Books in Two (or Three!) Languages

A Place Where Sunflowers Grow

A Place Where Sunflowers Grow

This book, based on experiences of the author's mother and grandparents, tells the story of a Japanese American family relocated to an internment camp in Utah. Even in the harsh landscape of the desert, a young girl is able to find beauty in unlikely places, and to re-establish her identity through art, by drawing what she remembers of her life before coming to the camp. Historical notes included. Bilingual English and Japanese.

Going Home, Coming Home/ Ve Nha, Tham Que Huong

Illustrated by: Ann Phong
Age Level: 6-9
Language: Vietnamese

American born Ami Chi travels to her parents' native Vietnam, to visit her grandmother. There she finds that some things don't change — like friendship — even in a strange, new land. Bilingually told and illustrated by richly colored paintings, Ami's story has resonance.

In the Leaves

Age Level: 3-6
Language: Chinese

Xiao Ming and his friends are spending an autumn day on a farm, and it is the perfect place for him to show his friends how draw different Chinese characters for words such as "grain" and "fire." The colorful, gentle illustrations, created by cut-paper collages, will appeal to young children. This book is one of a four-part series by the author about Chinese characters related to the different seasons.

Kohala Kuamo'o: Nae'ole's Race to Save a King

Illustrated by: Aaron Kawai'ae'a
Age Level: 6-9

Product Description: When a prophecy proclaims that the unborn Kamehameha would grow to overshadow the ruling chiefs, his life from birth is in danger. Nae'ole races with the helpless infant across the Kohala district of Hawai'i Island to bring Kamehameha to safety. Three generations of the Kawai'ae'a family join together to give us this unique look at place names of the Kohala area and the important events that shaped Hawaiian history. Bilingual edition.

Pie-Biter

Age Level: 6-9
Language: Chinese, English, Spanish, Spanish (Bilingual Eng/Sp)

As a young boy, Hoi comes to America from China to help build the railroad. Only a skinny boy at first, his love for American pies quickly helps him gain in size and strength — and earns him the nickname of Pie-Biter. Pie-Biter eventually became a successful trader with the help of Spanish Louis, and while no one knows what happened to Pie-Biter when he returned to China, travelers from China often talk about the pie shops in their villages — serving Pie-Biter's favorite flavors! Trilingual in English, Spanish, and Chinese.

Rama and the Demon King: An Ancient Tale from India

Age Level: 6-9

When Rama is wrongfully banished to the forest, Ravana uses a fiendish trick to kidnap the prince's beautiful wife, Sita. So Rama enlists the help of an army of fearless monkeys and their amazing leader Hanuman, to rescue her and regain his kingdom. Jessica Souhami retells this ancient Hindu tale with bold illustrations adapted from her own shadow puppets, based on Indian paintings. Bilingual English/Punjabi.

The Song of Mu Lan

Age Level: 6-9

Jeanne M. Lee presents the ancient Chinese folk poem that tells the legend of Mu Lan. Dressed as a young man, Mu Lan goes to battle in her father's place and becomes a revered warrior even as those around her don't know her true identity. Beautifully detailed illustrations accompany the poem, as does a brief author's note. Bilingual English-Chinese.