Yang, Kelly. Yes, We Will: Asian Americans Who Shaped This Country. Non-fiction. Nabi H. Ali, Fahmida Azim, Marco Chin, et al. Illus. Dial, 05/2022. [34]pp. $18.99. 978-0-593-46305-5. HIGH ADDITIONAL. GRADES K-5.
A rhyming text introduces children to several Asian American heroes of the last 150 years, paired with full-color illustrations done by a variety of AAPI illustrators. The text is quite brief and would make a great read-aloud: “We’ll soar to high heights” shows basketball star Jeremy Lin, followed by “And fight for Civil Rights!” with a depiction of Philip Vera Cruz and other farmworkers on strike. The illustrations are done in different styles but work well together, and most of those celebrated are recognizable in the artwork. Readers can find a paragraph on each of the historical figures in the back of the book, helping to define their ethnicities and why they are famous. For example, Vallejo, California’s award-winning singer H.E.R. is Black and Filipino, and is known for her songwriting and musicianship. Others include Fred Korematsu, I. M. Pei, Kamala Harris, Tammy Duckworth, Sunisa Lee, Vera Wang, Jenny Han, Sandra Oh, and Padma Lakshmi. This book contains California-specific content.
Penny Peck, San Jose State University, iSchool