Children’s Books by Asian American Authors and Illustrators

One young girl’s favorite part of summer is when her Lola comes to visit from the Philippines. She loves when her Lola makes mango jam and sings in Tagalog. This vividly-illustrated book from Filipino illustrator Aaron Asis shows the happiness of family coming together in the summer season.

This picture book is about a Korean-American girl who celebrates making bee-bim bop with her Mama. Newbery Medalist Linda Sue Park and illustrator Ho Baek Lee use energetic prose and whimsical illustrations to tell the story of the young narrator and her Mama as they prepare the meal. The book includes the author’s own recipe!

Fans of Hair Love will also love this story about a Sikh father and daughter with a special hair bond. Papa combs his daughter’s hair and styles it differently every day. But her favorite style is when he puts her hair in a bun — just like how Papa wears the joora under his turban!

This heartwarming book, written and illustrated by two Taiwanese-American women, is a story about cherishing your loved ones, even when they are far apart. A young girl and her family immigrate to America from Taiwan, leaving her beloved grandmother, Popo. But the bonds of love and shared history or greater than any distance, as the girl soon learns.

This lyrical picture book is about a young girl who notices that she looks different from her peers, but that her eyes that “kiss in the corners and glow like warm tea” are just like her sister’s, mother’s, and grandmother’s eyes. This poetic story embraces landscapes of Chinese culture as well as family love.

This soon-to-be-released book is a twist on the classic “The Wheels on the Bus” song! It’s a delicious rendition that celebrates the food, laughter, and love that one family shares when they come together to the dinner table. In addition to the rhythmic text and playful illustrations, there is an informative food glossary and etiquette tips at the end.

Award-winning Vietnamese-American illustrator LeUyen Pham makes the pages of this book come alive with the sweet story about six animals who learn that adventures are better when you’re together with your friends.

At first, a young boy and his grandfather struggle to communicate — the boy only speaks English and his grandfather only speaks Vietnamese. But through drawing, they manage to make a magical and powerful connection.

Young Mahlee learns about the cultural differences in how she grows up in America versus how her mom grew up in Laos. She loves to do what her mom does, but will she try fried grasshoppers?

A young Chinese-American girl is embarrassed that her parents are cooking Chinese food at their convenience store on the 4th of July. She learns about what it means to be American and embracing your family’s heritage.