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I received this book for free from Scholastic Inc in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
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We Who Produce Pearls: An Anthem for Asian America by Joanna Ho Illustrator: Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya
Published by Scholastic Inc. on April 16, 2024
Genres: Juvenile Fiction / Diversity & Multicultural, Juvenile Fiction / People & Places / United States / Asian American & Pacific Islander, Juvenile Fiction / Social Themes / Activism & Social Justice
Pages: 48
Format: Paperback
Source: Scholastic Inc
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Goodreads
From the New York Times bestselling and award-winning author, Joanna Ho, comes an uplifting call to action that highlights Asian American history, paired with vibrant and colorful illustrations by artist and activist, Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya.
In Joanna Ho’s true classic style, she creates a poetic ode that celebrates Asian American communities and their history. We Who Produce Pearls, is an anthem for Asian America that celebrates the richness and diversity within the Asian American identity and serves as a reminder of our self worth, our legacy and most of all, our destiny. Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya’s signature bright and bold palette brings to light the strength and power within us all, creating a mesmerizing, stunning, and magical masterpiece that proves how we can shape our pain and struggle into one of joy and power. Together, Joanna and Amanda remind readers to rise up, speak out, and step into power.
Review: We Who Produce Pearls: An Anthem for Asian America by Joanna Ho and illustrated by Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya
This is a gorgeous book. It also carries a powerful message. The poetry is empowering and has strength infused into its words. It celebrates unity across the diaspora and highlights the similarities both in celebration and mourning that different Asian American groups have experienced. There is a desire evident in the language to be proud of the endurance and to encourage Asian Americans to work in solidarity with each other.
Research-rich
I remember listening to the author talk about the amount of research she put into writing this book. The words, illustrations and end matter all speak to the richness of that research. It is inspiring and I believe will encourage readers to learn more about the topics she touches on.
Great for Older Readers
I am going to advocate for this book to be used with older readers- middle school to high school. There is so much richness of history and depth of emotion in this book. I think older readers will grasp the gravity of the topics introduced and be inspired to learn more.
Use it in the Classroom
I love that if a teacher were to use We Who Produce Pearls by Joanna Ho in the classroom, it would open the door to so many young people learning more about Asian American history. The author includes guiding questions and research starting points at the end of the book. For that reason, I think this book is more than suitable for an upper level Social Studies or ELA classroom. In ELA, I would use it as a launch text to reading a historical fiction novel by an Asian American author. For Social Studies, I would use it to study the history of the Asian American diaspora.
About the Author
Check out the author’s website: https://www.joannahowrites.com/
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