Awesome Asian Americans - by Phil Amara & Oliver Chin (Paperback)

About the Book

Enjoy the best children's anthology of noteworthy Asian Americans. This compelling collection features 20 profiles with 60 action-packed, color illustrations.

It's about time - rebel girls, rad women, little leaders, and great guys are Asian American too! Readers will enjoy learning about 20 groundbreaking citizens who have contributed to the USA.

• Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson (actor)
• Bruce Lee (martial artist)
• Mindy Kaling (comedy writer)
• Jeremy Lin (basketball player)
• Lea Salonga (singer)
• Steven Chu (Nobel prize winning physicist)
• Yuri Kochiyama (activist)
• Sammy Lee (Olympic gold medalist)
• Helen Zia (journalist)
• Tyrus Wong (painter)
• Chrissy Teigen (model/entrepreneur)
• David Chang (chef)
• Satya Nadella (Microsoft CEO)
• Dr. Jane Luu (astronomer)
• Daniel K. Inouye (senator/soldier)
• Dolly Gee (lawyer/judge)
• Shahid Khan (business owner)
• Victoria Manolo Draves (Olympic gold medalist)
• Sono Osato (dancer)
• Flossie Wong-Staal (scientist)

These profiles of compelling personalities, men and women from diverse backgrounds and vocations, are brought to life with fantastic color illustrations.

Book Synopsis

Enjoy the best children's anthology of noteworthy Asian Americans. This compelling collection features 20 profiles with 60 action-packed, color illustrations.

It's about time - rebel girls, rad women, little leaders, and great guys are Asian American too! Readers will enjoy learning about 20 groundbreaking citizens who have contributed to the USA.

• Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson (actor)
• Bruce Lee (martial artist)
• Mindy Kaling (comedy writer)
• Jeremy Lin (basketball player)
• Lea Salonga (singer)
• Steven Chu (Nobel prize winning physicist)
• Yuri Kochiyama (activist)
• Sammy Lee (Olympic gold medalist)
• Helen Zia (journalist)
• Tyrus Wong (painter)
• Chrissy Teigen (model/entrepreneur)
• David Chang (chef)
• Satya Nadella (Microsoft CEO)
• Dr. Jane Luu (astronomer)
• Daniel K. Inouye (senator/soldier)
• Dolly Gee (lawyer/judge)
• Shahid Khan (business owner)
• Victoria Manolo Draves (Olympic gold medalist)
• Sono Osato (dancer)
• Flossie Wong-Staal (scientist)

These profiles of compelling personalities, men and women from diverse backgrounds and vocations, are brought to life with fantastic color illustrations.

Immigrants and their children continue to enrich America's culture. Discover important chapters of U.S. history not covered in school textbooks, and the marvelous accomplishments of these trailblazers. Challenged by racism, prejudice, and stereotypes, these pioneers forged ahead and became role models for generations to come.

Parents and children will enjoy learning about these compelling personalities. These captivating chapters make great reading for any hour, from book reports to bedtime stories. Teachers and librarians will use this contemporary collection as a relevant resource and an accessible reference. Artist Juan Calle's 60 dynamic color illustrations bring these fascinating and informative portraits to life.

"I really enjoyed your book, a great mix of Asian-Americans from different fields and countries, with many types of stories that should inspire young readers. I learned a lot!"
- Milton Chen, Senior Fellow, George Lucas Educational Foundation

Review Quotes

"Amara and Chin chose a wide variety of people to highlight, and the range shows just how important Asian Americans have been in building the image of America that we have, even when others told them to 'go back where they came from.' The overall message of not only tolerance but love and inclusion was clear without being belabored. I was surprised by how many of the people highlighted are familiar to me, and I loved learning more about them." - Kiss the Book

"Awesome Asian Americans, fulfills a public craving for content focusing on gifted talent from underrepresented American communities.... Awesome Asian Americans is so compellingly told and illustrated that children may be inspired to follow in the footsteps of the individuals they meet to become artists, storytellers, and scientists. With both of these books, Immedium inspires a world of imagination with many possibilities for readers to explore. They can choose their own path and rise to the top despite adversaries. May these books give each child hope, strength, resilience and inspiration to fulfill their dreams." - Asian/Pacific Americans Library Association

"This will be a welcome addition to our shelves as there are not enough books to reflect the significant accomplishments of Asian Americans, and many of our users will identify with these heroes. The full-color artwork is similar in style to the art in comic books." - Association of Children's Librarians of Northern California

"Awesome Asian Americans aren't just role models but real life superheroes who smashed through oppression while revolutionizing their industries. The illustrations are so dynamic and vibrant, that I can imagine Tyrus Wong powerfully stroking his paintbrush with Judge Dolly Gee forcefully hammering her gavel. These images aren't just replicas of their likenesses but visual evolution of their inspiration, struggles, and accomplishments. Awesome Asian Americans is the most current young non-fiction book that acknowledge APIAs contribution to American and Global Society."
- Jeannie Woo, Adjunct Professor AAS Dept., SFSU, Director APIA (Asian Pacific Islander American) Biography Project

"This is the book I wish I had when I was young. Who knew that as an Asian American I could one day be a social media phenomenon, a CEO, an astronomer, a Broadway star or an activist like the legendary Yuri Kochiyama? Awesome Asian Americans is engaging and entertaining, but it's not a fluffy read. The authors frame these extraordinary lives in the social contexts of their times, making their stories our story."
- Renee Tajima-Pena, Filmmaker and UCLA professor of Asian American Studies

"I've been telling publishers that we need more books like this." - Sarah Park Dahlen, Associate Professor, St. Catherine University

About the Author

Oliver Chin wrote the children's book series Tales from the Chinese Zodiac and Julie Black Belt, as well as the sports commentary The Tao of Yao: Insights from Basketball's Brightest Big Man. Phil Amara was an editor at Dark Horse Comics, and wrote The Nevermen, The Treehouse Heroes, and So, You Wanna Be A Comic Book Artist? He is an elementary school teacher in Boston, MA.