Children's books for APAHM 2024

As with the graphic novels, the extended time period led to a lot of books with no evident theme. I have broken these down into categories that mostly make sense.

For the upcoming (September 17th) Mid-Autumn Festival:

Mooncakes by Loretta Seto and Renné Benoit 

The Moon Lady by Amy Tan and Gretchen Shields

These were both fine. I didn't want to read them again and again or anything. However, both give different looks at the festival, both in different eras and locations but also in terms of size. In this case, we are only a month away, so it is something to think about. 

I would say for appreciating the festival, I got more out of the Mooncakes graphic novel by Suzanne Walker, but that's a different age group and focus.

Prominent figures:

Brush of the Gods by Lenore Look and Meilo So 

Shapes, Lines, and Light: My Grandfather's American Journey by Katie Yamasaki

The Bridges Yuri Built: How Yuri Kochiyama Marched Across Movements by Kai Naima Williams and Anastasia M. Williams

The best of these was probably Brush of the Gods.

There is a lot more to learn about Yuri Kochiyama, but the nice thing about this book is that it can provide an early introduction.

This is perhaps a minor quibble for Shapes, Lines, and Light, but the art needed to be a little stronger and it would have really helped. That being said, it could make a good companion to Curve & Flow, about Black architect Paul R. Williams. Both Williams and Yamasaki persevered and excelled, and how many children's books about architects are there?

Stories of World War II:

My Lost Freedom: A Japanese American World War II Story by George Takei and Michelle Lee

Yukie's Island: My Family's World War II Story by Yukie Kimura, Kodo Kimura, and Steve Sheinkin

Write to Me: Letters from Japanese American Children to the Librarian They Left Behind by Cynthia Grady and Amika Hirao

So Far From the Sea by Eve Bunting and Chris K. Soentpiet

Yukie's Island is actually set in Japan, so that's an interesting perspective. 

Write to Me was my favorite. It features kindness and reminds us that there can be many ways to help if we will care.

With My Lost Freedom, again, the graphic novel is better, but it's got a different target.

Older stories:

The Fire Keeper's Son by Linda Sue Park and Julie Downing

The Runaway Dosa by Suma Subramaniam and Parvati Pillai

These are completely different, giving a look at the military alert system in imperial China in one and many characters from the lore of India in the other.

In case it is not obvious, The Runaway Dosa is very much like The Gingerbread Man. I have also seen a version with tortillas, but generally these stories will give you rhymes and motivation to try different foods.

Stories to help:

Eyes that Kiss in the Corners by Joanna Ho and Dung Ho

The Phone Booth in Mr. Hirota's Garden by Heather Smith and Rachel Wada

Eyes that Kiss is a very gentle look at differences. It doesn't start with teasing or anything; just a noticing of a difference, treated poetically and with love.

The Phone Booth is a grief book; like most of them, it hurts. They are also sometimes very necessary.

Like some other stories, a physical item helps with the emotional pain.