It is so exciting to see all the new children’s books coming out in recent years that feature Asian characters. Here are just a few to check out.

Ohana Means Family by Ilima Loomis, illustrated by Kenard Pak
A Friend for Henry by Jenn Baily, illustrated by Mika Song
The Adventures of Team Pom: Squid Happens, by Isabel Roxas
Like a Dandelion, by Huy Voun Lee
Sunday Funday in Koreatown, by Aram Kim
Grampa Grumps, by Katrina Moore, illustrated by Xindi Yan
Danbi Leads the School Parade by Anna Kim
Natsumi‘s Summer, by Robert Paul Weston, illustrated by Misa Saburi

When I was a child, I NEVER saw Asian people in books, and I was an avid reader! The only ones we had with people who looked like me was my brother’s book of Japanese folk tales and my copy of The Five Chinese Brothers---nothing really affirming or even resembling my life as an Asian American!

I feel truly blessed to be able to do what I do AND create the kind of books that I would have loved to have seen and read as a kid! It’s extra special that the first book in my new series with Harper Collins, featuring a half-Japanese little girl is out today at the start of AAPI month!

Today is Gigi and Ojiji‘s Book Birthday!

To celebrate I am giving away three books: one hardcover copy and two soft cover copies! To win one, follow me on Instagram (@melissaiwai1) and tag a friend. I’ll be running the giveaway for one week starting today and will announce the winners on Instagram. You can also BUY a copy here.

If you didn’t catch it before, I wrote a little about the inspiration and back story, involving my very own Ojiji here in this post.

I visited Super Jane Smith’s Bird Meets Worm blog and talked with her about my writing and illustrating process, inspiration, staying the course, a typical day in my life and more. Her post is live today here.

Events

I’m happily doing in-person events again. My next will be at the Bookmark Shoppe.in Bay Ridge this coming Saturday (May 7th). Everybody I know in the area loves this Indie bookshop, and I’m looking forward to visiting it. I’ll be reading Gigi and Ojiji and doing a drawing game with audience participation as well as signing books. I have not done an in-store book event in years, so I”m really looking forward to it. I hope you’ll join me!

I did my in-person first book festival of the year this past Saturday at the Mohawk Day Camp in Westchester Country. The weather was fantastic. There were carnival rides and festivities, but books were still a draw! Tons of families came, and it was a non-stop day of meeting people and signing books. An extra treat was seeing some old friends and making new ones. It was so busy that I only had a chance to visit with the wonderful people near me!

My traveling companion and table neighbor - the amazing Anna Raff.

Lizzy Rockwell across the way. She hand dyed her scarf in China!
As always, I wish I had taken more photos at the festival to remember the wonderful day….

Mochi

In keeping with AAPI month, I’d love to share this super easy recipe for Mochi. My son has asked me to help him make 50 of these chewy babies for the Asian Student Union fair at his school this month.

Traditional mochi making is labor intensive and takes a long time. The mochi I’m introducing is not that. Don’t worry- I would never ask you to risk maiming your hands! If you want to see how it’s done the old fashioned, scary way, check it out here.

For the easy, instant gratification way, use mochiko – sweet rice flour in a box – and a microwave oven.

Easy Mini Mochi

Small can of adzuki sweet beans

1/2 cup Mochiko Rice Flour

1/2 cup water

2 tablespoons sugar

food coloring if desired

potato starch or cornstarch for dusting

1. Coarsely mash about 2 tablespoons of beans in a small bowl. Set aside.

2. Mix rice flour and water and sugar and food coloring if using in a bowl. Cover with saran. Microwave on high for two minutes.

3. Let sit a minute or two. Carefully remove saran (I wore oven mitts!) to release

steam. Dump mochi out onto work board generously dusted with the potato or corn starch.

4. Dust hands with starch and take a clump of dough and roll into a ball. Press into a flat disc. Spoon a bit of paste in center. Pull up sides to cover. Roll and pat into a small disc. Repeat with remaining dough and paste. The dough is VERY sticky. Be patient. It helps to have hands dusted.

Makes about six mini cakes.

I wrap mine in saran and then store in an airtight container. I don’t refrigerate it, but we eat it quickly!

For step-by-step instructions with photos, visit this ten year old blog post of mine!