Hi, I’m Karen. After I became a mom, I realized children’s books don’t have to be just ABCs and dragons – they can be so much more. They’re portals to new worlds. Mirrors of self-love. Tools for empowerment. Books can change the world.
In the spirit of supporting AAPI communities this month, 1,500 copies of Gloo Books' first children's book, What's That?, are being donated to kids in low-income communities in the Bay Area. Thanks to the good folks at Noggin...
I vividly remember my own experience of taking daals and biryani in my school lunches and seeing all my classmates turn their noses up. It wasn’t long after that when I started strictly taking sandwiches and carrots in my lunch bag instead. I wish I would have had this type of message as a child, but I’m so grateful my daughter will have it. This book is so beautifully illustrated, and the story is such a lovely reminder of the importance of teaching children about where they came from.
I was immediately taken with the theme of inclusion and diverse cultures. I bought a copy for my daughter, who is finishing her degrees in child development and family studies at CSULB. It made her cry! I got another copy for my 2-year-old granddaughter, thinking she'd have it to enjoy when she was older. My husband took it over to her house for a visit. Elle sat down to listen to him read every single word, then said, "Again!" The book doesn't dumb anything down, and the rhymes are sweet and not tiresome (as they are with many children's books). The illustrations are just gorgeous, and the message is refreshing and necessary as our world learns to include and understand things and people who don't look like they do.
We have so much fun reading this as a family. My kids especially love seeing the bao and mooncakes. We have even made plans to make and eat the foods in the book that we are unfamiliar with. I can’t tell you how much it means to me to have a book that reflects my heritage and experiences growing up Asian in the US. This book gives me hope that my children will have a better experience than I did. Thank you.
