Heartwarming, joyful, and beautifully illustrated stories celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander voices, cultures, families, and traditions.
AAPI Heritage Month is one of my favorite times to refresh our bookshelves with stories that celebrate culture, family, identity, and community. And honestly? Picture books are such a beautiful way to introduce children to different experiences while still feeling warm, relatable, and fun.
This year’s new releases include everything from gentle family stories and meaningful cultural traditions to laugh-out-loud adventures and inspiring real-life journeys. Whether you’re a parent, teacher, librarian, or simply searching for diverse picture books your child will genuinely enjoy, these new AAPI Heritage Month reads are absolutely worth discovering.
Many of these titles also make wonderful classroom read-alouds and thoughtful gifts that children will return to long after May is over.
You can find all these books (including indie titles and hidden gems!) here:
This collection begins with exciting upcoming picture books arriving in 2026–2027—beautiful new AAPI stories filled with heart, family, culture, and the kind of magic kids will want to read again and again.
Upcoming AAPI picture books
When Cherry Blossoms Fall
by Katrina Goldsaito & Yas Imamura (Illus.)
Little Yuna watches her great-grandmother’s cherry tree bloom — and learns that its brief, falling petals carry the Japanese concept of mono no aware: the bittersweet beauty of impermanence. A quiet, stunning meditation on love and loss that will stay with both kids and grown-ups long after the last page.
Action Jasmine
by Kristen Mai Giang & A. N. Kang (Illus.)
Shy, glasses-wearing Jasmine prefers to blend into the background — until her grandpa dares her to go on a real-life adventure, and her alter ego Action Jasmine takes over. A vivid, joyful story about imagination, courage, and finding the superhero hiding inside a very quiet kid.
Kai Po Che: Mini’s Perfect Kite
by Suhasini Gupta & Devika Oza (Illus.)
During Makar Sankranti — India’s dazzling festival of kites — Mini’s older brother says kite-flying isn’t for little girls. Mini builds her own anyway, and what follows is part sky battle, part sibling story, part pure triumph. Richly illustrated, culturally rich, and deeply satisfying.
Legendary Cakes: A Story of Tết, the Vietnamese New Year
by Kerisa Greene
Two siblings sleep over at Bà’s house for Tết and learn to make bánh chưng — traditional New Year cakes — while their grandmother tells the ancient legend behind them. A mouth-watering, story-within-a-story celebration of food, culture, and the magic of intergenerational memory.
Tofu Takes Time
by Helen H. Wu & Julie Jarema (Illus.)
Lin and her NaiNai make tofu from scratch — and what starts as a lesson in patience becomes a meditation on how the whole universe comes together in a single dish. Beautifully illustrated and deeply warm, this one’s a love letter to slow food, grandmothers, and the art of being present.
The Most Beautiful Thing
by Kao Kalia Yang & Khoa Le (Illus.)
Based on the author’s own childhood as a Hmong refugee, this tender story follows young Kalia learning to see beauty through her grandmother’s eyes — even when the family has very little. Moving, honest, and quietly unforgettable, with stunning illustrations that travel from the jungles of Laos to the US.
The Four Seasons of the Pipa
by Patrick Lacoursière & Liu Fang / Josée Bisaillon (Illus.)
On a snowy winter night, a girl dreams of visiting her grandfather in Kunming, China — wrapped in the sound of her mother’s pipa playing. This gorgeous musical picture book comes with a CD and 11 instrumental performances by pipa master Liu Fang, making it an experience as much as a story.
The Yellow Áo Dài
by Hanh Bui & Minnie Phan (Illus.)
Naliah accidentally tears her grandmother’s precious yellow áo dài while practicing a Vietnamese Fan Dance — and must figure out how to mend both the dress and her heart. A warm, identity-affirming debut about heritage, family heirlooms, and the courage to make something your own.
Soy Sauce!
by Laura G. Lee
Three kids — Chinese, Japanese, and Korean — each make their own version of soy sauce, revealing how one ancient ingredient tells a thousand different cultural stories. Painted partly with actual soy sauce mixed into watercolors, this Kirkus-starred debut is a total sensory feast for budding foodies and curious minds alike.
Aloha Everything
by Kaylin Melia George & Mae Waite (Illus.)
Through the storytelling dance of hula, young Ano journeys across the breathtaking islands of Hawai’i — learning its history, folklore, and the true meaning of aloha along the way. Winner of the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature and an ALA Notable Book, with hand-painted illustrations that are genuinely jaw-dropping.
Hot Pot Night!
by Vincent Chen
When a Taiwanese American boy shouts “Let’s have hot pot!” out his window, his whole apartment building shows up with ingredients — and dinner becomes a joyful community feast. A rhyming, rollicking modern retelling of Stone Soup that celebrates food, neighbors, and the magic of eating together.
Bea’s Balikbayan Box of Treasures
by Christine Alemshah & Dream Chen (Illus.)
Seven-year-old Bea and her Filipino American family spend months filling a balikbayan box — a beloved care package tradition — with goodies for relatives in the Philippines. A heartwarming, culturally specific story about love across distances, belonging, and the joy of giving.
These outstanding AAPI picture books celebrate the rich diversity of Asian American and Pacific Islander experiences while delivering stories that resonate with all young readers. Add them to your collection today through Amazon or your favorite independent bookstore via Bookshop.org to support great authors and stories.
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