Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review! Shining a Light introduces young readers to Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders from various backgrounds and details their contributions and the obstacles they faced.

The artwork is fantastic, and I think the historical glossary and bibliography will come in handy for those wanting to learn more. I prefer fiction over nonfiction, but I appreciate that young readers are being introduced to these individuals that deserve recognition and are typically overlooked in history classes.

My Thoughts:

This book of 40 one-page biographies of Asian American and Pacific Islanders are perfect for upper elementary and middle level readers who can get a short teaser of these leaders and then go and do research to complete their own inquiry project by finding other sources. The illustrations of each leader by Victo Ngai adds to the biography because of its use of background art and color palette.

Many of the names were very familiar to me as someone from Hawaiʻi, like Duke Kahanamoku, Daniel Inouye, Patsy Mink, Tammy Duckworth and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. What I appreciated, though were the lesser known standouts.

One example is number 23, Wataru "Wat" Misaka (12/21/23-11/20/19). During World War II, the Misaka family was spared imprisonment under the incarceration order so that he could attend college at the University of Utah where he was a basketball standout on their 1944 national championship. While traveling with the team, he would sometimes say he was from Hawaiʻi (he was a nisei from Utah) so that his team did not suffer from anti-Japanese pushback. Sometimes he even had to sit somewhere else other than the bench because of the racist crowds.

For the Japanese Americans in internment camps, Wat Misaka was a beacon of hope. After he won the championship, he was drafted in the US Army, but was able in return to Utah after the war and help his team win another championship.

When he got drafted in 1947 to play with the New York Knicks, he became the first player of color to play basketball professionally. Although he only played three games before the Knicks released him, he decided to return to Utah to study engineering rather than accept the invitation to play for the Harlem Globetrotters. Because of the huge anti Japanese sentiment, this historical event was not celebrated until 1999 when he was inducted into the Utah Sports Hall of Fame. In 2009 President Barack Obama honored him at the White House as the first person of color in the NBA.

Pair this story with #40, Sunisa "Suni" Lee, the Hmong American gymnast from St. Paul Minnesota whose father built equipment for her as the Hmong community helped contribute to fundraisers for her training, and there is a pattern of strong community and perseverance in all of these stories.

From the Publisher:
Meet forty people who helped change the world in countless ways in this beautifully illustrated collective biography.

From scientists to sports stars, aerospace engineers to artists, every person shines in this collection. Dynamic portraits portray each person with bold colors and clever, precise details. Each biography celebrates the determination and courage of people who were on the forefront of changing society.

Using their specific talents, each individual fought for the space for people of Asian and Pacific Islander descent to be seen and treated with dignity and respect. Their important legacy lives on today.



Publication Details:

Author: Veeda Bybee

Illustrator: Victor Ngai

Publisher: Versify (March 28, 2023)

This was a very informative illustrated biography that I cannot wait to share with my community. I am always happy to see more AAPI biographies that highlight people throughout time. This will be great recommend to all kinds of readers.

Shining a Light by Veeda Bybee

Shining a Light focuses on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders who have helped shape the history of the US and around the world. The book talks about athletes, actors, activists, doctors, educators, political figures, designers, and so many more amazing people. I found the book to be very inspiring! Many of the people in this book had to overcome various obstacles because of their race and/or their gender, but that didn’t stop them from reaching their dreams. This book is definitely worth reading if you enjoy learning about historical figures that are not always mentioned in the history books, but definitely should be!

I would like to thank NetGalley, Veeda Bybee, and HarperCollins Children’s Books for allowing me to read this advanced copy of Shining a Light. I would also like to mention that each person mentioned in this book had an amazing illustration by Victo Ngai to accompany their biography.