When Ano, a courageous young girl, begins to dance the hula — a storytelling dance form that carries the knowledge, history and folklore of the Hawaiian people, she comes to understand the true meaning of aloha.
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- Staff-Created List
Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month: Great Books for Kids
Celebrate Asian and Pacific Island culture with picture books, non-fiction and middle grade fiction titles for kids.
StaffLibrary Staff
Columbus Metropolitan Library
User from Columbus Metropolitan Library
100 items
- Amy Wu loves to move. From wriggling to shimmying to toe-tapping, she just can’t keep still, not when there’s music all around her! So when Amy sees Chinese ribbon dancing for the first time, she has to try it out. Only, how can she throw the…
- Xiao Xin believes he’s a fire warrior, but his family says he is too little, so Xiao Xin shows what he is capable of and inspires his sister to be brave, in a story about learning to conquer your fears.
- A young boy learns about the Chinese Dragon Boat Festival from his grandfather when he attends his first dragon boat race. Includes a recipe for red bean zongzi.
- Why do we love chopsticks? Let us count the ways: Chopsticks can be so many things: they are a spatula for cooking, they are art, they are tradition, they are family. And most importantly, this meaningful picture book celebrates how chopsticks are…
- When a young boy visits his grandfather, their lack of a common language leads to confusion, frustration, and silence. But as they sit down to draw together, something magical happens—with a shared love of art and storytelling, the two form a bond…
- This vibrant picture book celebrates the dupatta — a traditional shawl worn in South Asian culture, which is fun, functional, and carries the sounds and smells of family and identity.
- A young Asian girl notices that her eyes look different from her peers'. They have big, round eyes and long lashes. She realizes that her eyes are like her mother's, her grandmother's, and her little sister's. They have eyes that kiss in the corners…
- A young Asian boy, who notices that his eyes look different from his friends’, realizes that his eyes—like his father’s, grandfather’s, and younger brother’s—rise to the skies, speak to the stars and are visionary.
- In this story inspired by the author's hometown of Chennai, India, a girl explores the vibrant rainbow of delights in a southern Indian street market as she searches for a gift for her amma (mother).
- At her first Obon Festival, a shy Japanese-American girl is too nervous to join the Bon dance, until her grandfather reminds her that the celebration honors generations of ancestors, and she imagines them dancing alongside her.
- Luna spends the day with her grandmother and learns the nuances of the Korean word "jeong," as her grandmother lovingly shows her the deep, unspoken connection that forms through shared moments, care, and understanding.
- Multicultural Day is coming up at school, and Kai is nervous about sharing her family’s Chinese food with her classmates. Kai’s mother is excited about making special dishes, but Kai doesn’t like feeling different from everyone else. Ming the dragon…
- This wordless picture book in graphic novel format by award-winning author Sara Cassidy and illustrator Brayden Sato will bring joy to every reader who believes in the magic of stuffed animals.
- Like a Dandelion is a poetic tribute to the bravery of immigrants and refugees, inspired by the author's childhood experience of moving to the United States from Cambodia. Like feathery seeds, a young girl and her mother take flight, putting down…
- When five-year-old Luli joins her new English as a Second Language class, the playroom is quiet. Luli can’t speak English, neither can anyone else. That’s when she has a brilliant idea to host a tea party and bring them all together.
- After moving from India, Neela dances ballet like her classmates, but missing the Kathak used to perform, she decides to take a chance and perform a Kathak routine at the upcoming showcase.
- Long ago, Grandfather came to a new land. Fish swam in the water, birds chirped in the sky, monkeys played in the trees. And in this wilderness, with his own two hands, Grandfather built a house. It wasn't easy. But the land gave him what he needed.…
- A girl guides her dad on his route delivering Chinese take-out food in this touching picture book that celebrates the unique bond between immigrant parents and their children.
- While journeying down the powerful river for which she was named, Kaveri Thanjavur Jayalakshmi Ganesan, who doesn’t think there’s anything special about her very long name, discovers the beauty and magic her name holds as they make their way to the…
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