Water Cooler: AAPI reads for the family

Children’s books are one of the best ways for families to celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage month. Their intimate stories, beautiful art work and accessible lessons make for a fun and thoughtful family activity that can teach people of all ages. Here are a few titles you can check out, or check with your local libraries and bookstores to see the suggestions they have to offer this month. With endless children’s books to discover, your family will find so many fun things to learn about and discuss together.

“Surfer of the Century: The Life of Duke Kahanamoku,” written by Ellie Crowe and illustrated by Richard Waldrep – Learn the true story of Hawaiian Duke Kahanamoku, legendary surfer and six-time Olympic swimming champion. With a childhood spent in Honolulu, surrounded by the warm Pacific Ocean, Kahanamoku became a skilled swimmer and went to the 1912 Olympics in his early 20s. He came home with a gold medal in the 100-meter freestyle race.

“Sky High: The True Story of Maggie Gee,” written by Marissa Moss and illustrated by Carl Angel – Maggie Gee was one of two Chinese American pilots in the World War II era program, the American Women Airforce Service Pilots. The program served as her path to the skies when everyone around her doubted she would get the chance to fly. Serving as an Asian America while the United States was at war with Japan made for some scary situations as she was sometimes assumed to be a Japanese spy, but her love for flying helped her persevere.

“Bee-Bim Bop!” written by Linda Sue Park and Ho Baek Lee – This cheery story about a Korean-American family making and celebrating its favorite food will excite young readers and help them relate to the sense of pride the main character feels after helping mom in the kitchen. It introduces an unfamiliar food but with the context of the joy that comes from a happy family dinner.

“Crouching Tiger,” written by Ying Yang Compestine and illustrated by Yan Nascimbene – Vinson can’t wait until his grandfather comes from China to visit. His interest is piqued after he notices his grandpa practicing tai chi in the garden and immediately asks if Grandpa will teach him. Turns out, tai chi is not as similar to kung fu as Vinson was hoping. Other things Grandpa does also confuse Vinson, such as calling Vinson by his Chinese name, Ming Da, or wearing traditional clothing. Vinson starts to appreciate these things as he realizes how cool his Chinese culture is.

“Hush! A Thai Lullaby,” written by Minfong Ho and illustrated by Holly Meade – A mother has to ask a water buffalo, a lizard and even a monkey to be quiet and not wake her sleeping baby. In this lighthearted bedtime story, the baby wakes up just as the mother had succeeded in getting everyone to quiet down.

“Tap Dancing on the Roof: Sijo,” written by Linda Sue Park and illustrated by Istvan Banyai – The traditional Korean verse form called sijo, is similar to a haiku in that it requires a specific number of syllables. The twist is that sijo ends with a humorous or unexpected twist at the end, which makes them especially great poems for kids.

“Nadia’s Hands,” written by Karen English and illustrated by Jonathan Weiner – Nadia learns the rich history of mehndi, the hand decorations she is given while serving as the flower girl in her aunt’s traditional Pakistani wedding.

“Baseball Saved Us,” written by Ken Mochizuki and illustrated Dom Lee – The award-winning story of a Japanese American boy who lived through internment by finding hope and self-respect in the baseball field he built with his father in their camp.