May is Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage month! We’re putting the spotlight on our creators with AAPI heritage and all their wonderful works covering all sorts of themes and messages.
Ages 2-5
Can You Find My Robot’s Arm?
By Chihiro Takeuchi
40 Pages | Ages 2-5 | Hardcover
ISBN 9781101919033 | Tundra Books
Robot has lost his arm — can you help him find a new one? Step into a charming mechanical world invented by a striking new picture book artist. Can You Find My Robot’s Arm? humorously invites children to explore beautiful and intricate hand-cut images.
Ages 3-7
A Bedtime Yarn
By Nicola Winstanley
Illustrated by Olivia Chin Mueller
32 Pages | Ages 3-7 | Hardcover
ISBN 9781101918081 | Tundra Books
Like a well-worn, snuggly blanket, this sweet bedtime story about a little bear who’s afraid of the dark and his mother’s creative solution will warm and comfort readers big and small. A beautiful story of love and crafting, A Bedtime Yarn will appeal to knitters, sleepy little bears and any parents dealing with their child’s fear of the dark.
Great Job, Dad!
By Holman Wang
32 Pages | Ages 3-7 | Hardcover
ISBN 9780735264106 | Tundra Books
Being a dad is eleven jobs in one! This unique picture book for very young readers celebrates the many jobs being a parent encompasses. When Dad gets home from his day job at the office, he never knows which job will be waiting for him, but he knows it’ll be fun!
Great Job, Mom!
By Holman Wang
32 Pages | Ages 3-7 | Hardcover
ISBN 9780735264083 | Tundra Books
Being a mom is eleven jobs in one! This unique picture book for very young readers celebrates the many jobs being a parent encompasses. When Mom gets home from her day job as a carpenter, she never knows which job will be waiting for her, but she knows it’ll be fun!
Natsumi’s Song of Summer
By Robert Paul Weston
Illustrated by Misa Saburi
40 Pages | Ages 3-7 | Hardcover
ISBN 9780735265417 | Tundra Books
This sweet and gentle picture book celebrates summer in Japan, as one little girl shares her love for bugs with her cousin who is visiting from America. Natsumi’s Song of Summer is a tender, evocative story that celebrates the special pleasures of summertime and of reunions with faraway family and friends.
Princess Puffybottom … and Darryl
By Susin Nielsen
Illustrated by Olivia Chin Mueller
32 Pages | Ages 3-7 | Hardcover
ISBN 9781101919255 | Tundra Books
What’s a pampered cat to do now that she has to compete for attention with an ill-mannered puppy? Award-winning author Susin Nielsen delights in this laugh-a-minute twist on the classic sibling rivalry story.
Sakura’s Cherry Blossoms
By Robert Paul Weston
Illustrated by Misa Saburi
40 Pages | Ages 3-7 | Hardcover
ISBN 9781101918746 | Tundra Books
A warm, gorgeous exploration of a little girl’s experience immigrating to a new country and missing her home and her grandmother, who still lives far away. Sakura’s Cherry Blossoms captures the beauty of the healing power of friendship through Weston’s Japanese poetry-inspired text and Saburi’s breathtaking illustrations.
Ages 4-8
Harry and Clare’s Amazing Staycation
By Ted Staunton
Illustrated by Mika Song
32 Pages | Ages 4-8 | Hardcover
ISBN 9781770498280 | Tundra Books
Harry and Clare are stuck at home for their spring break. No exotic locations, no plane trips, no exciting plans. So they make their own fun! The trouble is, older sister Clare is the one making all the rules, and that means deciding on the game AND eating all the food.
Ho’onani: Hula Warrior
By Heather Gale
Illustrated by Mika Song
40 Pages | Ages 4-8 | Hardcover
ISBN 9780735264496 | Tundra Books
Based on a true story, Ho’onani: Hula Warrior is a celebration of Hawaiian culture and an empowering story of a girl who learns to lead and learns to accept who she really is – and in doing so, gains the respect of all those around her.
Julia, Child
By Kyo Maclear
Illustrated by Julie Morstad
32 Pages | Ages 3-7 | Paperback
ISBN 9780735264014 | Tundra Books
A charming, whimsically illustrated picture book about joie de vivre, told from the perspective of a child named Julia who loves to cook. Julia, Child is a fictional tale loosely inspired by the life and spirit of the very real Julia Child — a story that should be taken with a grain of salt and a generous pat of butter.
Skinnamarink
By Sharon Hampson, Lois Lilienstein, and Bram Morrison, with Randi Hampson
Illustrated by Qin Leng
40 Pages | Ages 4-8 | Hardcover
ISBN 9780735264496 | Tundra Books
Based on the classic folk song made famous by a beloved trio of children’s entertainers, this picture book is best sung aloud! “Skinnamarink” is a timeless anthem of love and inclusion. Through Qin Leng’s wonderfully imaginative illustrations, this delightful picture book tells the story of a community coming together.
Story Boat
By Kyo Maclear
Illustrated by Rashin Kheiriyeh
40 Pages | Ages 3-7 | Hardcover
ISBN 9780735263598 | Tundra Books
When you have to leave behind almost everything you know, where can you call home? Sometimes home is simply where we are: here. A imaginative, lyrical, unforgettable picture book about the migrant experience through a child’s eyes.
The Darkest Dark
By Commander Chris Hadfield and Kate Fillion
Illustrated by the Fan Brothers
48 Pages | Ages 3-7 | Hardcover
ISBN 9781101918623 | Tundra Books
Inspired by the childhood of real-life astronaut Chris Hadfield and brought to life by Terry and Eric Fan’s lush, evocative illustrations, The Darkest Dark will encourage readers to dream the impossible.
The Fog
By Kyo Maclear
Illustrated by Kenard Pak
48 Pages | Ages 4-8 | Hardcover
ISBN 9781770494923 | Tundra Books
A clever and whimsical environmental fable about a bird who is a human-watcher from a dynamic author-illustrator duo. Kyo Maclear’s witty story, brought to life with the delicate, misty artwork of Kenard Pak, is a poignant yet humorous reminder of the importance of environmental awareness.
Yak and Dove
By Kyo Maclear
Illustrated by Esme Shapiro
56 Pages | Ages 4-8 | Hardcover
ISBN 9781770494947 | Tundra Books
Sometimes the unlikeliest friends form the greatest friendships. A funny, charming picture book from a dynamic duo. Yak and Dove whimsically captures the highs and lows of friendship through the three interconnected tales of two very different friends.
Ages 5-9
Bloom: A Story of Fashion Designer Elsa Schiaparelli
By Kyo Maclear
Illustrated by Julie Morstad
40 Pages | Ages 5-9 | Hardcover
ISBN 9781101918562 | Tundra Books
A dazzling first-person picture book biography of the life of iconic fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli by the award-winning team who created Julia, Child. With its warm, lyrical text and enchanting illustrations, Bloom shows readers how ingenuity, vision and self doubt all made Schiaparelli truly beautiful.
It Began With a Page: How Gyo Fujikawa Drew the Way
By Kyo Maclear
Illustrated by Julie Morstad
48 Pages | Ages 5-9 | Hardcover
ISBN 9781101918593 | Tundra Books
Gyo Fujikawa’s iconic children’s books are beloved all over the world. Now it’s time for Gyo’s story to be told — a story of artistic talent that refused to be constrained by rules or expectations. This luminous new book beautifully and openly touches on Gyo’s difficult experiences and growth.
The Good Little Book
Written by Kyo Maclear
Illustrated by Marion Arbona
40 Pages | Ages 5-9 | Hardcover
ISBN 9781770494510 | Tundra Books
While banished to a dusty study one day “to think things over”, a boy pulls a book off a shelf and with great reluctance begins to read. A quirky, enchanting tale of literary love and loss — and love found again — that will win the heart of even the most reluctant reader.
The Liszts
Written by Kyo Maclear
Illustrated by Julia Sarda
40 Pages | Ages 5-9 | Hardcover
ISBN 9781770494961 | Tundra Books
The Liszts make lists. They make lists most usual and lists most unusual. They make lists in winter, spring, summer and fall. Then one day a visitor arrives. He’s not on anyone’s list. Will the Liszts be able to make room on their lists for this new visitor?
Ages 7-10
Wolfie and Fly
By Cary Fagan
Illustrated by Zoe Si
96 Pages | Ages 7-10 | Paperback
ISBN 9781101919392 | Tundra Books
Our heroine, Renata Wolfman (Wolfie) does everything by herself. Friends just get in the way, and she only has time for facts and reading. But friendship finds her in the form of Livingston Flott (Fly), the slightly weird and wordy boy from next door.
Wolfie and Fly: Band on the Run
By Cary Fagan
Illustrated by Zoe Si
96 Pages | Ages 7-10 | Hardcover
ISBN 9781101918234 | Tundra Books
Fly has convinced Wolfie to join him in his one-man band. Before they know it, they’re playing live onstage in front of a stadium of screaming fans. But these fans are about to get out of control–and Wolfie and Fly have to make a daring escape!
Ages 12+
Hunted by the Sky
By Tanaz Bhathena
384 Pages | Ages 12+ | Hardcover
ISBN 9780735267022 | Penguin Teen Canada
A riveting story of discovery, forbidden romance and idealism against all odds, set in a fantasy world inspired in part by Indian history and myth. Exploring identity, class struggles, and high-stakes romance, Hunted by the Sky is a gripping adventure set in a world inspired by medieval India.
Tales from the Inner City
By Shaun Tan
224 Pages | Ages 12+ | Hardcover
ISBN 9780735265202 | Tundra Books
A unique and beautiful book for kids and adults that combines short stories and poetry with surrealist art — a return to the form that made Shaun Tan a visionary in the world of graphic novels.
Tales from Outer Suburbia
By Shaun Tan
96 Pages | Ages 12+ | Paperback
ISBN 9780735265226 | Tundra Books
Breathtakingly illustrated and hauntingly written, Tales from Outer Suburbia is by turns hilarious and poignant, perceptive and goofy. Through a series of captivating and sophisticated illustrated stories, Tan explores the precious strangeness of our existence.
The Beauty of the Moment
By Tanaz Bhathena
368 Pages | Ages 12+ | Paperback
ISBN 9780735263765 | Penguin Teen Canada
Susan dreams of being an artist. Malcolm wants to move him and his sister out of a bad living situation. In spite of their burdens, they fall for each other. The ways they drift apart and come back together are testaments to family, culture, and being true to who you are.
Get these books from your favourite bookstore or online and celebrate Asian American Pacific Islander heritage month with us!