16 East Asian Picture Book Illustrators
Introduction
I wanted to do something after hearing about East Asian and Asian American people being harassed because of the coronavirus. I think it’s ridiculous that people are using a global pandemic as an excuse to be racist. So I’m choosing to spend the next week being an ally of East Asian and Asian American book creators by promoting their work here on my blog and through social media.
A couple of days ago, I sent out a call on Twitter asking for some recommendations. I was looking for creators to include on my list and I was shocked by the result! Authors and illustrators shared and re-tweeted my original tweet for days afterward. I was hoping for a list of 40-50 book creators for a list that spanned picture books to YA titles. And instead, I ended up with over 115 creators and I’m hoping I was able to collect most of the names. Now, I’ve got four separate lists to share with you!
What I loved most was that I’ve read a number of these authors and illustrators and love their work. Others are on my TBR list and sitting on the bookshelves behind my desk and still, others are new-to-me and I’m so excited to dive into some new books!
Today’s Highlight
I’m sharing the first list – 16 East Asian Picture Book Illustrators. Just as a reminder, many of these authors are also illustrators or have also written for other age groups, so be sure to research their name for more titles!
16 East Asian Picture Book Illustrators
- Allen Say – Grandfather’s Journey
- Benson Shum – Go to Sheep
- Carmen Mok – Grandmother’s Visit
- Charlene Chua – Amy Wu and the Perfect Bao
- Dow Phumiruk – Counting on Katherine
- Frances Alvarez – An Eagle’s Feathers
- Holman Wang – Great Job, Mom!
- Jamie Bauza – Marvino’s League of Superheroes
- Jean Kim – Rabbit Moon
- Kao Kalia Yang – Map Into the World
- Ken Lamug – Ghastly Ghosts
- Mike Curato – Little Elliot, Big City
- Suzy Lee – Lines
- Thao Lam – Wallpaper
- Thi Bui – A Different Pond
- Victoria Ying – Diana Princess of the Amazons
As a note, this list is specifically looking at East Asian creators and I know there are many other Asian and Asian American creators out there writing and drawing beautiful things. Take a look at these other lists for other great authors – Asian Protagonists and Indian Voices!
If you’re looking for another list, check out Mackin Library’s post!
