Say My Name

Names reveal generational ties and histories, weaving an intricate tale of the past. Names—and correctly saying them—are important. Each one carries the hopes, dreams, and traditions of those who came before us.

Six children connect with the reader and proudly celebrate their names and backgrounds: Hé Xiao-Guang, Ofa Kivaha Tupoumalohi, Bijan Hosseini, Nizhoni Yazzie, Xóchitl Luna, and Akosua Acheampong. These captivating kids of Chinese, Tongan, Persian, Navajo, Mexican, and Ghanaian descent also honor their ancestors and cultural histories.

Joanna Ho’s lyrical story, with gorgeous illustrations by Khoa Le, explains how saying a person’s name is the only way we can truly know another.

* Hardcover

Joanna Ho is the award-winning and New York Times bestselling author of Eyes That Kiss in the Corners; Eyes That Speak to the Stars; Playing at the Border: A Story of Yo-Yo Ma; One Day; Say My Name; and The Silence that Binds Us, which received the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature, Young Adult Honor. She has been an English teacher, a dean, a vice principal, and a professional development mastermind. Her passion for equity in books and education is matched only by her love of homemade chocolate chip cookies, outdoor adventures, and dance parties with her kids. Visit her at joannahowrites.com.

Khoa Le is based in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and the author and illustrator of numerous picture books, including Say My Name by Joanna Ho. Her work can be described as whimsical and dreamy with a bit of fantasy. She is the winner of the Grand Prize Samsung KidsTime Authors Award (Singapore) and the second runner-up for the Scholastic Picture Book Award (Singapore). Visit her at khoaleartwork.com.