We Who Produce Pearls: An Anthem for Asian America written by Joanna Ho and illustrated by Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya - ADVISABLE

We Who Produce Pearls: An Anthem for Asian America written by Joanna Ho and illustrated by Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya.  PICTURE BOOK.  Orchard Books (Scholastic Inc), 2024.  $19.  9781338846652

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (1-3), EL (4-6) – ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

A bold and unapologetic poem celebrating all the things that Asian Americans have contributed to American history and culture, empowering those to stand proud in their heritage against racism and bigotry.

Phingbodhipakkiya’s bold and graphic illustrations complement the text perfectly. They are a great source to practice inference and analysis skills, in conjunction with the allusions in the text. Ho and Phingbodhipakkiya do a really nice job of including so many different backgrounds and cultures that are umbrellaed under the Asian American label. It’s a visually stunning, inclusive, empowering anthem for those of Asian American descent.

Reviewer: Kiera Beddes, #bookswithbeddes