May is Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month. As I’ve said before, I’m very much a person who makes sure that I cover different cultural groups all year and not just in ‘the’ month that is set aside. But I still think it’s important to cover them in that month. (Full disclosure: some affiliate links but it won’t change your price. No pressure!) Some of the other links go to a wonderful bookstore in the Philippines which I’ve ordered from a few times. I highly recommend Pumplepie books for any of the Filipino books mentioned below as well as the Filipino folk song books I’ve featured in the past!
What’s Ap? The Life Story of apl.de.ap
Author: Yvette Fernandez
Illustrator: Ray Sunga
ISBN: 621-404-070-4
Buy the book
All about apl.de.ap of Black Eyed Peas, this helps students connect to a more current musician.
The First International Filipino Diva (Jovita Fuentes)
Author: Lin Acacio Flores
Illustrator:: Jomike Tejido
ISBN: 978-971-569-758-3
Buy the book
About Jovita Fuentes, an acclaimed opera singer from the early 1900s and the first female National Awardee in Music in the Philippines.
Zakir & His Tabla
Author: Sandhya Rao
Illustrator: Priya Kuriyan
ISBN: 978-9389203707
Buy the book on Amazon
About Zakir Hussain, an Indian tabla player, composer, percussionist, producer and actor who is still active and has collaborated with a wide range of musicians from The London Symphony to Mickey Hart
The Mountain Man of Music (Once Upon a Time in China)
Author: Jillian Lin
Illustrator: Shi Meng
ISBN: 978-1533618320
Buy the book on Amazon
About Zhu Zaiyu who was a Chinese mathematician, physicist, choreographer, and music theorist from the Ming Dynasty. He was known for his work on equal temperament
Bee-Bim Bop!
Author: Linda Sue Park
Illustrator: Ho Baek Lee
ISBN: 978-0547076713
Buy the book on Amazon
The only non-biographical book on the list this time, this one is a fun, rhythmic read that features a famous Korean dish. With rhythmic reading, and onomatopoeia, this book is perfect for a sound story, or added Orff elements.
The Red Piano
Author: André Leblanc
Illustrator: Barroux
ISBN: 978-0980607017
Buy the book on Amazon
This is about Zhu Xiao-Mei, a concert pianist who was taken from her family as a child to go to a labor camp where she was not allowed to play piano during the Chinese Cultural Revolution.
Playing at the Border: A Story of Yo-Yo Ma
Author: Joanna Ho
Illustrator: Teresa Martinez
ISBN: 978-0062994547
Buy the book on Amazon
About Yo-Yo Ma and his concert at US-Mexico border at the Rio Grande in 2019. About building bridges through music.
Looking for more? Check out these seven books. Hop on over to my Instagram and check out my daily posts throughout May for more. There are also a bunch more books for AAPIHM that you can find in my Highlights Reel.
