Five More Picture Books That Celebrate Creativity in Girls

Our previous post about books that celebrate creative girls has been so popular that we wanted to offer you more five more titles in the same vein:

Marisol McDonald Doesn't Match/Marisol McDonald No Combina
written by Monica Brown, illustrated by Sara Palacios

From her brown skin and red hair, to her penchant for wearing polka dots with stripes, people tell Marisol McDonald that she doesn't match. Marisol doesn't mind though: she likes herself the way she is, but when a friend tells her she couldn't match if she tried, Marisol decides to take up the challenge. But matching is no fun for Marisol who learns that her uniqueness is something to celebrate. Palacios's illustrations are vibrant, colorful, and fun. Includes a note on why the author created a multiracial protagonist, as well as a note on the translation. Bilingual: English/Spanish

Jingle Dancer
written by Cynthia Leitich Smith, illustrated by Cornelius Van Wright & Ying Hwa-Hu

Jenna wants to dance at the upcoming powwow, but there isn't enough time to order the tins to make her dress jingle. Undeterred, Jenna visits family members and friends considerately asking each for only enough jingles to make a row, ensuring no one dress will be silent. Each person who lends Jenna jingles can't attend the powwow and asks her to dance for them. When the day of the powwow arrives, Jenna dances beautifully to the brum, brum, brum, brum beat of the drum, for herself and for everyone that helped her, jingling all the while. Beautifully illustrated by Van Wright and Hu who showcase the diversity of skin tones found among Native American people. Includes an author's note and glossary.

Weekly Roundup: May 12 - May 18, 2013

• Celebrate YA Books That Feature Haitian Culture at The Hub

• 10 YA Books About Southeast Asian Americans at Diversity in YA

Older but still good:

• Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Characters in YA Fiction at The Hub

Five YA Fantasy Novels by Asian American Authors

Fantasy is my very favorite genre. It's a sad fact that as a person of color I rarely see myself reflected in the fantasy books I love to read. And when there is a character of color, they're usually a villain, stereotyped, or a cringe-worthy caricature. However, things are changing for the food, albeit it slowly. So, to continue celebrating Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, here are five books by five Asian American authors who are a part of that change! FYI for those of you that care about these sorts of things, Julie Kagawa's The Immortal Rules is sci-fi (in the dystopian/post-apocalyptic vein) as well as fantasy. All blurbs from Goodreads.

*I have only read the first three, but the others are definitely on my to-read list.

American Born Chinese
written and illustrated by Gene Luen Yang

***HIGHLY RECOMMENDED***
American Born Chinese is one of my favorite books ever!!! I cannot recommend it enough.

"A tour-de-force by rising indy comics star Gene Yang, American Born Chinese tells the story of three apparently unrelated characters: Jin Wang, who moves to a new neighborhood with his family only to discover that he’s the only Chinese-American student at his new school; the powerful Monkey King, subject of one of the oldest and greatest Chinese fables; and Chin-Kee, a personification of the ultimate negative Chinese stereotype, who is ruining his cousin Danny’s life with his yearly visits. Their lives and stories come together with an unexpected twist in this action-packed modern fable. American Born Chinese is an amazing ride, all the way up to the astonishing climax."

Silver Phoenix
written by Cindy Pon

"No one wanted Ai Ling. And deep down she is relieved—despite the dishonor she has brought upon her family—to be unbetrothed and free, not some stranger's subservient bride banished to the inner quarters. But now, something is after her. Something terrifying—a force she cannot comprehend. And as pieces of the puzzle start to fit together, Ai Ling begins to understand that her journey to the Palace of Fragrant Dreams isn't only a quest to find her beloved father but a venture with stakes larger than she could have imagined. Bravery, intelligence, the will to fight and fight hard . . . she will need all of these things. Just as she will need the new and mysterious power growing within her. She will also need help. It is Chen Yong who finds her partly submerged and barely breathing at the edge of a deep lake. There is something of unspeakable evil trying to drag her under. On a quest of his own, Chen Yong offers that help . . . and perhaps more."

Five Picture Books That Celebrate Asian American Heritage

To continue celebrating Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month, here are five books that specifically celebrate Asian American heritage. Sadly, we haven't found any picture books featuring Pacific American characters, and only a few with Pacific Islander characters (they are all folktales). We'll be featuring those in a future post, but if you know of any picture books that feature Pacific American protagonists, we would really love to hear about them in the comments.

As with all our recommendations, these books are great for everyone. Reading about other cultures as well as our own enriches us all and helps create mutual understanding!
 
My Dadima Wears a Sari
written by Kashmira Sheth, illustrated by Yoshiko Jaeggi

A beautifully illustrated story of a little girl's admiration of her dadima (grandmother) and the lovely saris she wears. When the granddaughter asks her grandmother if she ever wants to wear something else, the grandmother says no and explains her love for saris. She chronicles how useful saris can be, how each one is different, and shares the special memories her saris hold. The book ends with the little girl and her sister being lovingly dressed in saris by their grandmother. Includes an author's note and "how to wrap a sari".

Tashi and the Tibetan Flower Cure
written and illustrated by Naomi C. Rose

Tashi is concerned about her grandfather who is sick. So when she remembers a story he told her of the people in his Tibetan village who used flowers to get well, she thinks she's found a solution. At first, her grandfather doesn't think the cure will work in the United States, so far from the magic of his native land, but Tashi is determined. Using acrylic paintings, Rose illustrates the healing power of a caring community. Includes short notes on Tibet, Tibetan Americans, Tibetan medicine, and Tibetan words.

Five Fun Picture Books for Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month

It's May and that means it's Asian-Pacific Heritage Month! Of course, we celebrate everyone all year long, but we like to make a special effort to highlight specific people groups when it is their special month. We'll have lots of recommendations for you over the course of the month so be sure to stop by often.

 Big Sister, Little Sister

written and illustrated by LeUyen Pham

 

The title says it all in this hilarious book about the trials of being a little sister, narrated by Little Sister. Little Sister definitely thinks she gets the short end of the stick, getting hand-me-downs and never getting to do things first, but she still has fun being a little sister. In the end, Little Sister comes to the conclusion that though Big Sister is bossy she is a good big sister, and while she'll always be older, Little Sister will always be better at being a little sister. A laughter-filled book about sisterhood with appeal to a broad age. 

The Seven Chinese Sisters

written by Kathy Tucker, illustrated by Grace Lin

 

In this girl-centered retelling of the Chinese folktale Ten Brothers, six sisters, each different and each with their own special skill, save their youngest sister from a dragon.

Going to a Baby Shower? Seven Diverse Board Books for Babies and Toddlers

When I was a bookseller, I'd get a lot of customers who came in looking for books as gifts for baby showers, newborns, and baby/toddler birthdays. Board books are great for babies and toddlers as they are fairly indestructible and easier to carry in diaper bags, strollers, the car, etc. The books below are all excellently written and illustrated and are also racially and culturally diverse. I won't recap them since they're all pretty short and self-explanatory, but if you're wondering about a particular one, feel free to leave questions in the comments!

1. Girl of Mine
written by Jabari Asim, illustrated by LeUyen Pham



2. Boy of Mine
written by Jabari Asim, illustrated LeUyen Pham

2013 Asian/Pacific American Awards for Literature

Earlier this month, the winners of the 2013 Asian/Pacific American Awards for Literature were announced. The winners are books selected by the Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA) "which promote Asian/Pacific culture and heritage and are awarded based on literary and artistic merit" (from their website).

The winners and honorees for picture books, children's literature, and young adult literature are below.

Book Recommendations: Happy Year of the Snake!

Happy Chinese New Year! Today marks the beginning of the Year of the Snake. When you're done playing with the fun Google Doodle for today, check out the blogs below for Lunar New Year picture book recommendations. My apologies for not making up our own list--we'll be sure to make up for it next year!