May is Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month

Children's librarians at OPL curated a list of titles that celebrate Asian/Pacific heritage. Previously, the bibliography was a collection of Asian American children's literature, but we decided that we needed to reach out further with this edition and chose to highlight Asian Experiences in Children's Books, opens a new window. "Asian" represents so many nations and diverse cultures (and without overlooking islander cultures) that it was a sizeable job for our workgroup to choose only 50 titles. We ended up making three different lists, linked below, and still have more to recommend. Ask your local children's librarian for even more ideas!

Asian and Pacific Islander Identities and Demographics
Image by Asian Pacific Institute on Gender-based Violence, opens a new window

Each of the titles on this list was created by Asian authors and/or illustrators. We chose history, biography, folklore, fantasy, realistic fiction, and more from areas including the Philippines, India, Samoa, Laos, Mongolia, and Syria. We also included books that represent immigrant journeys from Asia, and their creators as part of Asian diasporas. You'll find every format from board books to graphic novels, with appropriate choices for children ages 0-14.

Asian Experiences in Children's Books, opens a new window

For more representation across the Asian continent and the islands within Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia, see these lists:
MENA (Middle Eastern North African) Experiences in Children's Books, opens a new window
Pacific Islander Experiences in Children's Books, opens a new window