Lakas and the Manilatown Fish is just one of a new line of multicultural and bilingual Asian-American children's books recently published by Children's Book Press (CBP) of California. As part of their mission to serve under-represented communities (Asian, Latino, Native American and African American), they have begun to fill an important niche in the area of minority children's literature.

"We are publishing more Asian titles than ever before," says Janet del Mundo, Publicity Coordinator at CBP. "For many years, we were known to have a strictly Latino focus, but as a response to feedback we've received from teachers, librarians, and other customers, we've recently devoted more attention to the Asian American market."

CBP publishes only authentic, contemporary accounts that reflect minority children's daily lives. They are committed to the principle of "authenticity" to the point that they require their artists and authors to be part of the communities that they're trying to represent. Many CBP authors are additionally community activists. Nancy Hom, for example, who has contributed five books to CBP, is director of a workshop promoting "art that enriches and empowers Asian Pacific American communities."

Chachaji's Cup, written in English by Uma Krishnaswami, is another recent CBP title that exemplifies their mission to represent Asian-American communities. It features an American-born boy named Neel who discovers his rich cultural heritage through his great-uncle Chachaji's teatime stories. The story that impresses him most is the tale of the Indian-Pakistan Partition - and a special teacup that survived the long journey that Chachaji made by foot when the countries separated.

Neel's life is a confluence of backgrounds and experience - a blend just as rich as the spicy masala chai he drinks each afternoon. He savors Hindi movies, samosas and tales of the Indian Army as much as he enjoys playing computers and basketball with his best friend Daniel. These two facets of Neel's background are brought to life Soumya Sitaraman, whose vibrant paintings reflect elements of Shivite artistry.

Currently, CBP is one of the few North-American publishers with an exclusive focus on minority kids. What sets them apart, in particular, is the high quality of their books - each one is a real work of art - and their interest in bilingual books. Several of CBP's Asian titles are currently available in bilingual editions: Ayekung's Dream (English/Korean), China's Bravest Girl (English/Chinese) and Going Home, Coming Home (English/Vietnamese). Additional Asian-American titles in English include Judge Rabbit and the Tree Spirit (Cambodia), Nine-in-One, Grr! Grr! (Hmong), Sachiko Means Happiness (Japanese) and The Little Weaver of Thai-Yen Village (Vietnamese). For parents, children and teachers with an interest in the multicultural, CBP is a company worth keeping an eye on.

Roseanne Thong
09 November 2003

Roseanne Thong is author of Red is Dragon and Round is a Mooncake, multicultural picture books featuring Asian culture. She has also written numerous short stories and works of non-fiction. She divides her time between Hong Kong and Los Angeles.