Becoming Boba
Written by Joanna Ho
Illustrated by Amber Ren
Published by Orchard Books
Milk Tea Town was steeped in tradition. That is, until… Mindy came along.
Mindy isn’t like the other classic milk tea flavors, with their sensible straws and varying shades of brown. Instead, Mindy shines with her green, white and red colors. Worried about not being milk tea enough, Mindy decides to dive into their history so she can be less different. As she and her friends embark on this journey, they make a surprising discovery about the truth behind milk tea that could change the town forever…
A charming and delightful story about self love and being true to who you are, with a subtle, underlying message about the Asian-American identity and immigrant experience — what does it mean to be Asian enough?
Primary ISBN: 9781339005546
Publication Date: June 2025
Available As: Hardcover, eBook
Picture Book, Age 04 or older
Community Represented: Animals/Allegory, Unspecified (East Asian)
Themes: Allegory, Community Action, Cultural Empowerment, Cultural Empowerment & Joy: Identity, Cultural Empowerment & Joy: Storytelling, Generational Differences, Identity: Exploration, Own Voices/Lived Experience
Setting: Fictional (Milk Tea Town)
Character's Place in the Immigration Journey: Immigrant
Book Creator(s) Connection to the Community Represented: Own Voices/Lived Experience
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An Introduction by Joanna Ho
Source: Scholastic