The Legend of Auntie Po is a graphic historical fiction novel written and illustrated by Shing Yin Khor and published on June 15, 2021. The book follows the story of a queer 13-year-old named Mei, who is working in the United States in 1885. Life as Chinese-American at a logging camp in the Sierra Nevade is difficult for Mei, especially after the passage of the Chinese Exclusion Act. To find solace in her work, Mei reinvents the story of Paul Bunyan into something that she can relate to more easily, making him an old Chinese woman named Auntie Po. Throughout the novel, Mei begins to grasp her romantic attraction towards the camp foreman's daughter, Bee.
Shing Yin Khor was born in Malaysia, but moved to the United States and pursued a career as an artist. Most of Khor's literary works are either comics or graphic novels. In 2021, Khor was a finalist for the National Book Award for Young People's Literature for The Legend of Auntie Po. Khor has also produced artwork for The Toast's website and Elements: Earth.
