The Wakame Gatherers by Holly Thompson, illustrated by Kazumi Wilds [in Bloomsbury Review]
01 May, by in Children/Picture Books, Fiction, Japanese, Japanese American, Repost
Young Nanami shares an afternoon with her two grandmothers: her Baachan who lives with her family in Japan, and her Gram, who is visiting from the coast of Maine. Together the three share an ancient tradition...
Arn Chorn-Pond was just 8 years old when he was torn from his family in 1975 as the Khmer Rouge invaded Cambodia. He survives years of unimaginable atrocities with only rare moments of music to soothe...
A 2007 Booker Prize nominee, Sinha’s third title is presented as a series of 23 directly transcribed tapes, spoken by a creature called “Animal,” who was once human before an industrial chemical catastrophe (inspired by the...
The long-awaited follow-up to 
Through loosely connected short stories, Wang's second collection straddles both worlds of her native China with her adopted America – and the undefinable spaces in between. From the young Chinese girl who sees too much in...
Luddite me made a surprisingly funny joke to two techies after reading 
If literary awards are any measure of prowess, then native Chinese speaker Ha Jin has most certainly mastered the English language. As a writer of poems, short stories, and fiction, he has been showered...
Originally published in six volumes in the author's native France, the full English compilation is a remarkable feat of creativity. Rendered in heavy-inked black-and-white panels that seem to physically convey the overwhelming burdens of a difficult...
As I write, I'm into the ninth of 16 hours that make up the audio version of Michael Pollan's
A spectacular book-without-words that traces one family’s immigration story with brilliant imagination. In an unnamed troubled land, a man leaves his wife and young daughter behind in search of freedom in a new country. His adjustments...
A lovingly illustrated poem, which was originally submitted anonymously by an adoptive mother to the 
When Aneesa, a young Muslim girl, wakes up on the first morning of Eid with just her grandmother, she greatly misses her parents, who are on a pilgrimage to Mecca. At the prayer hall, Aneesa meets...
Get ready to weep: Dog’s many lives are beautifully recounted in this gorgeous title about life cycles and reincarnation, based on the Buddhist belief of samsara (also found in Hinduism, Sikhism, and other religions).
Born again and...
Here's a delightful new spin on how adoptive parents and children are bound together. Using the age-old Chinese belief that a red thread binds people together in love, Lin has created a touching fable about a...
Because he must help his father, Armando does not have time to attend Señor David’s school, made of a single blue tarp spread on the ground. When his parents realize that education is Armando’s only way...
Mrs. Ruler finds fun and inventive ways to encourage her kindergarten students to eventually perform 100 random acts of kindness. Is there a better lesson?
Review: 
An inspiring, poignant biography – just perfect for kids! – of the legendary surfer Duke Kahanamoku, who was also the fastest swimmer in the world for 16 years! In spite of his championships, Kahanamoku still faced...
Bing’s new pet, baby rat Ralph, proves to be a handful as he must learn to mind his own business and rein in his curiosity, not to mention his uncontrollable gnawing. Of course, his smarts and...
The poignant shortcomings of soulful slacker Ben Tanaka are artfully presented in this striking volume. And, of course, Ben isn’t the only one with shortcomings. When his live-in relationship in Oakland falls apart and his girlfriend...