Amazing: Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders Who Inspire Us All

by Maia Shibutani, Alex Shibutani, Dane Liu

From Olympic ice dancing medalists Alex and Maia Shibutani, this beautifully illustrated picture book highlights the achievements of many Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders who have made invaluable contributions to the world.

Inclusivity sets this beautifully illustrated picture book apart in its exploration of thirty-six inspirational Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, such as disabled hero Daniel Inouye, immigrant astronaut Kalpana Chawla, and biracial entertainer Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.

Olympic medalist siblings Maia and Alex Shibutani felt compelled to create a book showing the undeniably positive impacts that Pacific Islanders and Asian Americans have made in this country and around the world. Thanks to quick and accessible biographies written with journalist Dane Liu, readers will learn about important figures who have shaped life-altering policy, made indelible marks on pop culture, and achieved their greatest dreams—paving the way for future generations to make lasting change.

Genres: Biography, Picture Books, Nonfiction, History, Asian Literature, Art, Childrens

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2023

Reviews

[Ayako · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the perfect amount of information for a young reader, while leaving you curious to learn more! I am so impressed with the thought out into choosing these figures - I hadn’t heard of a majority of them. A beautiful book! Looking forward to seeing what else the Shibutani siblings write!

[Kayla Blevins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid 4. A great introduction to Asian Americans and Pacific Islander-Americans from all nations, various genders, and physical abilities. The biographies were very short; some of them did not include the ethnicity of the person, which I thought was the point, to show everyone’s heritage and what they’ve done. There also weren’t too many queer people included. I would have liked to have seen at least a couple. However, it is a great introduction for kids, and would be a good resource, especially if paired with further readings.

[E Train · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I first received an email with a digital eARC of AMAZING by THE Shib Sibs, Alex and Maia Shibutani, I was so excited for the opportunity to read a story by such talented people, and what I didn’t expect was just how wonderfully important and meaningful their story would be! AMAZING, which is a suiting title because the book is, well, Amazing shares the stories of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders that inspire generation after generation through their courage, whether it be through acting like The Rock, or activism like Wong Kim Ark! While the descriptions of these world changers are brief, their presence is felt, and they leave you curious and motivated to learn more about their journeys and all the work they do, or have done!

Not only were the words in this read powerful, but the illustrations make a statement as well, which are by Aaliya Jaleel. They depict the heroes and what they look or looked like in simple, but moving sketches. There was one person I learned about that really stood out to me and that was singer and Grammy, as well as Oscar-winner H.E.R which I learned stands for “Having Everything Revealed.” I’m a fan of her music, but learning about her experiences was eye-opening. It made me think, who are some other AAPI heroes that have made a huge impact, but aren’t talked about enough? One that comes to mind is senator Daniel Inouye, who is also featured in AMAZING. He paved the way for new laws that many of us take for granted, but we have to remember that before him, the ideas he presented seemed outlandish, crazy, and wrong!

AMAZING by Alex and Maia is a story unlike any other that I’ve read, and I most certainly know it will lead the way for other books like it! We need more diversity in reads, especially AAPI heritage! AMAZING was short and sweet and perfect in every way! You all need to pre-order your own copy! You won’t regret it. Your heart will be warmed, and your mind will be opened!

[Wren · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book lists 33 Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, some of whom I knew--but I learned more about them, some of them I did not know, so I was delighted to learn about them.

The have heritage from a broad range of Asian and Pacific Island locations, such as Hawaii, Japan, China, Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, the Marshall Islands and MORE. They have notable achievements in sports, entertainment, politics, business, science, and MORE.

Read the book, but here is a small sample of the people you will meet in the pages of the book:

Dr. Mabel Ping-Hua Lee (Chinese immigrant), who fought for women's rights alongside white suffragettes of the early 20th Century.

Young Kwok "Corky" Lee (Chinese American), a photographer who worked to recreate a photo that included the intercontinental railway completion so that the descendants of some of the workers were included who had been excluded from the original photos. He worked to document the lives of Asian Americans so that this kind of oversight would be less likely to happen.

Robert "Bobby" Lopez, Filipino American, who composes music, sometimes with his wife Kristen. HE has written songs for Frozen and Coco and MORE.

Min Jin Lee, immigrant from South Korea, is a successful author of fiction that advocates for immigrants and greater understanding across borders through her storytelling.

David Chang, Koran American, is an award-winning chef who shares his talent and knowledge not only through restaurants but through books, podcasts, and television shows.

And finally, I cherish learning about Marshallese poet Kathy Jetnil-Kijiner, who brings greater awareness to the problem of climate change for islands nations through her poetry.

A fabulous book for readers of all ages and race / ethnicities.

[Maiss Lukyana · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Amazing: Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders Who Inspire Us All” is a perfect book for children who are in 4th to 5th grade. It's a nonfiction/ biography that talks about powerful Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders women and men. These are some things kids in those grades will enjoy and help them stay interested in the material to learn how they changed the world for the better.

It is especially inspiring to young girls and boys. This biography is a powerful story about how these men and women were brave and all their achievements accomplished. All of these icons never took no for an answer. All of them made an impact today. This book is very inspiring. Never give up, and you can do anything you want to. This book is also great due to its representation of young girls and boys and its inclusion of heroes.

I would choose this book for my classroom library since representation matters and to normalize all of these icons. They made a huge difference and made an impact on a lot of women and men today. This story shows a lot of positive things even though people disagreed with them for what they did, and they proved a point. This book also gives many different messages, but the one I truly love is standing up and doing what you love no matter how challenging it can be.

[Anna Yu · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the opportunity to hear Alex and Maia speak about their book writing process, and was very inspired to see how articulate and passionate they were in their conviction to make a positive difference in the world, especially the next generation. That passion really comes off the pages of the book - I loved everything about it, the illustrations, simple but impactful bios that brought to life the struggles of those pioneers who paved the way to make life easier for those of us who have followed. The fact that I was familiar with only just a few of this amazing Asian Americans speaks to just how much a book like this is needed for not just the younger generation, but even the broader population to understand and appreciate the contributions that these brave Asian Americans have made. I’m giving one of these books to my grand-niece who’s half Asian so that she has additional heros to look up to who share part of her background.

[Erica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although the illustrations feel superficial, and the page layout is formulaic with blocks of text next to individual cartoonish figures, the descriptions of each of these 36 individuals are lively and engaging.

The people come from all different Asian & Pacific Islander heritages, and made their marks in all different fields of endeavor, making this a fantastic read-aloud for a wide range of ages of children.

The samplings of peoples' lives are tantalizing, and although there are no source notes or further readings suggested, young readers could learn more about most of them either in books or on the internet.

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 3 out of 5]

E ARC provided by the publisher.

This would be a good resource for elementary schools who want short snippets on a variety of Asian historical and cultural figures. The entries are short enough that they would be good to include on morning announcements. I wanted a little more information for middle school, and would have liked the years of birth and death (or a floruit) for each person included with the entry.

[Tiffany · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was a really great children's book! It exposes folks to these amazing (pun not intended) AAPI history makers in a way that's both accessible and enjoyable. Content-wise, I also did really love that the book included stories about disabled folks, as those stories are often left out within POC spaces too. Overall, fantastic and hope this books opens the doors for more in this space and encourages folks to learn more and do their own research about AAPI history in the US and beyond.

[Alicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Coming out during AAPI month has its benefits when its a children's nonfiction collective biography of AAPI people who made an impact on the world from music and sports to science and politics.

Using the easy to digest format per page of an illustration, their name, and a short biography it would be perfect as a biography a day page read. Brightly colored and a celebration of a variety of movers and shakers.

[Darlena Glenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am so glad to have found this book at the public library and learned about ordinary people doing extra-ordinary works. We can all be inspired and uplifted by the commitment that these individuals have shown in our world.

[Tobye · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great beginning to Asian Pacific Heritage learning

Loved this picture book with short, colorful biographies of amazing Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. It encourages the reader to search for the works of the artists and other books to learn more.

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great variety of fields represented here. Some familiar and others less well known.

[zhaw · Rating 3 out of 5]

as a book to diverse, it still lacks of diversity esp the part of "asian"(american)

[MaryAnne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful book about 36 Asian and Pacific Islander Americans who have made substantial contributions to the world. Brief bios are provided.

[Sasa · Rating 4 out of 5]

i loved it for the most part but a few of these additions make me side eye.