“A young girl is eager to learn all about bindis, the red dot that goes between her brows. Paati, her grandmother, shows her how to make a bindi in a clay pot by combining crushed turmeric, sandalwood powder and a dollop of ghee. They mix and mix and mix until, like magic, the mixture turns from yellow to bright red. Her bindi can be big or small, and shaped like a star, a flower or a glowing half-moon. She can wear her bindi to celebrate different festivals, such as Diwali, or on an ordinary day as a way to stay centered and calm. In this way, she discovers that her bindi is more than just a dot.” — publisher […]
Children's Picture Books: Stories set in Asia
A Crane Among Wolves
“To save her sister, a teen girl becomes entangled in a political conspiracy with an enigmatic prince in this fiery new YA novel from the bestselling author of The Red Palace.
Joseon (Korea), 1506. The people suffer under the reign of the tyrant King Yeonsan, powerless to stop him from kidnapping and abusing women and girls. Iseul has lived a sheltered life. When her sister becomes the king’s latest prey, Iseul leaves her village in hopes of stealing her sister back. But the king’s power is absolute, and to challenge his rule is certain death.
Prince Daehyun lives in the shadow of his despicable half brother, the king, and aches to find a way to dethrone the king once and for all. When staging a coup, failure is fatal, and he’ll need help to pull it off—but there’s no way to know whom he can trust.
When Iseul’s and Daehyun’s fates collide, their contempt for each other is transcended only by their mutual hate for the king.” — publisher […]
Amir and the Jinn Princess
“Twelve-year-old Amir is one of the heirs to the Rafiq Bricks Company, a wealthy brick kiln business in Pakistan—except he wants none of it. Seeing straight through the jeweled smiles and transactional conversations, Amir would rather spend time in the courtyard garden, where he can almost feel his missing mother’s presence again.
Amir is devastated when his baba announces plans to remarry by the end of the summer, dropping all searches to find Amir’s mother. It’s all a business move, just like everything else in his life. His mother was the only one who allowed him to feel normal, but the last anyone’s seen of her was a year ago.
But Amir isn’t ready to give up yet—determined to find his mother before his life changes forever, Amir teams up with a high-spirited, wide-eyed, shape-shifting jinn princess named Shamsa. His exact opposite. The two make a deal—Shamsa will help Amir navigate the twisty and mysterious realm of jinn, and in exchange Amir must use his wits to help Shamsa win a tournament of heirs and put her on the throne.
Amir and Shamsa must contend with silver-tongued tricksters and magical rivals, and a truth far more devastating than Amir ever expected.…” — publisher […]
Bao’s Doll
“Whenever Mama says, “when I was a little girl in Taiwan, we had nothing,” Bao stops listening. Mama does not understand Bao, and Bao certainly does not understand Mama.
So when Bao desperately wants a doll—specifically, the beautiful, blonde All-American Artist Amanda doll that everyone else has—Bao takes matters into her own hands and steals Amanda from the store. After getting caught, Bao’s chest feels heavy like a giant rock. But gradually, the awkward silence between Bao and Mama shifts to honesty, and eventually, a deeper understanding of what binds them.
Inspired by the childhood of debut talent Bo Lu, this poignant picture book brings emotional layers to the story of a parent and child learning to connect with their heritage and each other.” — publisher […]
Darker by Four
“When an accident causes Rui’s power to transfer to Yiran, everything turns upside down. Without her magic, Rui has no tool for vengeance. With it, Yiran finally feels like he belongs. That is, until Rui discovers she might hold the key to the missing death god and strikes a dangerous bargain with another King.
As darkness takes over, three paths intersect in the shadows. And three lives bound by fate must rise against destiny before the barrier between worlds falls and all Hell breaks loose—literally.” — publisher […]
Grandma’s Roof Garden
“Granny may be old, but she’s certainly not feeble – or idle! She’s built a splendid vegetable garden from scratch on the rooftop of her Chengdu apartment building.
She collects thrown-away produce and feeds it to her chicks and geese – or composts it for the garden.
She waters, weeds, and teaches the neighborhood children to care for the garden like she does: with love, patience, and pride.
And come harvest time, Granny gathers her fresh produce and cooks up delicious meals for her friends and family…or gives them their own bags of yummy treasures so they can cook on their own!” — publisher […]
Lost Words
“What is it like to walk away from your home? To leave behind everything and everyone you’ve ever known? Poetic, sensitive, and based on a true family history, Lost Words follows a young Armenian boy from the day he sets out to find refuge to the day he finally finds the courage to share his story.” — publisher […]
Memory Garden
“Working side by side in a garden, a young girl’s playful adventures with her grandmother tell a larger story of immigration and change.
An afternoon at Grandma’s house is full of laughter, gardening, and so much more. In lyrical text that blends the past and present, Memory Garden is a nod to the places we leave behind but never forget.” — publisher […]
My Mother’s Tongues
“Sumi’s mother can speak two languages, Malayalam and English. And she can switch between them at the speed of sound: one language when talking to Sumi’s grandmother, another when she addresses the cashier. Sometimes with Sumi she speaks a combination of both. Could it be she possesses a superpower? With awe and curiosity, young Sumi recounts the story of her mother’s migration from India and how she came to acquire two tongues, now woven together like fine cloth.”–publisher […]
Papa’s Butter Chicken: A Celebration of Family and Community
“Monica loves the Butter Chicken that her father makes. She spends the day helping him in the kitchen as he prepares the dish, stirring the sauce and adding the spices. And while the chicken bakes, the two dance around the kitchen. When the chicken is done, they get ready to sit down and enjoy the meal together. But then the doorbell rings, and Grandma, Monica’s uncles, and even the neighbors arrive to share in the feast!” — publisher […]
Read More… from Papa’s Butter Chicken: A Celebration of Family and Community
