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Summary
Summary
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.
Author Notes
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.
Joanna Ho is the award-winning and New York Times bestselling author of many children's books including Eyes that Kiss in the Corners; Eyes that Speak to the Stars; Eyes that Weave the World's Wonders, Say My Name, and Playing at the Border: A Story of Yo-Yo Ma, recipient of an Ezra Jack Keats Honor. Her debut young adult novel, The Silence that Binds Us, received the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature, Young Adult Honor. She earned her Masters in Educational Leadership at the Principal's Leadership Institute at the University of California, Berkeley and has been a classroom teacher, program designer and high school administrator. Her passion for equity in books and education is matched only by her love of homemade chocolate chip cookies, outdoors adventures, and dance parties with her kids. Visit her at www.joannahowrites.com
Reviews (2)
Publisher's Weekly Review
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.)
Kirkus Review
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) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
