Aapi Children S Books Recommended By Imagination Soup The Barefoot

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Nov 2, 2025, 3:16 PM

aapi children s books recommended by imagination soup the barefoot

May 1 begins Asian American Pacific Islander American Heritage Month also called Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month (AAPI / AANHPI month)! To celebrate, you can read these brilliant children’s books with Asian and Pacific Islander representation. Not only are the books beautiful and well-written stories, but they are also tools for inclusivity, education, and empathy building. You’ll find picture books, chapter books, middle grade books, and a few YA books, all of which I’ve personally read and reviewed. Before, during, and after reading, TALK about these AAPI Heritage Month stories. Ask children, “What do you have in common with the characters?”

If the culture is new to readers, ask children, “What did you learn about the characters or culture?” Want to be subscribe to receive our Newsletter straight to your inbox? Enter your information here! Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Eve Panzer has displayed her wonderful books at several of our Early Childhood events. Our teachers are always excited to see the age appropriate materials she provides.

A favorite resource we use everyday in our preschool is a beautiful book! We love to share the joy and excitement of engaging stories to help the children make deep connections to their exploration and learning. The Barefoot Librarian offers THE best selection of books in a full range of topics and targeted age groups to appeal to children of all ages. Eve, the Barefoot Librarian has done a wonderful job at hand-selecting books for my three children, ages 3.5, 4.5 and 7. She considered their interests and reading levels in her selection of 23 titles. Some are bi-lingual, which is ideal since they are learning Spanish and English at the same time.

All of the books are beautiful and some come with audio CDs, which they love listening to while having the book on their lap as we commute to school. What a wonderful way to get new books! Celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month by checking out these 2025 releases for kids that offer stellar stories and representation. While stories from all cultures should be celebrated year-round, with Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month upon us, we wanted to take a moment to spotlight a few of the coolest, funniest, most... We’ve even got some sneak peeks at upcoming titles that you’ll definitely want to keep an eye out for! So pull up your TBR list, scroll down, and check out these amazing children’s titles from AAPI creators.

Filo’s aunties are getting married, and they’ve asked Filo to perform a traditional Samoan dance, the siva fa’ataupati, at the reception. Filo’s worked hard to practice his steps, but when the big day arrives, he can’t help but be distracted by a fluttering in his stomach — his butterflies! Will Filo find the courage to perform the siva when the time comes? A great story of overcoming nerves combined with a loving look at Samoan wedding celebrations (plus some always-welcome LGBTQ+ representation to boot)! A young boy awakes to a note from his mother, who has had to leave early for work. The note instructs him to do his chores — watering the plants, getting melons from the market — while also reminding him to have courage, be considerate, and value both his learning and his...

The boy takes each of his mother’s written instructions to heart, navigating a world that seems impossibly tall and vast for such a small boy. Still, he perseveres and is met with a warm hug at the end of the long day. A beautiful ode to the love between mother and child and to what it feels like for a child to grow into their world. With her mother ill, Ananda and her aunt are journeying to the river Ganga to gather some of its healing waters and pray for her. Ananda reminisces of the stories her mother has told her about the river: that it is born of a glacier high in the Himalayas and that it is revered by many as a goddess. When the girl and her aunt slip into the cool waters, Ananda feels a sense of peace and hope.

After praying, listening to hymns, and collecting both a stone and some of the water (after asking the river’s permission, of course), she begins the journey home, eager to share the calming experience with... “Books are sometimes windows … When lighting conditions are just right, however, a window can also be a mirror … Reading, then, becomes a means of self-affirmation, and readers often seek their mirrors in... Rudine Sims Bishop, “Mother” of multicultural children’s literature. These words, well-known to those in the world of multicultural literature, are a poignant reminder to us all of the power that books hold. If each book is a chance to give our children a glimpse into another world, or to show them a reflection of their place within it, then we want to choose books that show... And to celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month during the month of May, we’re highlighting AAPI books.

Here are the 10 picture books for the youngest of readers that feature AAPI Characters. AAPI Heritage Month is an annual celebration of the accomplishments and contributions of the AAPI community, initiated by Congress in 1978. This community is made up of over 23 million individuals from more than 20 different countries, which underscores a fact that we too often have had to refute: Asians are not all the same. As an Asian American who grew up looking for my reflection in books, movies, and the approval of others, I can see that progress that has been made. Where I often felt ashamed and limited, I am now seeing more representations I can relate to and take pride in. As a mother, I am optimistic that my daughters will be seen for more than their Asianness… and when they’re not, that they’ll have the confidence to speak up for themselves, and the classmates...

During Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, TODAY is sharing the community’s history, pain, joy and what’s next for the AAPI movement. We will be publishing personal essays, stories, videos and specials throughout the entire month of May. As Asian American communities struggle with the rise in anti-Asian hate, this year's AAPI heritage month feels more urgent than ever. For children learning about identity, there's no better time to introduce diverse stories that reflect their experiences or expose them to the wider world. We asked four bestselling authors to choose must-read children's books for Asian Pacific American Heritage Month in May. Our panelists are Joanna Ho, author of the picture book "Eyes That Kiss in the Corners"; Karina Yan Glaser, author of the "Vanderbeekers" series; Rajani LaRocca, author of "Red, White, and Whole"; and Minh...

"This is a joyful, body-positive picture book about a young Indian American girl's journey of accepting her body hair after she is teased about her mustache," Ho says. "I love that she's not only able to embrace herself, she also shares this love with her friends at school. My 4-year-old loves this books and asks to read it every night before bed." This unique online bibliography, created April 2025, features the best of new and backlist books from CBC publishers celebrating Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Karina Yan Glaser is a full-time writer and illustrator with a varied career teaching and implementing literacy programs in family homeless shelters and recruiting healthcare professionals to volunteer in under-resourced areas around the world. Karina is the New York Times bestselling author of the middle grade books, The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street and The Vanderbeekers and the Hidden Garden.

She lives in Harlem with her husband, two daughters, and an assortment of rescued animals. One of her proudest achievements is raising two kids who can't go anywhere without a book. Website: www.karinaglaser.com; Twitter: @KarinaYanGlaser; Instagram: @KarinaIsReadingAndWriting This list of children’s books by AAPI writers and illustrators was originally published in our children’s books newsletter, The Kids Are All Right. Sign up for it here to get children’s books news, reviews, deals, and more! I write this newsletter with a heavy heart.

After a year of rising anti-Asian hate, we witnessed the murder of six Asian women in Georgia on Tuesday as well as attacks on and murders of Asian elders across America. As an Asian-American woman, I am devastated by the news. This past Friday, I took over Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books for Young Readers’ Instagram account (my publisher) to recommend books by Asian authors and illustrators. I thought I would share these books with you, as I truly believe that one of the things we can do is read and recommend diverse stories so our new generation can be surrounded... I love Ellen Oh and her fantasy series. Spirit Hunters is a deliciously chilling story about Harper Raine, the new 7th grader in town who must face down the dangerous ghosts haunting her younger brother.

Also check out Newbery Medal winner When You Trap a Tiger by Tae Keller, a gorgeous book based on Korean folklore about the perils of bargaining with tigers.

Aapi Children S Books Recommended By Imagination Soup The Barefoot

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