May is National Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month!

Usha and the Big Digger (Storytelling Math)

by  Amitha Jagannath Knight (Author) Sandhya Prabhat (Illustrator)

Reading Level: K − 1^st Grade

Series: Storytelling Math 

Celebrate diversity, math, and the power of storytelling!

When sisters Usha and Aarti look up at the stars, they see different things. Aarti sees the Big Dipper, but Usha sees the Big DIGGER. And cousin Gloria sees the Big Kite! Could they all be right? A playful introduction to geometry and spatial relationships, featuring Indian American characters and a note about cultures and constellations.

Storytelling Math celebrates children using math in their daily adventures as they play, build, and discover the world around them. Joyful stories and hands-on activities make it easy for kids and their grown-ups to explore everyday math together. Developed in collaboration with math experts at STEM education nonprofit TERC, under a grant from the Heising-Simons Foundation.

A Boy Named Isamu: A Story of Isamu Noguchi

by James Yang (Author)

Reading Level: K − 1^st Grade

With stunning artwork and heart-singing text, the 2020 winner of the Theodor Seuss Geisel Award brings to life the imagination of Isamu Noguchi.

If you are Isamu, stones are the most special of all.

How can they be so heavy?

Would they float if they had no weight?

Winner of the Theordor Seuss Geisel Award in 2020 for Stop! Bot!, James Yang imagines a day in the boyhood of Japanese American artist, Isamu Noguchi.

Wandering through an outdoor market, through the forest, and then by the ocean, Isamu sees things through the eyes of a young artist . . .but also in a way that many children will relate. Stones look like birds. And birds look like stones.

Through colorful artwork and exquisite text, Yang translates the essence of Noguchi so that we can all begin to see as an artist sees.

Playing at the Border: A Story of Yo-Yo Ma

by Joanna Ho (Author) Teresa Martinez (Illustrator)

Reading Level: 2^nd − 3^rd Grade

Joanna Ho’s lyrical writing and Teresa Martinez’s vibrant art weave together to tell an inspiring story of Yo-Yo Ma, who challenges conventions, expectations, and beliefs in order to build bridges to unite communities, people, and cultures. A beautiful picture book biography to enjoy and share in the home and the classroom.

Before Yo-Yo Ma became one of the most renowned and celebrated cellists, he wanted to play the double bass. But it was too big for his four-year-old hands. Over time, Ma honed his amazing talent, and his music became a reflection of his own life between borders, cultures, disciplines, and generations.

Since then, he has recorded over a hundred albums, won nineteen Grammy Awards, performed for eight American presidents, and received the National Medal of the Arts and the Presidential Medal of Freedom, just to name a few accomplishments. Staying true to himself, Yo-Yo Ma performed at the US-Mexico border at the Rio Grande on April 13, 2019, as part of his multi-continent “Bach Project” tour to prove a point–through music, we can build bridges rather than walls between different cultures.

Ohana Means Family

by Llima Loomis (Author) Kenard Pak (Illustrator)

Reading Level: 2^nd − 3^rd Grade

Join the family, or ohana, as they farm taro for poi to prepare for a traditional luau celebration with a poetic text in the style of The House That Jack Built.

“This is the land that’s never been sold, where work the hands, so wise and old, that reach through the water, clear and cold, into the mud to pick the taro to make the poi for our ohana’s luau.”

Acclaimed illustrator and animator Kenard Pak’s light-filled, dramatic illustrations pair exquisitely with Ilima Loomis’ text to celebrate Hawaiian land and culture.

The backmatter includes a glossary of Hawaiian terms used, as well as an author’s note.

Asian American Women in Science (Biographies for Kids)

by Tina Cho (Author)

Reading Level: 4^th – 5^th Grade

Storied of amazing Asian American woman who broke barriers in science–for kids ages 8 to 12

Kazue Togasaki was one of the first Japanese American women to become a doctor. Chien-Shiung Wu was a Chinese American physicist who worked on top-secret projects. Isabella Aiona Abbott became an expert on the marine plant life of her native Hawaii. Asian American women are a huge part of scientific discovery, and this collection of biographies for kids explores 15 brilliant women, and how they used their intelligence and determination to overcome challenges and succeed.

DC Comics: The Art of Jim Lee (Art of Jim Lee #1)

by Jim Lee (Author) Jim Lee (Illustrator)

Reading Level: 4^th – 5^th Grade

Jim Lee is one of the most popular and successful artists in modern comics, and his work is revered by fans worldwide thanks to his hyper-dynamic style and innovative approach to character and costume design.

DC Comics: The Art of Jim Lee Vol. 1 reveals the tremendous impact Lee has had on the DC Comics universe, including such superstar characters as Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, and Green Lantern, along with his legion of WildStorm heroes. From roughs and storyboards to pencils and finished color art, DC Comics: The Art of Jim Lee Vol. 1 showcases every stage of Jim Lee’s creative process and spans his WildStorm and DC career up to DC Comics’ seminal New 52 relaunch in 2011, with exclusive commentary from the artist himself. It also reveals the breadth of media that feature Lee’s art, going beyond comics and covers to model designs, merchandise, movies, and into the digital realm.

DC Comics: The Art of Jim Lee Vol. 1 also features an exclusive Legion of Super-Heroes story written by Paul Levitz and illustrated by Jim Lee. This, alongside his best art and rare pieces pulled from his personal files, will thrill Lee’s many fans. Originally published as Icons: The DC Comics and Wildstorm Art of Jim Lee, this essential first volume of comics luminary Jim Lee artwork is now reintroduced as the first in a continuing series celebrating his career.