Hmong Heritage Month: Home

While trying to rescue her brother's soul from the spirit world, eleven-year-old Pahua discovers that she is the reincarnation of a legendary shaman warrior.

Join this boy for dinner as he tells his readers about Hmong foods that he likes to eat.

This simple book introduces readers to the many looks of the Hmong people, while building early reading concepts.

Minnesota has always been a land of immigrants. Successive waves have each made their own way, found their place, and made it their home. The Hmong are one of the most recent immigrant groups, and their remarkable and moving story is told in Hmong in Minnesota. Chia Youyee Vang reveals the colorful, intricate history of Hmong Minnesotans, many of whom were forced to flee their homeland of Laos when the communists seized power during the Vietnam War. Having assisted U.S. troops in the "Secret War," Hmong soldiers and civilians were eligible to settle in the United States. Vang offers a unique window into the lives of the Minnesota Hmong through the stories of individuals who represent the experiences of many. One voice is that of Mao Heu Thao, one of the first refugees to come to Minnesota, sponsored by Catholic Charities in 1976. She tells of the unexpectedly cold weather, the strange food, and the kindness of her hosts. By introducing readers to the immigrants themselves, Hmong in Minnesota conveys a population's struggle to adjust to new environments, build communities, maintain cultural practices, and make its mark on government policies and programs. Chia Youyee Vang was born in Laos and as a child escaped with her family to the United States. An assistant professor of history at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, she specializes in the study of Hmong community-building efforts.
*For staff members only

Insightful, accessible, and eye-opening essays consider the life journeys of Hmong-American individuals, families, and communities as they participate in creating the ethnic and social fabric of this nation.
*For staff memebers only

This unique collection of poetry and prose invites us to share Hmong life in America--the sadness for what has been lost in the old culture, the struggle with what must be learned in the new culture, and the intense conflict between the two.

When the great god Shao promises Tiger nine cubs each year, Bird comes up with a clever trick to prevent the land from being overrun by tigers.

The story cloth made for her by her aunt and uncle chronicles the life of the author and her family in their native Laos and their eventual emigration to the United States.

A young girl introduces the reader to members of her family.

A Hmong woman remembers her life as a child.

This bilingual children’s book celebrates the vibrant culture and rich heritage of the Hmong people through the lens of a young child. The narrative explores various aspects of being Hmong, from wearing traditional silver jewelry to the love and warmth of family. Through these immersively engaging experiences, the text reveals a sense of pride in their traditions and way of life, encouraging young readers to appreciate and value their own cultural identity and heritage.

Buster sends postcards to his friends back home when he and his father visit an international food festival in Wisconsin, where he meets six girls who will be performing a traditional Hmong dance.

Written in limerick style, a young Hmong boy tells how his life drastically changed from life in the hilltops of Laos, to the refugee camps, to his new home in the U.S.

A young girl in a Thai refugee camp finds the story within herself to create her own Pa'ndau.

ntroduces the history, language, religion, and customs of the people that originated in China and now live in other areas of Southeast Asia as well.

Depicts the history and culture of the Hmong, a unique ethnic group living in Southeast Asia, and describes the experiences of a Hmong family who left Laos to rebuild their lives in America. Includes a Hmong folktale.

Jouanah's story takes readers to the remote mountains of Southeast Asia, to the traditional home of the Laotian Hmong.

A rich narrative history of the worldwide community of Hmong people, exploring their cultural practices, war and refugee camp experiences, and struggles and triumphs as citizens of new countries.
*For staff members only

Discusses the lives of the Hmong, their flight to safety, their migration to the United States, and their future.

Presents interpretations of oral stories and stories depicted on the pa ndau (story cloths).

A story that combines the adventures of a young Hmong girl with the Stone Soup fable. Follow a young girl as she travels from Laos to the United States ands makes new friends in her new home. The love and connection she feels for her grandmother is something to which everyone can relate as she tries to bridge her two worlds.

Documents the lives of fifteen Hmong boys in Laos during the Vietnam War era, escape to Thailand, arrival in the U.S., and adjustment to American society.

This text provides an account of the CIA-genera ted air evacuation of over 2500 Hmong from Laos in 1975.
*For staff members only

When a Hmong child and her parents encounter the American medical system, what takes place is a veritable explosion that reveals the weaknesses and rigidity of both systems. It is the story of the tragedy of an ill child, a debate between two imrobably clashing cultures, an essay on the limits of reason and authority.
*For staff members only

When Ping admits that he is the only child in China unable to grow a flower from the seeds distributed by the Emperor, he is rewarded for his honesty.

Follows a young Hmong woman, from her childhood in Thailand's Ban Vinai Refugee Camp to her current home in Wisconsin.

Simple text and thought-provoking photographs offer an utterly distinctive look at immigration to the United States through the eyes of children from many different backgrounds.

Paj Ntaub, a young Hmong American girl, spends a busy year with her family in their new home, and seeks a way to share the beauty of the world with a grieving neighbor.

Presents the journey from refuge camp to America and the hardships and joys of a family's struggle to adapt in a strange culture while holding onto traditions that are passed down from her beloved grandmother.
*For staff members only

In this inspiring picture book, fierce and determined children confront the hardships of Ban Vinai refugee camp, where the author lived as a child. Yang's older sister, seven-year-old Dawb, was one of the story's warriors, and her brave adventure unfolds here with all the suspense and excitement that held her five-year-old sister spellbound many years later.

A family gradually moves forward after the loss of a child--a story for readers of all ages When someone you love dies, you know what doesn't die? Love.

Drawn from Kao Kalia Yang's childhood experiences as a Hmong refugee, this heartfelt picture book offers a window into the life of a family with little money and a great deal of love.

A ... true story of a young girl who has never known life outside a refugee camp and a father determined to help her dream beyond the fences that confine them.

As Astrid and Apollo practice for their duet in the third-grade recorder concert they become increasingly frustrated with their little sister Eliana, who keeps getting in the way, but when events leading up to the concert do not go as planned the twins realize just how much Eliana feels left out.

When bad weather cancels the family trip to Laos, where their mother's cousin is getting married, twins Astrid and Apollo try to cheer up their parents by surprising their parents with a Laos-themed stay-at-home vacation.

During their trip to the farm, Astrid and Apollo enjoy Grandma's funny stories and Uncle Meng's magic tricks while picking vegetables to sell at the farmers' market.

Hmong American twins Astrid and Apollo and their father are excited to start their relaxing ice fishing expedition, but freezing Mom is worried things could go wrong, which they do--sort of.

Astrid and Apollo really want to win their events at the tae kwon do competition, but when things do not go according to plan, the twins discover there is more than one way to become a winner.

Astrid and Apollo each have a special, surprise birthday gift planned for the other, and Astrid thinks she has guessed what Apollo is giving her, but as she puts more clues together, she realizes she is in the middle of a birthday mystery.

Astrid is anxious about her family's camping trip because she is afraid of the dark (and bears), but her twin Apollo is looking forward to the experience; and Astrid is doing okay, despite the bugs and the dark, until she hears the scratching outside the family's tent--but Astrid is determined not to let her father face the threat alone.

Hmong-American twins Astrid and Apollo are on their very first fishing trip, but while Astrid catches three fine fish, Apollo's line keeps snagging on non-fish things, and when a summer storm brings the trip to a sudden end Apollo admits he is disappointed with the experience--until he gets a look at the funny pictures their dad has taken.

Twins Astrid and Apollo are excited to be going to the Hmong July Fourth Soccer Festival, but when they are told to babysit their baby sister, Eliana, it looks like they will miss the particular match their father is interested in--especially as they cannot figure out what the "yummy milk" Eliana demands is, and are forced to spend their money on buying different treats to keep her from throwing a tantrum.

Astrid and her twin, Apollo, can't wait to go to the Hmong New Year Festival. But after they stop to help a lost boy, they get separated from their parents and little sister. The two must journey through the festival to make it back to their family.

After deciding to try out for the Hmong dance school, twins Astrid and Apollo learn the routine and work hard to prepare, but on the big day, Apollo faces a setback and must find a creative solution to save their audition.

Astrid, Apollo, Eliana, and their parents are at the state fair and enjoying a scavenger hunt based on the five senses, but none of them can figure out what it is that little Eliana wants.

Astrid and Apollo, eight-year-old Hmong American twins, embark on a papier-mâché project to create famous landmarks from Laos for the Magnificent Wonders of the World Exhibit, but encounter an unexpected problem that threatens the twins' participation.

The twins are participating in a class project to create a living "wax" museum, and they each have to choose a person whose statue they will pretend to be when the museum opens.

This book is dedicated to Lakeshore Elementary School students.

A traveling museum is visiting their school and eight-year-old Hmong American twins Astrid and Apollo are among the visitors, but Astrid is apprehensive of things like mummies and dinosaurs--until she remembers her brother's advice.

Everyone in the twins' class has to write a book report, and Apollo is having a little trouble picking a book to use for his report.