Celebrating Asian Voices Through Picture Books

List curated by Kavita
Picture book covers
A young Asian girl notices that her eyes look different from her peers but by drawing from the strength of the powerful women in her life, she recognizes her own beauty and discovers a path to self-love and empowerment. 
 
Reimagines the cycles of the moon as a mother bakes a Big Moon Cookie and, despite Mama's request to wait, Little Star begins nibbling at it every night. 
 
The Paper Kingdom  by Helena Ku Rhee 
Accompanying his parents to their night-shift jobs as office cleaners, young Daniel reluctantly joins in as they use their imaginations to transform the deserted building into a magnificent paper kingdom where he might one day rule. 
 
A biography of the scientist known as the "Shark Lady," reveals how she turned a childhood passion into her life's work, devoting herself to studying sharks and educating the public on the graceful, clever sea creatures. 
 
A biography of Chinese American film star Anna May Wong who, in spite of limited opportunities, achieved her dream of becoming an actress and worked to represent her race on screen in a truthful, positive manner. 
 
The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi 
After Unhei moves from Korea to the United States, her new classmates help her decide what her name should be. 
 
Dear Juno by Soyung Pak 
Although Juno, a Korean American boy, cannot read the letter he receives from his grandmother in Seoul, he understands what it means from the photograph and dried flower that are enclosed and decides to send a similar letter back to her. 
 
Cora Cooks Pancit by Dorina K. Lazo Gilmore 
Cora loves being in the kitchen, but she always gets stuck doing the kid jobs like licking the spoon. One day, however, when her older sisters and brother head out, Cora finally gets the chance to be Mama's assistant chef. And of all the delicious Filipino dishes that dance through Cora's head, she and Mama decide to make pancit, her favorite noodle dish. 
 
Apple Pie 4th of July by Janet S. Wong 
A Chinese American child fears that the food her parents are preparing to sell on the Fourth of July will not be eaten. 
 
As a little girl discovers things round, square and rectangular in her urban neighborhood, she is reminded of her Chinese American culture. 
 
Grandfather Counts by Andrea Cheng 
When her maternal grandfather comes from China, Helen, who is biracial, develops a special bond with him despite their age and language differences. 
 
The Ugly Vegetables by Grace Lin 
A little girl thinks her mother's garden is the ugliest in the neighborhood until she discovers that flowers might look and smell pretty but Chinese vegetable soup smells best of all. Includes a recipe. 
 
Visit the library's online catalog to request a book for HPL to Go (curbside pick-up), or check out our online resources to learn more about ebooks or audiobooks!