6 Chinese American Picture Books To Fill Your Heart and Belly

Please welcome Katrina Moore as my guest author today! We are both in the New in 19 debut picture book group. One Hug is her debut picture book, and she also has Grandpa Grumps coming out in
April of 2020!

We are giving away a signed and inscribed copy of One Hug! To enter, please fill out the Rafflecopter at the bottom!

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When Mia asked me to put together a guest post highlighting Chinese American Picture Books, I started to compile a list of my favorite ones. I realized that not only do I love these books because they show main characters whose lives reflect mine, but they are also filled with delicious food! I started thinking about my favorite memories, and most of them involve (or revolve around) food, as well. So the books I’ve chosen to highlight are ones that I’ve connected deeply with, both because of the characters and because of the food!

6 Chinese American Picture Books To Fill Your Heart and Belly

One Hug, written by me and illustrated by Julia Woolf

includes close-up spots of a little girl making dumplings with her grandma. I grew up eating dumplings as much as, if not more, than pancakes on weekend mornings. So it was really special to see the illustrator capture this moment between granddaughter and grandma so tenderly. But this book, as the title implies, is about much more than food and family. At its heart—it’s about one hug connecting us in ways that sometimes words cannot. [picture book, ages baby and up]

Dumpling Dreams: How Joyce Chen Brought the Dumpling from Beijing to Cambridge by Carrie Clickard and Katy Wu

is an upbeat, fun, rhyming read-aloud that shares the story of little Joyce Chen and how she persevered, faced adversity, and became famous for her dumplings. I love how accessible this book is for a young reader. It does not shy away from the tough moments in Joyce’s life like escaping communism and immigrating to a new country, but presents it honestly, yet with an upbeat tone. There’s a delicious dumpling recipe in the back of this book, too! [picture book, ages 4 and up]

Soup Day by Melissa Iwai

This book does not specifically feature a Chinese-American main character, but it could be! That’s sort of what I love about this book. There is an Asian-American main character. She’s making soup with her mom and it’s clearly a special moment between the two. I love how this is deceptively simple, highlighting an everyday moment that is anything but ordinary. There is so much love present, and it’s depicted beautifully through the text and textured, warm illustrations. And growing up eating my grandma’s brothy, delicious soups—this book brings me home. [board book, 2 and up]

A Big Mooncake for Little Star by Grace Lin won the Caldecott Honor.

And it’s well deserved! I love this book for many reasons. First of all, Grace Lin is a master storyteller and artist. Her art in this book presents a fresh style, and it’s beautiful. How I would have loved this book as a little girl…to see a character that looked like me, having fun and being mischievous! This whimsical book tells an original and fun origin story of the phases of the moon. It’s brilliant and scrumptious! [picture book, 4 and up]

Amy Wu and the Perfect Bao by Kat Zhang and Charlene Chua

is a fun and sweet story about not giving up, and striving for perfection! Amy Wu has grit and will stop at nothing to make the perfect bao on Bao Making Day with her family. When her bao turns out too small, too full, or full of leaks, she perseveres. There’s an adorable cat and a lovable family that surrounds Amy in this delicious story that also shows that mistakes can be quite scrumptious, too. The recipe at the end is an added treat. When my family goes to dim sum, bao is always one of my favorites. I’ve never made it myself. But I definitely want to after reading this book! [picture book, 4 and up]

One Hug Signed and Inscribed GIVEAWAY!

We are giving away a signed and inscribed copy of One Hug! To enter, please fill out the Rafflecopter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Katrina Moore writes and teaches in New Jersey.  Her mission is to create books that children will hug for ages. Her debut picture book, ONE HUG, is forthcoming from Katherine Tegen Books/HarperCollins Dec. 10, 2019.  Her second picture book, GRANDPA GRUMPS, will publish April 7, 2020 from Little Bee Books. More to-be-announced books are on the way! When she is not teaching elementary kids or writing, she is cooking without a recipe, painting outside the lines, or snuggling up with her puppies, one husband, two kids, and of course, many cozy books.  Connect with her on twitter @kmoorebooks or at her website or blog.

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