In honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage (AAPI) Month, the Greater Austin Reading Coalition and Success By Six Coalition are excited to share 10 age-appropriate, children’s books that reflect the rich diversity of AAPI culture. These coalitions — convened by United Way for Greater Austin — work hard to make sure that all local children and families have access to books, especially books that illustrate the diversity of our community and that children can see themselves, their families, and their culture depicted in.
Many of the books listed below are available to check out at your local library or in audio form on YouTube!
Five books for babies to toddlers (ages 0-4)
“Hot Pot Night!” by Vincent Chen
“I am Golden” by Eva Chen, Illustrated by Sophie Diao
“Amy Wu and the Perfect Bao” by Kat Zhang, Illustrated by Charlene Chua
“My First Chinese New Year” by Karen Katz
“Moana” by Disney
Five books for young readers (ages 5-9)
“The Proudest Blue: A Story of Hijab and Family” by Ibtihaj Muhammad with S.K. Ali, Illustrated by Hatem Aly
“The Most Beautiful Thing” by Kao Kalia Yang, Illustrated by Khoa Le
“Asian-Americans Who Inspire Us” by Analiza Quiroz Wolf with Michael Franco
“Eyes that Kiss in the Corners” by Joanna Ho, Illustrated by Dung Ho
“Ohana Means Family” by Ilima Loomis, Illustrated by Kenard Pak
Ensuring that all kids are happy, healthy, and ready to succeed in school and beyond is critical to breaking the cycle of poverty in our community. We know that getting more books in the hands of young readers will help. Learn more about how the Success By Six Coalition and the Greater Austin Reading Coalition are bringing together people, ideas, and resources to do just that!