May is Asian American, Native Hawai’ian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month! One great way to celebrate is by reading graphic novels that celebrate and uplift the AANHPI community’s rich cultural history. Sometimes we can learn the most about a culture through their storytelling and the ways they envision magic in their own history and present. That’s why these AANHPI graphic novels for all ages specifically explore mythology, folklore, and spiritual traditions in creative, visual ways.
These excellent reads for kids, teens, and adults are full of ancient magic, mythological heroes, fascinating histories, and fresh perspectives on immigrant and first generation experiences. Plenty will make you laugh, some will make you cry, and they’ll all give you something new to learn this AANHPI Heritage Month.
Children’s AANHPI Graphic Novels
Hi’iaka and Pana’ewa: A Hawaiian Graphic Legend by Gabrielle Ahuli’i, illustrated by Sarah Demonteverde
While this short graphic novel was written for kids, it’s a lively way for readers of all ages to explore a classic Hawai’ian legend. When an evil lizard starts to turn Hawai’i’s verdant forests dark and scary, Hi‘iaka bravely decides to fight to protect her home. But to do so, she’ll need the help of her sister Pele and a few friends. It’s a sweet story based on Hawaiian mythology.
Mabuhay! by Zachary Sterling
JJ and Althea hate having to wear a pig costume, dancing around, and handing out samples to promote their parents’ Filipino food truck. And their mom trying to teach them lessons from Filipino folklore certainly isn’t helping them fit in better at school. But when the mythological monsters their mom describes start showing up and endangering their family, some of the lessons from their mom might actually come in handy. This middle grade graphic novel is a funny and imaginative story for readers young and old.
Swords and Spaceships
Sign up to Swords and Spaceships to receive news and recommendations from the world of science fiction and fantasy.
Lunar Boy by Jes and Cin Wibowo
Indu leaves his home on the moon to live on Earth with his adoptive mom. But when he struggles to find new friends or feel like he fits in, Indu asks the moon to bring him back home. The moon agrees, promising to return Indu at the start of the New Year. By the time the New Year arrives, Indu realizes what he’d be giving up by leaving his new home on Earth. Drawing on Indonesian folklore around the moon, it’s a heartfelt story about belonging and embracing your true self while going through big changes.
YA AANHPI Graphic Novels
The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen
Across language and cultural differences, Tiến has always been able to connect with his Vietnamese immigrant parents through fairytales. Now he’s trying to find a way to come out as gay to his parents, and his favorite stories might hold the key. This YA coming-of-age story is full of lushly illustrated fairytales — Vietnamese legends, western classics, and some invented by the author — that bring colorful magic into this heartfelt story.
Lunar New Year Love Story by Gene Luen Yang and Leuyen Pham
Valentina Tran used to love Valentine’s Day (her namesake holiday!), but she lost her faith in romance after learning the truth about her parents’ love story. When she’s visited by the spirit of Saint Valentine, Val learns that her family is cursed with unfortunate love lives. But then she attends a Lunar New Year Festival where a mysterious lion dancer gives her a paper heart. Could true love find her somewhere she doesn’t expect? This lovely YA romance explores Lunar New Year celebrations and lion dancing with a playful touch of magic.
Squire by Sara Alfageeh and Nadia Shammas
In a fictionalized West Asian fantasy world, Aiza comes from the persecuted Ornu people and must hide her heritage in order to fulfill her dream of becoming a knight. She is encouraged by the new friends she makes during training and grows more confident in her own skills. But the more she learns about the empire’s military, the more she starts to question her role in the coming war. It’s a layered coming-of-age story about loyalty and heroism.
Adult AANHPI Graphic Novels
49 Days by Agnes Lee
This illustrated exploration of Buddhist afterlife traditions features clean, simple drawings and few words, yet the story is packed with emotion and heart. When a young Korean American woman named Kit passes away unexpectedly, her loved ones are left to grapple with their painful loss. As we watch their journey through grief, we concurrently watch Kit’s 49 days of travel through a suspended state before crossing over to a new form. This is a beautiful story with a healing perspective on death and loss.
Shadow Life by Hiromi Goto, illustrated by Ann Xu
Septuagenarian Kumiko is happy living independently, but her adult children push her into trying an assisted living home that she hates. She escapes, finds her own apartment, and refuses to tell her kids where she moved, but assures them she’s safe and well. Yet the dark presence of death follows Kumiko from the assisted living center to her new home, ready to send her on to the next plane. Kumiko isn’t ready to concede to death, so she sucks death’s shadow up in her vacuum cleaner, tapes it closed, and locks it in a closet. How long can Kumiko’s tricks keep death at bay? Shadow Life is a lightly magical, darkly funny, and deeply moving story with a protagonist you won’t forget.
Apsara Engine by Bishakh Kumar Som
This graphic short story collection features eight comics that fuse South Asian mythology with bold, queer visions of the future. From strange, monstrous, and magical beings to building dream cities in space, they span an array of fantasy and sci-fi settings and themes. Bishakh Kumar Som’s stunning watercolor art will stun you just as much as her powerful storytelling.
We hope this list helped you find some new AANHPI graphic novels to enjoy in May! You might also like:
9 Amazing Graphic Novels from AAPI Artists and Writers
What Readers Should Think About When They Encounter the Label “AAPI”
This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.