Seven Folktales from Asia and the Pacific Islands

Though May is Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month, an important part of any heritage are the stories which travel with immigrants from their native land to wherever they land. Below are six folktales in picture book form, and one collection of Aboriginal stories, from Asia and the Pacific Islands. They are all excellent tales, but due to time constraints, the summaries come from Goodreads.

As stated in a previous post, the only stories featuring Pacific Islander characters that I could find are the folktales featured here. I couldn't find any picture books that featured Pacific American characters, let alone protagonists. While this is sadly not surprising, the (seeming) complete lack of Pacific American representation is truly appalling. If you know of any good picture books (not Lilo & Stitch--though we're not making a judgement on that movie!) with Pacific Islander characters, please share them in the comments! I hope that some of you are authors and illustrators and involved in book publishing--this is clearly a problem that needs to be rectified!

Another issue I found in researching books to feature this month is that while some Asian cultures are well represented in picture books, multiple others are either underrepresented or completely neglected. I was hard pressed to find any books set in Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, or the Samoan Islands, among other countries, or books featuring Americans of those heritages. The books we feature here represent only a fraction of the diversity of Asian and Pacific Island cultures. It is my hope that in the near future we will see a better reflection of that diversity in picture books available to us.


Pig-Boy: A Trickster Tale from Hawai'i
retold and illustrated by Gerald McDermott

"Pig-Boy is hairy. Pig-Boy is dirty. Pig-Boy is hungry! And when trouble comes, he knows just what to do. (Of course, escaping trouble comes easily to a trickster, who can shape-shift his way out of sticky situations just in time!) With the tropical colors and cadences of the islands, master artist and storyteller Gerald McDermott brings irrepressible humor and energy to a Hawaiian trickster tale that's been beloved for generations. Includes an author's note."

Weekly Roundup: May 19 - May 25, 2013

• Little Women: Children's Literature's Stand-In Parents at The Guardian

• Ruth Feldman's 'Blue Thread' An Important YA Read: Review at New Voices

•  Archie Comics Gay Kiss: 'Playful Poke' Issue Released on Aug. 7 at Examiner.com

• Diversity on the Page, Behind the Pencil, and in the Office at Publisher's Weekly

• Using Diversity in YA Literature to Open the Doors of Reading  at ALA

• Book Covers: How Gender Is Not the Only Issue  at the HuffPost

• Children's Book Author Allen Say On Winning Awards & His Latest Project  at Oregon Public Broadcasting

• 2013 Middle Grade Black Boys: Seriously, People?  at Fuse #8

Four Jewish Folktales in Picture Book Form

We're going to explore diverse folk and fairy tales further this summer, but here are four Jewish folktales in picture book form in honor of May being Jewish American Heritage Month!

The Wooden Sword: A Jewish Folktale from Afghanistan
retold by Ann Redisch Stampler, illustrated by Carol Liddiment

A tale about the benefits of hard work, being clever, and trusting God in difficult circumstances. Includes an author's note on the tale and the research that went into making this book.

Something from Nothing: Adapted from a Jewish Folktale
adapted and illustrated by Phoebe Gilman

A lovely story about reusing, remaking, and letting go.

Book Review: Gum Girl!: Book 1, Chews Your Destiny

Gum Girl!: Book 1, Chews Your Destiny

written and illustrated by Rhode Montijo
pub date: July 9, 2013

In this fun early chapter book graphic novel hybrid, Montijo begins a series about a girl who discovers she has new superpowers as Gum Girl. Gabby Gomez loves to chew gum. She loves it so much that she even chews gum in bed--until the morning she wakes up with a wad of the stuff stuck in her hair. While her mom is able to get the gum out with peanut butter, she outlaws gum chewing for her daughter. Poor Gabby doesn't know what to do without her chewable obsession. Fortunately/unfortunately, she finds a piece of "limited edition MIGHTY-MEGA ULTRA-STRETCHY SUPER-DUPER EXTENDA-BUBBLE BUBBLE GUM" in her pocket and gives into temptation, despite her mother's new edict. Gabby gets what's coming to get for disobeying sooner than later though when she blows her biggest bubble ever and consequently gets electrocuted. She ends up covered in gum, but soon discovers that her gum-covered self has new stretchy, gummy powers that allow her to right wrongs and help people in need.

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.