The theme for Asian Heritage Month 2026 is “Honouring Asian Canadians: Stories that Built Canada”. Explore these new Canadian books for kids and teens featuring stories from diverse Asian cultures and perspectives.
Picture Books
A Little Halwa and a Big Family
Written by Farid Bazger
Illustrated by Sahar Abdallah
Running the Goat, 2026
IL: Ages 4-8 RL: Grades k-3
Papa wants a treat of halwa, but Mama doesn't have the ingredients to make enough for their whole big family. Little Malala overhears their secret plan for a late-night treat and tells her six brothers and sisters—then the fun begins. Where have Mama’s matches for the stove gone? And where could the sugar be? Who’s behind the mysterious disappearances from the kitchen? This delightful Afghan story is full of laughter, surprises, and the joy of sharing.
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Baba Palooza
Written by A.D. Ghani
Illustrated by Nadia Alam
Harry N. Abrams, 2026
IL: Ages 4-8 RL: Grades p-3
When Aizah rides with her dad on Saturday mornings, she feels like a movie star—Baba in the driver’s seat, her in the back. Baba’s taxi seems brighter and the world seems bigger when they’re together. Spotlighting a Pakistani American Muslim family, this universal picture book is a proud love letter to working class parents, immigrants, and dads everywhere.
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Curry Means More
Written by Maria Marianayagam
Illustrated by Geeta Ladi
Astra Publishing House, 2025
IL: Ages 4-8 RL: Grades p-3
When Shirin’s friend Charlotte asks what curry is, Shirin realizes she’s not sure—she’s tried many curries and they’re all so different. So Shirin’s mom invites them to explore the fragrant world of curry by helping her cook a curry dish.Over the course of the afternoon, the girls discover that the dish isn’t just a form of sustenance—it’s the scent of home, a piece of wisdom shared between generations, an art open to invention, and it’s flavored with love.
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Eddy’s Shadow Puppets
Written & illustrated by Karina Zhou
Arsenal Pulp Press, 2025
IL: Ages 3-8 RL: Grades p-3
A heartwarming tale about how we can all be artists, sharing our passion with others. When Eddy meets his grandfather for the first time, he's surprised by Yéye's colorful personality. Without warning, Yéye takes Eddy on an adventure to show him the magical world of shadow puppets, exploring this ancient art form and how it brings joy to people even today.
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Fly Away Home
Written by Betty Quan
Illustrated by Akin Duzakin
Groundwood Books, 2026
IL: Ages 3-6 RL: Grades p-1
Driven from her nest, Little Bird crosses paths with other migrating animals, including humans, looking for a safe place to call home.
With the world witnessing an unprecedented level of migration—for greater opportunities or because of conflicts and climate change — and over forty million international migrants under the age of twenty, Fly Away Home offers families and classrooms a hopeful entry to a complex topic.
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Fly in the Chai
Written by Zenia Wadhwani
Illustrated by Chaaya Prabhat
Tundra, 2026
IL: Ages 3-7 RL: Grades p-2
Who loves chai more? Nanu . . . or the pesky fly that lands in his fresh cup? A delightful picture book romp featuring an adorable grandfather and granddaughter, a lively group of marketgoers and one very memorable fly.
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Music of the Bells
Written by Anitha Rao-Robinson
Illustrated by Chaaya Prabhat
Penguin Young Readers Group, 2026
IL: Ages 3-7 RL: Grades p-2
IL: Ages 3-7 RL: Grades p-2
While living in India, Neela danced Kathak--a form of classical Indian dance that uses movement to tell stories--but now that her family has moved, she dances ballet like the other kids in her school. Neela decides to take a chance and sign up to do a Kathak routine at the annual showcase, but it's been a while since she's danced in this style, and she worries that the other kids won't like it. When Amma reminds Neela to stay true to herself, Neela lets the music of the bells guide her.
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Our World: Vietnam
Written by Nhung Tran-Davies
Illustrated by Xuan Le
Barefoot Books, 2025
IL: Ages 2-3 RL: Grades p-k
Chào buổi sáng! Spend a day in Vietnam eating steaming hot xôi and cơm with soup and veggies, lighting incense for ông ngoại, and buying fresh fruit at the market. Even learn words in Vietnamese with pronunciation guides throughout the story.
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Samina Goes to a Wedding: Celebrations from a Bangladeshi Marriage
Written & illustrated by Farida Zaman
Owlkids Books, 2026
IL: Ages 5-8 RL: Grades 1-3
Samina travels from North America all the way to Bangladesh to attend her first traditional Bangladeshi wedding. Anticipation for the big day builds as she meets family she’s only ever seen on video calls and participates in various wedding traditions—like the family gift exchanges, the holud ceremony, and henna painting. A sidebar on each spread provides additional context for the depicted custom.
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The Picky Princess and the Dragon
Written by Ritu Kumar
Illustrated by Kelsey Marshalsey
Brown Paper Fox, 2025
IL: Ages 3-7 RL: Grades p-2
A whimsical tale about a South Asian Princess named Diya, a quick-witted and picky girl who refuses to eat vegetables - until a sweet-toothed dragon raids the castle, devouring all her favourite treats. To avoid becoming the dragon's next meal, Diya cleverly convinces Dragon to try vegetables, only to discover they're not as "icky" as she thought. Together, the Princess and the Dragon embark on a delightful feast, sparking Diya's newfound love for exploring different flavors.
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The Pink Pajamas: A Story About Love and Loss
Written & illustrated by Charlene Chua
Simon & Schuster, 2025
IL: Ages 4-8 RL: Grades p-3
There are many ways of saying, “I love you.” For Ah Yi, it’s with her sewing machine, making extra soft, perfectly tailored pajamas for her niece. The little girl loves each pair, except the latest one which is pink, her least favorite color. She keeps a happy face on, but her aunt can always tell. She reassures the little girl there’s no need to worry—she’ll just make another pair.
But then Ah Yi gets too sick to use her sewing machine, so sick she has to go away to the hospital…and never comes home. Her niece doesn’t know what to make of the funeral customs until she finds her own special remembrance: wearing her pink pajamas, which were perfect all along.
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Victoria Chung: A Doctor of Change
Written by Haley Healey
Illustrated by Kimiko Fraser
Heritage House Publishing, 2025
IL: Ages 4-8 RL: Grades p-3
Named for the city in which she was born, Victoria, British Columbia, Victoria Chung was the daughter of Chinese immigrants. Despite racist laws that initially prevented her from attending public school, and sexist attitudes that prevented many women from pursuing careers in the sciences, Victoria had an ambitious dream—to become a doctor and help heal people around the world.
Her unrelenting pursuit of education led her to become the first Asian-Canadian to study medicine at her university, where she faced further racism and sexism from some students and professors, and eventually became the first woman resident in her hospital.
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Yaya and the Dan-Tats
Written by Camellia Koo
Illustrated by Phoebe Xiao
Annick Press, 2025
IL: Ages 4-7 RL: Grades p-2
A joyful picture book about all the mischief a young girl and her Yaya get up to–and all the friends they make and dan-tats they eat!—during her weekly visits to his long-term care home. A gentle introduction to adjusting to change and uncertainty, Yaya and the Dan-Tats showcases the unexpected fun and the community that can be found anywhere, even in unfamiliar places.
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Juvenile Fiction
Danica dela Torre, Dream Detective
Written by Mikaela Lucido
Illustrated by Joanna Cacao
Annick Press, 2025
IL: Ages 8-12 RL: Grades 3-7
Danica dela Torre has a new case on her hands—and this time, it’s personal. Danica has lost her relikaryo, a powerful amulet that keeps her safe from evil spirits. With the help of her best friends and fellow kid detectives, Jack and Kennedy, she follows the trail into a parallel realm where she hopes a ghostly presence on the other side will help reunite her with the precious talisman.
A perfect blend of the detective and ghost-story genres with a generous dash of Filipino mythology, this thrilling follow-up to Danica dela Torre, Certified Sleuth explores evolving friendships, family ties, and the winding path of self-discovery.
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Izzy Wong’s Drama Disaster
Written by Marty Chan
Orca Book Publishers, 2026
IL: Ages 9-12 RL: Grades 4-7
Izzy's starting at the local arts-based middle school where she'll be in both the performing and technical programs, since podcasting requires both sets of skills. Soon Izzy learns that a rivalry divides the acting students, known as "the Talent", and the tech students, called "the Techies". Lately the rivalry is more bitter than ever because someone has been making nasty memes of Brody Hogan, one of the Talent.
Before long Izzy's podcast is up and running as she interviews classmates and gathers clues about who might be behind the memes—but it isn't easy keeping socially afloat in two different programs, let alone snooping around treating everyone like a suspect. Soon the memester moves on to other targets, including Izzy, and when Izzy's parents find out, they want her to go to the principal. Now Izzy has a deadline. Can she find the culprit before the case is out of her hands?
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Take a Breath Olive TranWritten by Phuong Truong
Illustrated by Christine Wei
Second Story Press, 2025
IL: Ages 6-8 RL: Grades 1-3
The school talent show is coming up, and Olive Tran is desperate to enter. The best act wins a party for their entire class, and Olive is determined to be the hero who brings home the pizza!
But Olive has one big problem: What exactly is her talent? The more she struggles to find it, the more anxious she becomes. How can she win the talent show with no talent? It doesn’t help that her brother Ben is a piano prodigy. If only good intentions and a sassy attitude were enough! Can Olive find a way to score the pizza party for her friends? And why does she want to win so badly anyway?
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The Healer and the Phoenix
Legendary Animals
Written by Linda Trinh
Illustrated by Quynh Anh Nguyen
Annick Press, 2026
IL: Ages 7-11 RL: Grades 2-6
Welcome to the magical world of Van Lang, where in every generation, a team of four adventurous kids and their magical ally animals come together to help their communities recover from The Dark Times.
When ten-year-old Starbright Mai is chosen as the newest member of Van Lang’s Legendary Allies Team by a phoenix named Ruby, her whole world changes overnight...
Young Adult Fiction
He’s So Possessed with Me
Written by Corey Liu
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2025
IL: Ages 12 and up RL: Grades 9-12
A Stonewall Honor book! Jennifer’s Body meets Heartstopper in this terrifying, tender, and bitingly hilarious supernatural horror about a boy who must save his best friend from a demon that wants to steal his heart—literally.
Corey Liu’s debut YA novel explores predation, isolation, and what happens when a childhood dream of fairytale romance turns into a deadly nightmare.
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Songs for Ghosts
Written by Clara Kumagai
Tundra Books, 2025
IL: Ages 12 and up RL: Grades 9-12
Seventeen-year-old Adam has just broken up with his boyfriend Evan and is not looking forward to the excruciating awkwardness at school for the rest of term or a whole summer stuck at home with his dad, stepmom and baby brother, Benji.
But then Adam discovers a diary in some boxes in the attic and is quickly enthralled by their poignant story. They were written by a young woman living in Nagasaki in 1911. Adam is enraptured by her life and loves, becoming totally absorbed in her story. And then he starts to be haunted by her ghostly presence...
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Book list curated by Spencer Miller