IlluminAsia | Children's Book Fair

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.

Bring the kids for book readings, hands-on crafts, and giveaways from an all-star lineup of authors and illustrators. Plus, you can purchase books from the museum store and get them signed! This event is part of our IlluminAsia Book Con, celebrating Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month!

Featured Authors and Illustrators:

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 I Stand in Line (forthcoming).

Julie Leung is an award-winning author of numerous children’s books. Her picture book The Truth About Dragons is a 2024 Caldecott Honor book and winner of the Asian Pacific American Award for Literature. By day, she works in book publishing. She was raised in the sleepy suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia, though it may be more accurate to say she grew up in Oz and came of age in Middle Earth.

Nancy So Miller (서혜석) is a Korean American children’s book author/illustrator and traveling art teacher who creates tiny worlds that capture the magic and joy of childhood for her clients. Her debut author and illustrator picture book, Sun, Moon, and Star: A Folktale from Korea, was published by Holiday House Books.

Meghana Narayan is a daughter of Indian immigrants. She’s a former early childhood educator with an MA from Columbia. She’s the picture book author of A Little Bit of Everything and the author/illustrator of the upcoming Afternoons with Ammama (2027). Based in Maryland, she’s a mama, artist, writer, and founder of Teach for the Change. Meghana loves stepping back into schools for author visits.

Bank of America is the Founding Sponsor of the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art “IlluminAsia” Arts and Culture Festival.
National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Photo by Sonya Pencheva