Description
Register in advance to make sure you get the best experience. Activities have a limited capacity, with entry on a first-come, first-served basis.
Join us for a children's book fair to kick off Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month celebrations!
Enjoy book readings, drawing demos, crafts, and giveaways from an all-star lineup of authors and illustrators. Purchase books from the museum store and have them signed! Plus, kids can join our docents in the galleries for fun activities, such as finding patterns in the Peacock Room and drawing their own precious object inspired by a Chinese treasure cabinet.
Featured Authors and Illustrators:
Authors from left to right: Hanh Bui, Lian Cho, Sophia N. Lee, Sanyukta Mathur, Courtney Pippin-Mathur, Pat Tanumihardja, Chiêu Anh Urban
Hanh Bui
Inspired by her first teacher at the refugee camp, Hanh Bui pursued a master’s degree in early childhood education and taught second grade before becoming a children’s book author. Hanh’s stories are inspired by her Vietnamese heritage and refugee experiences. She serves as cochair of the Equity and Inclusion Team for the Mid-Atlantic region of SCBWI and as a member of Diverse Verse and Reading Is Fundamental of Northern Virginia’s Authors in Schools Program. She is the author of The Yellow Áo Dài, Ánh's New Word, and a forthcoming book, I Stand In Line (2026)
Lian Cho
Lian Cho is the award-winning author and illustrator of Pig Town Party and Oh, Olive! She is also the illustrator of other goofy books such as 100 Mighty Dragons All Named Broccoli by David LaRochelle and Oh No, the Aunts Are Here by Adam Rex. Lian was born in Taiwan but spent a large part of her childhood in New Zealand before moving to New York to attend the School of Visual Arts. In her spare time, Lian enjoys making funny comics about her life for her newsletter.
Sophia N. Lee
Sophia N. Lee wanted to be many things growing up: doctor, teacher, international spy, time traveler, journalist, and lawyer. She likes to think she can be all these things and more through writing. She writes books for kids and kids at heart. Her first book, What Things Mean (Scholastic Asia, 2016), won Grand Prize at the 2014 Scholastic Asian Book Awards. She also wrote Soaring Saturdays, published by Scholastic Asia in 2019. Her US debut book, Holding On, is the first Filipino picture book to be published by Simon & Schuster under its children’s imprint Atheneum. It was chosen as a Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Book of 2022, as a 2023 Georgia Children’s Book Award Finalist, as a 2024 Alabama Yellowhammer Children’s Best Book, and as part of the 2024 Indiana Read Aloud List. Her picture book Lolo’s Sari-sari Store was chosen as one of the Best Children’s Books of 2023 by the School Library Journal, as a part of Bank Street College’s Best Children’s Books of 2024, as a 2024 New York Public Library Vibrant Voice Book, as a 2025 Rhode Island Children’s Book Award Finalist, and as a Notable Social Studies Trade Book by the Children’s Book Council. She has an MFA in writing for children and young adults from The New School in New York City and works as a teacher of creative writing.
Sanyukta Mathur
Sanyukta Mathur is a public health researcher who works to make people’s lives healthier and happier around the world. She was born in New Delhi, India, and moved to the United States when she was a teenager. After becoming a parent, she looked for ways to share her cultural heritage with her children, nieces, and nephews—and with other children too! Sanyukta is the coauthor of Happy Diwali! and It's Holi!, written with and illustrated by her sister-in-law Courtney Pippin-Mathur, and she loves telling stories about how her family celebrates Indian traditions. Sanyukta lives in Maryland with her family and a very silly cat.
Courtney Pippin-Mathur
Courtney Pippin-Mathur is the author-illustrator of the award-winning Maya Was Grumpy (2013), Dragons Rule, Princesses Drool! (2017), and Fairies Don’t Fight (2023). She is also the author of Dinosaur Days, coming out in fall of 2025. She is hugely grateful to be part of a diverse and welcoming family and to cowrite and illustrate two books with her sister-in-law, Sanyukta Mathur—Happy Diwali! (2021) and It’s Holi! (2024). She was born in east Texas and now lives in northern Virginia with her husband, three kids, and a large rescue dog who follows her everywhere.
Pat Tanumihardja
Patricia Tanumihardja grew up a third culture kid, forever curious about the world around her and her place in it. Born in Jakarta and raised in Singapore, her Indonesian Chinese parents encouraged her appetites for both delicious foods and good books. As a writer, Pat’s work explores food, culture, and self. Her fun, heartwarming stories often echo her lived experiences buoyed by universal themes. Her debut children's book, Ramen for Everyone, was a JLG Gold Selection and was soon followed by Jimmy’s Shoes and The Sugar Plum Bakers. Today, Pat writes both children’s books and cookbooks from her home in northern Virginia, where she lives with her husband and son. Don’t be shy to hit her up for some favorite recipes!
Chiêu Anh Urban
Chieu Anh Urban is an award-winning author, illustrator, graphic designer, and book designer. Born in Vietnam and raised in the United States, Chiêu’s diverse cultural influences inspire her creativity—making art and storytelling a joyful celebration of curiosity, discovery, and fun.
Chiêu’s latest series, Illusions in Art, encourages children to shift their perspectives and discover hidden art in the negative space through playful, rhyming clues and bold, stylized graphics. Her board books invite the youngest readers to embark on an interactive journey of learning and exploration. Bring your imagination and join us for Illusions in Art fun and craft activities!
Bank of America is the Founding Sponsor of the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art “IlluminAsia” Arts and Culture Festival.
Image: Mice transcribing a book (detail), Kawanabe Kyosai 河鍋暁斎 (1831–1889), Japan, ca. 1870s, ink and color on paper, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1975.29.9
Cost
Free. Register in advance (recommended)
Get Tickets/Register
Accessibility & Accommodations
ASL-interpreted program, Wheelchair accessible
Topics
Kids & Families, Shopping/Book Signing
