschool children in a gentle, playful way. The ABC structure provides a familiar framework that encourages fun and easy learning.

A little girl is fascinated by her mother's sari and finds many uses for it.

When an Indian American boy starts school in a new classroom, one child can't pronounce his name properly. It stings, but his parents remind him that his name shows how special he is. With lush illustrations by Sandhya Prabhat, award-winning author Supriya Kelkar writes a stunning tribute to the thing that introduces us to the world -- our names -- reminding readers of the beauty in celebrating differences, taking pride in uniqueness, and helping others to do the same.

Having just moved from Korea, Unhei is anxious that American kids will like her. So instead of introducing herself on the first day of school, she tells the class that she will choose a name by the following week. Her new classmates are fascinated by this no-name girl and decide to help out by filling a glass jar with names for her to pick from. But while Unhei practices being a Suzy, Laura, or Amanda, one of her classmates comes to her neighborhood and discovers her real name and its special meaning.

A mysterious man enters a restaurant and pays for his dinner with a paper crane that magically comes alive and dances.

Before he became an artist named Tyrus Wong, he was a boy named Wong Geng Yeo. He traveled across a vast ocean from China to America with only a suitcase and a few papers. Not papers for drawing--which he loved to do--but immigration papers to start a new life. Once in America, Tyrus seized every opportunity to make art, eventually enrolling at an art institute in Los Angeles. Working as a janitor at night, his mop twirled like a paintbrush in his hands. Eventually, he was given the opportunity of a lifetime--and using sparse brushstrokes and soft watercolors, Tyrus created the iconic backgrounds of Bambi.

All through the sunny day the white bench in the park provides pleasure for the many people who come by, from the old man taking a walk to the children playing in the park.

When Lin's beloved pet dragon disappears, she searches for him far and wide until a witch helps her to reach the dragon's new home. Introduces a different Chinese character on each step of Lin's adventure.

When Wu Chien Shiung was born in China 100 years ago, most girls did not attend school; no one considered them as smart as boys. But her parents felt differently. Giving her a name meaning “Courageous Hero,” they encouraged her love of learning and science. This engaging biography follows Wu Chien Shiung as she battles sexism and racism to become what Newsweek magazine called the “Queen of Physics” for her work on beta decay. Along the way, she earned the admiration of famous scientists like Enrico Fermi and Robert Oppenheimer and became the first woman hired as an instructor by Princeton University, the first woman elected President of the American Physical Society, the first scientist to have an asteroid named after her when she was still alive, and many other honors.

Though father and son are far apart, they have a secret way of staying close. Every day they greet each other by flying their kites-one red, and one blue-until Baba can be free again, like the kites.

A young city boy, riding the subway, finds an abandoned book about redwoods. He finds himself in the very forest described in the book. After finishing the book, he leaves it for someone else to read.

Pen pals Elliot and Kailash discover that even though they live in different countries--America and India--they both love to climb trees, have pets, and ride a school bus.

A biography of Korean American diving champion Sammy Lee, focusing on how his childhood determination and his father's dreams set the stage for a medical career as well as his athletic achievements which earned him Olympic gold medals in 1948 and 1952.

When the Los Angeles riots break out in the streets of their neighborhood, a young boy and his mother learn the values of getting along with others no matter what their background or nationality.

A little duck finds adventure on the Yangtze River when he is too late to board his master's houseboat one evening.

A collection of eight stories reflecting the gritty optimism of the Chinese who overcame prejudice and adversity to build a unique place for themselves in North America.

Mirha questions her name after her classmates continually pronounce it wrong on the first day of school so her mother helps her to learn the significance of her name and to be proud of it.

When the eldest son fell in the well and most of the time getting help was spent pronouncing the name of the one in trouble, the Chinese, according to legend, decided to give all their children short names.

In a mix of Eastern and Western mythologies, a mother tells her child about two forests inhabited by different, but equally enchanting dragons that coexist within the child's heart.

A wealthy man in a Japanese village, whom everyone calls Ojiisan, which means grandfather, sets fire to his rice fields to warn the innocent people of an approaching tsunami.

The biracial daughter of an African American father and a Japanese mother fondly recalls growing up with her mother and her father's mother, two very different but equally loving women.

A multicultural family celebrates the traditions of two New Years--the Jewish Rosh Hashanah in the autumn, and the Asian Lunar New Year several months later.

Driving through Ohio in an old Pontiac, a young girl's parents stop suddenly when they spot something growing in a ditch by the side of the road... watercress! With an old paper bag and some rusty scissors, the whole family wades into the muck to collect as much of the muddy, snail-covered plant as they can. At first, it's embarrassing. Why can't her family get food at the grocery store? But when her mother shares the story of her family's life in China, the girl learns to appreciate the fresh food they foraged. Together, they make a new memory of watercress in this tender story inspired by the author's childhood memories and illustrated by Caldecott Honor artist Jason Chin.

A photo-essay on the life of the Levin family, an American couple and their two Korean-born adopted sons, ten-year-old Eric and eleven-year-old Joshua.

Searching for their missing grandmother, two Korean children follow tracks into a fantastic world filled with beings from folklore who speak in Korean. Includes translations and information about the folkloric characters.

A young girl in a Thai refugee camp finds the story within herself to create her own pa'ndau.

Wishbones, magic fishbones that make every dream come true... From south of the clouds comes this Asian fable, weaving riches and sorrows into the enchanted tale of a golden-eyed fish, a lost slipper, and a king's search for his bride.

This version of the Cinderella story, in which a young girl overcomes the wickedness of her stepsister and stepmother to become the bride of a prince, is based on ancient Chinese manuscripts written 1000 years before the earliest European version.