My Chinatown: One Year in Poems

My Chinatown: One Year in Poems is a critically acclaimed picture book by artist and poet Kam Mak that takes readers through twelve months in the life of a young boy during his first year living in New York City's Chinatown after emigrating from Hong Kong — capturing the sights, smells, foods, festivals, and deep community ties of this vibrant neighborhood through poems that move from the isolation and homesickness of the first weeks to a growing sense of belonging and love. Mak's extraordinary oil paintings, richly atmospheric and full of color and detail, are as stunning as his spare, precise poetry.

This book is a wonderful choice for students because it beautifully captures the immigrant experience — the grief of leaving home, the struggle to find belonging, and the joy of discovering a new one — through poetry and art that honors Chinese American culture with depth and beauty.

Publishing Details

Author : Kam Mak

Illustrator : Kam Mak

Author Nationality : United States

Physical Details

Type of Book: Picture

Cover: Softcover

Pages: 32

Size: 11.4 x 8.7 inches

Year Published: 2016

Instructional Details

Reading Grade Level: 2nd

Genre: Fiction

Sub-Genre: Poetry

Theme: Immigration, Asian American, Community, Identity