AAPI Book List for Kids 🌏
Amplify voices during story time with these great picks!
May is Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month!
We’ve collected a shortlist of our favourite AAPI stories and authors on the Simbi platform and beyond.
Books on Simbi
The Wish Fisher
Written by Holly Harper & illustrated by Alicia Borges | Grade 2
Sakura is a Wish Fisher — she finds wish fish and she can tell who they belong to. She delivers each fish to its rightful owner so their wish can come true. One day, Sakura notices that there aren’t many wish fish in the river, and discovers that the Emperor has stolen them! After an adventure with a dragon, Sakura finds her own wish fish. She wishes to undo the Emperor’s wishes so the wish fish are returned to their rightful owners.
Published by Oxford University Press
The Magic Paintbrush
Written by Liz Miles & illustrated by Meilo So | Grade 1
An old man gives Ho a paintbrush. Magic things happen when Ho starts to paint… Traditional tales have been told for many years. This is a very old Chinese folk tale. Enjoy sharing and retelling this timeless story with your child again and again.
Published by Oxford University Press
Rebel Girls: activist Yeonmi Park, ballerina & quantum physicist Merritt Moore, and chef Reyna Duong.
by Elena Favilli and Francesca Cavallo | Grade 4
Read these incredible stories of women who have shown courage and resilience to reach their goals and help others.
Published by Rebel Girls
Read about Yeonmi Park, Merritt Moore & Reyna Duong
Girl Power! Indian Women Who Broke the Rules
Written by Neha J Hiranandani & illustrated by Niloufer Wadia | Grade 5
Fifty awesome women. Fifty awe-inspiring stories. One defining moment. Scientists, artists, entrepreneurs, scholars, athletes and queens. Trace the journeys of these Indian women and their extraordinary lives.
Published by Scholastic India
Read Girl Power! Indian Women Who Broke the Rules
The Visible Girls
by Tyronah Sioni & illustrated by Kasia Niezywinska| Grade 5
Tyronah (age 12) writes on the issues facing women and girls in her home country of Papua New Guinea, and around the world. This is a wonderful book, which gets to the heart of gender equality as a crucial part of the Convention of the Rights of the Child.
Published by Voices of Future Generations International Children’s Books Series
Stories in Tibetan & Hindi Language
Highlight voices for kids that may sound different from their own.
Check out Tibetan & Hindi stories on Simbi >
On a bookshelf near you
Eyes that Kiss in the Corners
by Joanna Ho & illustrated by Dung Ho| Grade 2
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 and glow like warm tea, crinkle into crescent moons, and are filled with stories of the past and hope for the future.
Drawing from the strength of these powerful women in her life, she recognizes her own beauty and discovers a path to self-love and empowerment. This powerful, poetic picture book will resonate with readers of all ages.
Published by HarperCollins
Hair Twins
by Raakhee Mirchandani & illustrated by Holly Hatam| Grade 2
A Sikh father and daughter with a special hair bond proudly celebrate and share a family tradition in this charming story.
Every morning Papa combs through his daughter's waves like he does his own—parting it down the middle, using coconut oil to get all the tangles out.
Some days he braids her hair in two twists down the side of her face. Other days he weaves it into one long braid hanging down her back, just like a unicorn tail. But her favorite style is when he combs her hair in a tight bun on the top of her head, just like the joora he wears every day under his turban. They call this their hair twin look!
Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
