We Who Produce Pearls: An Anthem for Asian America

by Joanna Ho, Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya (Illustrator)

Overview

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781338846652
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	04/16/2024
Pages:	48
Sales rank:	224,703
Product dimensions:	11.10(w) x 8.70(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	AD940L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Joanna Ho is the award-winning and New York Times bestselling author of many children’s books, including We Who Produce Pearls, Eyes that Kiss in the Corners, and The Silence that Binds Us, her debut young adult novel, which received the Young Adult Honor for the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature. She earned her master’s in educational leadership at Berkeley, and her passion for equity in books and education is matched only by her love of homemade chocolate chip cookies, outdoor adventures, and dance parties with her kids. Visit her at joannahowrites.com.

Born in Atlanta to Thai and Indonesian immigrants, Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya studied neuroscience at Columbia University before becoming a multidisciplinary artist, educator, and activist. Her work examines the unseen labor of women, amplifies AAPI narra­tives, and affirms the depth, resilience and beauty of communities of color. Her art has reclaimed space in museums and galleries, at protests and rallies, on buildings, highway tunnels, subway corridors, classrooms, and on the cover of TIME magazine. Amanda has been artist-in-residence with the NYC Commission on Human Rights and her work has been acquired by the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the Museum of the City of New York, the Museum of Chinese in America, and the Library of Congress. In 2023, she was appointed to the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities where she advises the President on how art can foster community well-being. Amanda and her husband live in Brooklyn, NY. Visit her at alonglastname.com.

Editorial Reviews

★ 03/18/2024

Bold, pop art–style graphics and lyrical phrasing distinguish this powerful picture book “inspired by specific figures, events, and movements in Asia and across the Asian diaspora,” per an end note. Throughout, “we” statements (“We who dream... seek... cultivate”) hint at a rich history described more granularly in dynamic lines and thorough back matter (“We who persist,” for example, reflects on themes of empire and colonization). In reiterative, thoughtful text, Ho builds to the meaningful idea that “we... hold injustice in our mouths... and spit it out.” Phingbodhipakkiya’s crisp, bright-hued digital images possess a rich intensity, showing dozens of portraits depicted with various skin tones amid stylized bursts of flora, landscapes, and natural elements. In-depth back matter, including guided questions, starting points, and creators’ notes, concludes. Ages 4–8. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

Praise for We Who Produce Pearls:

Bold, pop art–style graphics and lyrical phrasing distinguish this powerful picture book. — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Striking and defiant: an unabashed declaration of hope. — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Highly recommended […] as this history is too often untold and deserves such a compelling presentation as this. — School Library Journal (starred review)

From the Publisher

★ 04/26/2024

Gr 1–5—A powerful testimony for, and tribute to, the Asian American community. The author and illustrator make it clear in their end notes that this book is intended to inspire Asian Americans as they honor the past, acknowledge multitudes of wrongdoing, and celebrate the strength and power of an incredibly diverse but connected community. Magnificent spreads evoke moments throughout history that speak to the experiences that have shaped the Asian American community and call to readers to investigate further. Guiding questions and points for further research for each spread appear in the back matter. Bold and vibrant illustrations capture the diversity of the Asian American community with pride and an unshakable belief in the power of the people that have made such a lasting impact on the country and the world. The symbolism and details are as rich and as varied as the Asian diaspora. This title belongs in libraries seeking to embrace a deeper understanding of American history and could be particularly useful for social studies and history classes in upper elementary and above as a starting point for the examination of the role of Asian Americans in the history of the U.S. VERDICT Highly recommended for all libraries as this history is too often untold and deserves such a compelling presentation as this.—John Scott

School Library Journal

★ 2024-03-22
Eyes That Kiss in the Corners (2021) author Ho reflects on Asian American history.

“We who dream / mark time by the moon, / a heavenly body containing multitudes, whose many faces mirror our own.” Writing in verse, Ho notes the diversity of the Asian American community. She alludes to the many reasons that people took the risk of immigrating to America: the wounds of colonization, unfair labor practices, and dreams of opportunities. Affirming that the Asian experience is an integral part of U.S. history, she acknowledges the oppression that Asian Americans have endured, but, she stresses, “We are not our pain.” “We who prosper / hold injustice / in our mouths, / encircle it with tenacity / and audacity, / roll it around on our tongues… // and spit it out.” The resulting pearl is a potent metaphor for Asian Americans’ ability to create beauty and meaning out of sorrow. Despite the picture-book format, this work is better suited for older readers. Laced with references to historical figures, movements, and events, Ho’s rich, mesmerizing text begs to be discussed; educators will appreciate the detailed backmatter, which unpacks each stanza, offering historical context and guiding questions. Ho’s verse is brought to vivid life by Phingbodhipakkiya’s arresting, vibrant images of people set against backdrops teeming with traditional cultural motifs.

Striking and defiant: an unabashed declaration of hope. (author’s and illustrator’s notes) (Informational picture book. 7-12)

Kirkus Reviews