Hosted by Indie Promotions, and in honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander Month, I had the privilege to review The ABCs of Asian American History written by Renee Macalino Rutledge and illustrated by Lauren Akazawa Mendez. Read on!
Celebrate and learn about the many cultures that fall under the Asian American umbrella in this alphabetically organized, rhyming, and colorfully illustrated picture book for kids! An inclusive compilation of the holidays, famous figures, traditional dress, cuisine, and other interesting facts from 19 Asian American groups (as defined by the 2020 United States Census), including Korean Americans, Chinese Americans, Filipino Americans, Pakistani Americans, Japanese Americans, Hmong Americans, and more.
AVAILABLE NOW on Amazon Barnes & Noble and Bookshop.org and B.A.M and more!
REVIEW
Aimed for ages five and up I have to admit this adult found this book fun. Written in a fun poetic rhyme, you will learn about traditional holidays, and prominent figures, foods, dress from 19 different Asian American groups, including Korean Americans, Chinese Americans, Filipino Americans, Pakistani Americans, Japanese Americans, Hmong Americans, and more, as defined by the 2020 United States Census.
We forget this country was founded by immigrants Asian Americans being an important part. As Author Renee Macalino Rutledge says “Asian American history is U.S. History.” Nothing is better said. I read this book to my 10-year-old twin boys and they were totally fascinated. We love learning about other countries and cultures.
Rutledge does a phenomenal job and this book needs to be in schools and public libraries. I believe racism is based on fear and when we educated ourselves that fear can start to dissolve. This book can be a wonderful book to open a child’s eyes to Asian American Pacific Island cultures….
Want to know more? Read the full review featured over at Vocal Media/Families
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Renee Macalino Rutledge was born in Manila, Philippines, and raised in California from the age of four. Her debut novel, The Hour of Daydreams, won an Institute for Immigration Research New American Voices Finalist award, Foreword INDIES Gold, and Powell’s Top Five Staff Pick. In addition to One Hundred Percent Me, she is also the author of the children’s book Buckley the Highland Cow & Ralphy the Goat, a story about overcoming hardship with the help of our friends, who are often very different from ourselves. Renee lives in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she reads books for a living, loves the outdoors, and is always on the lookout for new adventures with her husband and their two daughters. Find her at reneerutledge.com or connect with her on Instagram (@renee_rutledge).
ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR
Lauren Akazawa Mendez is a fourth-generation Japanese American children’s book illustrator and graphic designer living in Washington. Born in Southern California, she received her bachelor’s degree from UCLA and taught art for eight years, but has been creating since she first drew on her sister’s face at three years old. When not scribbling on something, she goes bug hunting with her little boy and husband, bakes yummy treats for friends, and stays up way too late reading fantasy novels. Visit her at littlelobo.com or connect with her on Instagram (@littleloboart).
Freelance Writer Janny(Jan Marie)C 