Please welcome my guest author today, Patricia Tanumihardja, with her list of picture books set in Southeast Asia. Her newest picture Book is about shoe designer, Jimmy Choo! He is from Penang, Malaysia, where Patricia also hails from.

Jimmy’s Shoes: The Story of Jimmy Choo, Shoemaker to a Princess by Patricia Tanumihardja, illustrated by Derrick Desierlo

Jimmy learned the shoemaking craft from his father, but the faltering economy in Malaysia forced him to relocate to London where he studied English and shoemaking in school. This was a difficult time for Jimmy. He rebranded his company from Lucky Shoes to his name when sales were slow. More importantly, he learned the game of high-end couture and sought relationships with magazine editors and fashion designers. It paid off. His shoes were worn on the runway for London’s Fashion Week, leading to an eight-page spread in a prominent fashion magazine. His business took off and got noticed by a princess, Princess Diana! When she wore his shoes, his phone rang off the hook and he couldn’t keep up. He decided to expand to ready-to-wear shoes, not just custom-made ones. Jimmy Choo’s shoes are famous and worn on red carpets by celebrities around the world. [picture book biography, ages 4 and up]

We are giving away a copy of picture book Jimmy’s Shoes and signed book plate! To enter, please fill out the Rafflecopter at the bottom.

What are your favorite shoe designers? I think his shoes as functional art. Do you think Jimmy’s shoes are works of art too?

Picture Books Set in Southeast Asia

Boys Don’t Fry by Kimberly Lee and Charlene Chua

Jin, a young Malaysian boy, wants nothing more than to help his grandmother, Mamah, prepare the Lunar New Year feast. But boys don’t belong in the kitchen, or so his aunties think. However, Mamah happily welcomes Jin into the kitchen to help. Soon, Jin is pounding the pestle, squeezing the limes, and stirring the soup with everyone else. Finally, even his aunties admit, “That boy was meant to cook!”  The many rich, intricate details in the art–from kue pie tee (crispy pastry shells filled with shredded jicama) to the kitchen tiles and batik sarongs–reflect the beauty of Peranakan culture. A fun, lighthearted story that challenges gender stereotypes and celebrates family, culture, and traditions, both old and new. [picture book, ages 4 and up]

Building a Dream: How the Boys of Koh Panyee Became Champions by Darshana Khiani, illustrated by Dow Phumiruk

In the floating village of Koh Panyee, Thailand, a group of friends love to play football (soccer in North America) but they had nowhere to practice. Determined to play their favorite sport, they decided to build a floating pitch. As their neighbors laughed and jeered, the boys sawed wood, hammered nails, and tied barrels, day after day, week after week. Plank by plank, they followed their dream and built not just a place to practice but a community focal point that would inspire future generations. This story may be set in southern Thailand, but children everywhere can relate to the boy’s love of football, their story of persistence and determination, and the coming together of a community. [picture book, ages 5 and up]

From the Tops of the Trees by Kao Kalia Yang, illustrated by Rachel Wada

Life isn’t easy for a Hmong girl born in a refugee camp in Thailand. However, she still experiences the joys of childhood. She plays with her cousins, chases chickens, and eats fallen fruit. Enveloped in her parents’ love, the little girl is unafraid. One day, she asks her father what lies beyond the camp fence. While he cannot answer her, he can show her. He carries her on his back and they climb the tallest tree in the camp. At the top, her father sweeps his hands over the expanse that lays beyond for her to explore. “Look, the world is bigger than this place,” he says. This tender, true story about the love between father and daughter offers hope and promise despite the difficult situation. [picture book, ages 5 and up]

Last Flight by Kristen Mai Giang and Dow Phumiruk

With rhythmic prose and vivid illustrations, Last Flight is based on the true story of Giang and her family’s escape six days before Saigon’s fall in 1975 and is told from the perspective of Giang’s older sister. The “slap slap of sandals” and “buzz hum of motorbikes” turn into the sounds of “heavy boots” and “warning whistles.” Fear and tension mount as the family waits to escape on the last commercial flight out of the city. But all is not lost as scenes of family love, generosity, and heroism fill the pages. A heart-wrenching story about leaving everything behind that also reveals the kindness of strangeness who help each other even when they have so little. [picture book, ages 4 and up]

Nana, Nenek & Nina by Liza Ferneyhough

Nina has two faraway grandmothers–Nenek in Malaysia and Nana in England. And she loves visiting both of them! Nina may wear different clothes and play different games with Nana and Nenek, but beach days and bedtime snuggles are the same no matter which hemisphere she’s in. In each spread, San Francisco-based author-illustrator Ferneyhough cleverly juxtaposes life on opposite ends of the world. Drawing from personal experience, she compares and contrasts foods, flowers, and architecture in fun and fine details. This sweet story demonstrates that love and affection are universal across borders and presents a joyful narrative of a third culture kid’s experience. [picture book, ages 4 and up]

Sari Sari Summers by Lynnor Bontiago 

Nora loves spending the summer with her Lola Soling in the Philippines. Lola owns a sari sari store, and this year, Nora is old enough to help her. You can buy anything at the store—hair clips, condiments, sour tamarind candy, laundry detergent, and more! But then a heat wave hits the city. It’s too hot to go out and no one comes to shop at the store. Worried that her grandma won’t need her help anymore, Nora comes up with a plan. She taps into her ingenuity and suggests making ice candies with the mangoes from the tree just outside the store to draw customers. A warm and fuzzy intergenerational story sharing the sights, sounds, and tastes of author-illustrator Lynnor Bontiago‘s homeland. [picture book, ages 4 and up]

Jimmy’s Shoes Picture Book + Signed Book Plate GIVEAWAY!

We are giving away picture book biography, Jimmy’s Shoes, AND a signed book plate! To enter, please fill out the Rafflecopter below. We can only mail to U.S. and A.F.O. addresses.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Born in Jakarta to Indonesian-Chinese parents and raised in Singapore, Patricia Tanumihardja has been a food writer and cookbook author for close to two decades. She has also developed recipes for Highlights High Five magazine. Tanumihardja is the author of Jimmy’s Shoes and Ramen for Everyone. She lives in Washington, DC. Find her on Twitter and Instagram: @ediblewords and online.

p.s. Related posts:

Picture Books Sharing the Joy of Cooking with Family and Loved Ones

Children’s Books About Fashion including the mysterious Coco Chanel

What Is Industrial Design at RISD?

Asian Furniture Design and Asian Furniture Designers

Visiting King’s College in London

Visiting Central Saint Martins at Kings Cross in London

Diverse Asian-Themed Toys for Kids & GIVEAWAY!

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Food for the Future: Sustainable Farms Around the World

• Junior Library Guild Gold selection
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• Starred review from School Library Journal

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BEST #OWNVOICES CHILDREN’S BOOKS: My Favorite Diversity Books for Kids Ages 1-12 is a book that I created to highlight books written by authors who share the same marginalized identity as the characters in their books.

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