Auntie Yang's Great Soybean Picnic

Reach for this book when your child feels like a 'fish out of water' or when you want to celebrate how small family traditions can create a sense of belonging in a new place. It is a gentle, nostalgic story about a Chinese American family in the Midwest who discovers a piece of their heritage growing in an unexpected place: an Illinois soybean field. Through the lens of a festive annual picnic, the story explores themes of cultural preservation, the joy of sharing one's heritage, and the way food acts as a universal language for community building. It is a warm, heart-centered choice for children aged 5 to 9, particularly those navigating the balance between their home culture and their wider environment. Parents will appreciate the historical context and the beautiful way it reframes a common American crop through a global cultural lens.