Asian American books for kids including Japanese, Chinese, Korean, South Asian and more.
When we took a family trip to the West Coast to visit art colleges for my oldest child, we stayed near Fisherman’s Wharf. There, at the Boudin Bakery, I saw an exhibit about inventions that come out of San Francisco. I noticed that the fortune cookie was one of them. I didn’t think about this…
“I read all of your wonderful cards and letters and I think you are the most beautiful family in Harlem.” – Malcolm X to Yuri Kochiyama in one of the 11 postcards he sent her Postcards from Malcolm X picture book trailer! Postcards from Malcolm X: How Yuri Kochiyama Became a Human Rights Activist…
Here is a free and downloadable Teacher’s Guide for Sumo Joe. Sumo Joe Teacher’s Guide Sumo Joe by Mia Wenjen, illustrated by Nat Iwata p.s. Related posts: Sumo Joe on The Children’s Book Podcast with Matthew Winner Fold an Easy Origami Sumo and the Tokyo Olympics Sumo Craft Round Up Celebrate the Tokyo…
I had such a wonderful time at the 4th Annual Greater Roxbury Book Fair. This young man told me that his class just read Barbed Wire Between Us and that it was his favorite book! I love him so much! Also, this was amazing news to me because my book had only been out for…
I am thrilled to announce a new picture book with Red Comet Press. Kung Fu Crane Girl will be illustrated by debut artist Yujie Huang. This is the *true* story of the girl who created karate. Just for a little background, karate originated from Crane style Kung Fu in Southern China. Kung Fu Crane…
In Japan, the crane (tsuru) is a symbol of peace, good fortune, and longevity. It is a bird of happiness and spreads good luck. It is believed that folding 1,000 paper cranes (senbazuru) will help to bring about hope, healing, and peace. These children’s books featuring origami cranes also send a message of hope and…
In Conversation: Mia Wenjen and Jolene Gutiérrez Mar 31, 2026 Mia Wenjen and Jolene Gutiérrez both grapple with the cruelty of internment and family separation in their new picture books Barbed Wire Between Us and Unbreakable: A Japanese American Family in an American Incarceration Camp, respectively. The two authors spoke about depicting difficult subject matter for young readers,…