Welcome to storytimewithumma
Storytimewithumma is a children’s book blog and gallery celebrating Asian heritage through picture books, folktales, contemporary stories, and joyful everyday moments. If you’re a parent, caregiver, educator, or librarian looking for inclusive children’s literature, you’re in the right place.
In this post, you’ll find a simple way to choose books for your next storytime, plus a starter reading list you can use right away.
How to choose Asian heritage books for storytime
- Start with the child’s world. Look for stories about family routines, food, school, celebrations, and friendships—familiar entry points that make cultural details feel welcoming.
- Mix “mirror” and “window” reads. Choose some books that reflect a child’s own heritage (mirrors) and some that introduce new cultures and experiences (windows).
- Check for specificity. “Asian” isn’t one story. Seek books that name places, languages, and traditions (e.g., Vietnamese, Korean, Filipino, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Hmong, Pakistani, Sri Lankan, and more).
- Look for creator connections. Many of the most resonant books are written and/or illustrated by creators with lived experience. (Not a strict rule—just a helpful signal.)
- Read for joy, not just lessons. Cultural books can be funny, adventurous, tender, and silly. Kids deserve stories that celebrate, not only explain.
A starter reading list (with themes to guide you)
Use these themes to build your own “mix and match” storytime. (I’ll be adding specific book picks in upcoming posts and in the Gallery.)
- Family & grandparents: intergenerational love, caregiving, and everyday wisdom.
- Food stories: cooking together, market trips, lunchbox pride, and family recipes.
- Language & names: bilingual moments, name pronunciation, and identity.
- Festivals & traditions: Lunar New Year, Diwali, Eid, Mid-Autumn Festival, and local community celebrations.
- Migration & belonging: moving, making friends, and finding home in more than one place.
- Folktales & retellings: classic stories across Asia, told with fresh art and kid-friendly pacing.
Try this: a 15-minute storytime plan
- 1 warm-up question (1 minute): “What’s something your family does together every week?”
- 1 picture book (8–10 minutes): choose a story with a clear emotional arc and a few culturally specific details to notice.
- 1 quick connection (2 minutes): point out one detail (food, clothing, language, setting) and invite kids to share something similar from their lives.
- 1 simple activity (3–5 minutes): draw a “family favorite” (meal, place, tradition) or act out a scene from the book.
Storytime is one of the easiest ways to say: your family’s stories belong here.
What to expect next
I’ll be sharing curated reading lists, book highlights, and themed recommendations for families and educators—plus a growing Gallery of book covers and details to help you find the right story fast.
Want a recommendation? Tell me the child’s age, a theme (food, grandparents, festivals, school, feelings), and any languages you’re looking for—and I’ll build a mini reading list in a future post.