Apple Pie Fourth of July

AUTHOR: Janet S. Wong
ILLUSTRATOR: Margaret Chodos-Irvine

From the Publisher:

Shocked that her parents are cooking Chinese food to sell in the family store on an all-American holiday, a feisty Chinese American girl tries to tell her mother and father how things really are. But as the parade passes by and fireworks light the sky, she learns a surprising lesson.

Leah’s Thoughts:

This one’s short, but it sticks with you. It follows a Chinese American girl whose family runs a store that’s open on the Fourth of July, and she’s frustrated that they’re cooking Chinese food instead of grilling burgers like “everyone else.” But by the end of the day, she sees things differently. The bold, textured illustrations really stand out, and I love how they gently celebrate the idea that there’s more than one way to be American.