Jim & Jiab Wasserman are the authors of Many Rafts

Life can sometimes feel like paddling against the current. Often that’s frustrating, but it can also take you to places you never knew were there!

In this collection of amusing stories, youths from eight different modern East Asian cultures face challenges of confidence, independence, change, setbacks, and resolve. Whether adjusting to a new school or competing in a familiar sport, they find inspiration and assistance in East Asian philosophy, from classical Taoism and Buddhism to more modern thinkers such as Vietnam’s Thích Nhất Hạnh.



Readers are also introduced to diverse cultural concepts, such as the Japanese search for harmony (giri), Cambodia’s national martial art of bokator, the world-wide wave of Korean pop culture (hallyu), and the Filipino community bond that is kapwa.

The characters in these stories can become models of resilience for children from all cultures. Because in the end, it’s not about finding the one right raft to navigate turbulent waters. It’s about learning which raft is right for you at that crossing point.