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This article was a presentation given at the 2012 IBBY Congress in London, first posted here and developed from a PaperTigers.org Personal View, “Caught up in Conflict: Refugee stories about and for young people“.

A bibliography with links to relevant websites is listed by title can be … Continue reading ... →

Grandfather’s Story Cloth /  Yawg Daim Paj Ntaub Dab Neeg
written Linda Gerdner and Sarah Langford, illustrated by Continue reading ... →

In case you haven’t heard, we acquired SHEN’S BOOKS last winter, and we couldn’t be more excited! Shen’s Books published great children’s books emphasizing cultural diversity and tolerance, with a focus on introducing children to the cultures of Asia. 

This month, we released the first title under our new Shen’s Books imprint: Summoning the Phoenix: Poems and Prose About Chinese Musical Instruments, and it’s been an amazing journey so far! The title received a starred review from Kirkus Reviews, and author Emily Jiang and illustrator April Chu have been very busy with book events!

There are seven more titles that we have reprinted and plan to release this spring. All will be available starting in mid-May:

Abadeha: The Philippine Cinderella, retold by Myrna J. de la Paz, illustrated by Youshan Tang

Angkat: The Cambodian Cinderella, by Jewell Reinhart Coburn, illustrated by Eddie Flotte

Anklet for a Princess: A Cinderella Story from India, by Lila Mehta, adapted by Meredith Brucker, illustrated by Youshan Tang

Cora Cooks Pancit, by Dorina K. Lazo Gilmore, illustrated by Kristi Valiant

Domítíla: A Cinderella Tale from the Mexican Tradition, adapted by Jewell Reinhart Coburn, illustrated by Connie McLennan

Jouanah: A Hmong Cinderella, by Jewell Reinhart Coburn with Tzexa Cherta Lee, illustrated by Anne Sibley O’Brien

Land of the Morning Calm: Korean Culture Then and Now, by John Stickler, illustrated by Soma Han

We’re looking forward to all of these titles and hope you are too!

For a list of Shen’s Books that are currently available from Lee & Low Books or to place an order, contact our ordering department toll-free at 1-888-320-3190 x. 28.

We’re excited to announce a new release from our recently acquired imprint, Shen’s Books: Summoning the Phoenix, a musical and informative journey through the history of traditional Chinese instruments.

In Summoning the Phoenix, author Emily Jiang and illustrator April Chu follow thirteen young musicians as they prepare to perform in a Chinese orchestra. In a starred review, Kirkus says that this is “a lively medley that will expand the musical boundaries of most young audiences.”

Happy birthday to Summoning the Phoenix! Here’s a fun video of a girl playing “Happy Birthday” on her dizi:

The Asian Pacific American Libraries Association has announced their 2013 literature award winners. Thanks to Shen’s Books for publishing the press release. Highlights include:

Picture Book Winner: Good Fortune in a Wrapping Cloth, written by Joan Schoettler and illustrated by Jessica Lanan, published by Shen’s Books.

Picture Book Honor: A Path of Stars written by Anne Sibley O’Brien, published by Charlesbridge.

Children’s Literature Winner: Chengli and the Silk Road Caravan, written by Hildi Kang, published by Tanglewood Publishing.

Children’s Literature Honor: Shark King by Kikuo Johnson, published by Toon Books.

Young Adult Literature Winner: Tina’s Mouth: An Existential Comic Diary written by Keshni Kashyap, published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Young Adult Literature Honor: Ichiro written by Ryan Inzana, published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

If you’re in Evansville, Indiana on July 25th, come out and meet Kristi Valiant, illustrator of Cora Cooks Pancit! She’ll be autographing books at Barnes & Noble (624 South Green River Rd) at 2:00pm. Kristi says she’ll be bringing her red apron and some pancit for everyone to taste.

Cora Cooks Pancit! is a lovely story about a Filipino girl who cooks her favorite noodle dish with her mother. However author Dorina Lazo Gilmore notes that it is not just about cooking pancit and neither is it a book just for the Filipino audience. “It is about celebrating the family. It is about cooking with your parents.”

Here’s a review of the book from publisher Shen’s Books:

Cora Cooks Pancit! tells the story of Cora who loves being in the kitchen, but always gets stuck doing the kid jobs like licking the spoon. One day, however, when her older sisters and brother head out, Cora finally gets the chance to be Mama’s assistant chef. And of all the delicious Filipino dishes that dance through Cora’s head, she and Mama decide to make pancit, her favorite noodle dish.

With Mama’s help, Cora does the grown-up jobs like shredding the chicken and soaking the noodles (perhaps Mama won’t notice if she takes a nibble of chicken or sloshes a little water on the floor). Cora even gets to stir the noodles in the pot—carefully– while Mama supervises. When dinner is finally served, her siblings find out that Cora did all their grown-up tasks, and Cora waits anxiously to see what everyone thinks of her cooking.

Dorina Lazo Gilmore’s text delightfully captures the warmth between mother and daughter as they share a piece of their Filipino heritage. With bright and charming illustrations by Kristi Valiant, Cora’s family comes alive as Cora herself becomes the family’s newest little chef.

To read a great interview with author Dorina Lazo Gilmore, visit Tarie’s blog Into the Wardrobe.