20 East Asian Picture Book Authors
I wanted to do something after hearing about East Asian and Asian American people being harassed because of the coronavirus. I think it’s ridiculous that people are using a global pandemic as an excuse to be racist. So I’m choosing to spend the next week being an ally of East Asian and Asian American book creators by promoting their work here on my blog and through social media.
A couple of days ago, I sent out a call on Twitter asking for some recommendations. I was looking for creators to include on my list and I was shocked by the result! Authors and illustrators shared and re-tweeted my original tweet for days afterward. I was hoping for a list of 40-50 book creators for a list that spanned picture books to YA titles. And instead, I ended up with over 115 creators and I’m hoping I was able to collect most of the names. Now, I’ve got four separate lists to share with you!
What I loved most was that I’ve read a number of these authors and illustrators and love their work. Others are on my TBR list and sitting on the bookshelves behind my desk and still, others are new-to-me and I’m so excited to dive into some new books!
So today, I’m sharing the first list – 20 East Asian Picture Book Authors. Just as a reminder, many of these authors are also illustrators or have also written for other age groups, so be sure to research their name for more titles!
20 East Asian Picture Book Authors
- Chiêu Anh Urban – Quiet as a Mouse
- Hilary Leung – Will Ladybug Hug?
- Andrea Wang – Magic Ramen
- Arree Chung – Mixed
- Bao Phi – A Different Pond
- Cynthea Liu – Bike On, Bear!
- Aram Kim – No Kimchee for Me!
- Dan Santat – After the Fall
- Debbie Ridpath Ohi – Sam & Eva
- Jonathan Ying – Not Quite Black and White
- Kenard Pak – Goodbye Winter, Hello Spring
- Kobi Yamada – Maybe
- Kristen Mai Giang – Ginger and Chrysanthemum
- Liz Wong – Quackers
- Mia Wenjen – Sumo Joe
- Mika Song – Tea with Oliver
- Minfong Ho – Peek
- Natasha Yim – Goldy Luck and the Three Pandas
- Salina Yoon – Kiki & Jax: The Life-Changing Magic of Friendship
- Teresa Robeson – Queen of Physics: How Wu Chien Shiung Helped Unlock the Secrets of the Atom
- Virginia Loh-Hagan – Nian, the Chinese New Year Dragon
As a note, this list is specifically looking at East Asian creators and I know there are many other Asian and Asian American creators out there writing and drawing beautiful things. Take a look at these other lists for other great authors – Asian Protagonists and Indian Voices!
If you’re looking for another list, check out Mackin Library’s post!
