Illustrated by Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya
4 stars
A powerful, beautiful celebration of resilience and identity told through fierce verse and stunning illustrations.
The book draws parallels between different culture’s histories, struggles, and treatment while still recognizing the distinctness and diversity of different groups.
Gorgeous illustrations that pair wonderfully with each verse. Beautiful color and a wonderful expression of the diversity of Asian and Asian-American people and cultures.
Though it’s marketed to ages 4-8, I’d say it is more meaningful for older readers. It is quite long and many of the wording and references are quite abstract, which isn’t bad, but probably wouldn’t work for a 4-year-old. I think this would work better for older elementary students and beyond. The book is wonderful but I don’t think the marketing quite matches the content.
Includes extensive backmatter which contains reflection questions and lists of people, events, and topics to research further. A great resource for the classroom or homeschool assignments or for those who want to dig deeper independently.
A wonderful book that celebrates the legacy of Asian Americans, and a great educational resource.