A rousing affirmation of Chinese American history, identity, and voice.
A Chinese American child finds power in family history.
As Mei’s family strolls through Washington, D.C., to the city’s Chinatown, Mom and the youngster recount the story of Mei’s great-great-grandfather Samuel Moy Gong, the second American-born Chinese person in D.C. Each year, they stop by important sites as they remember him—the bench commemorating Samuel, the house where he was born. But this time, when they arrive at the Friendship Archway to take their customary photo, a huge crowd has gathered for a rally against Asian hate. Taking the stage, Mom invites Mei to share their family’s story. Although Mei’s voice is shaky at first, it grows with encouragement from Mom, Dad, and even Mei’s baby brother. As Mei concludes, “We are American, too,” the crowd heartily echoes those moving words. Drawing from her own family history, Chase deftly tells a story about community, protest, and the importance of speaking up. Chen’s softly impressionistic digital illustrations alternate gray and sepia tones with more vibrant splashes of color, blurring the lines between past and present and making it clear that history is always with us. The closing spread pairs Mei’s final potent words (“This is our home. My great-great-grandfather. My family. And me”) with a warm depiction of the family and their ancestors sharing a bench. Mei’s father presents white, suggesting that Mei is biracial.
A rousing affirmation of Chinese American history, identity, and voice. (author’s note, family tree) (Picture book. 4-8.)Pub Date: June 10, 2025
ISBN: 9780374390211
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: March 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2025
New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned.
All the reasons why a daughter needs a mother.
Each spread features an adorable cartoon animal parent-child pair on the recto opposite a rhyming verse: “I’ll always support you in giving your all / in every endeavor, the big and the small, / and be there to catch you in case you should fall. / I hope you believe this is true.” A virtually identical book, Why a Daughter Needs a Dad, publishes simultaneously. Both address standing up for yourself and your values, laughing to ease troubles, being thankful, valuing friendship, persevering and dreaming big, being truthful, thinking through decisions, and being open to differences, among other topics. Though the sentiments/life lessons here and in the companion title are heartfelt and important, there are much better ways to deliver them. These books are likely to go right over children’s heads and developmental levels (especially with the rather advanced vocabulary); their parents are the more likely audience, and for them, the books provide some coaching in what kids need to hear. The two books are largely interchangeable, especially since there are so few references to mom or dad, but one spread in each book reverts to stereotype: Dad balances the two-wheeler, and mom helps with clothing and hair styles. Since the books are separate, it aids in customization for many families.
New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned. (Picture book. 4-8, adult)Pub Date: May 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-4926-6781-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: March 16, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2019
A solid if message-driven conversation starter about the hard parts of learning.
Children realize their dreams one step at a time in this story about growth mindset.
A child crashes and damages a new bicycle on a dark, rainy day. Attempting a wheelie, the novice cyclist falls onto the sidewalk, grimacing, and, having internalized this setback as failure, vows to never ride again but to “walk…forever.” Then the unnamed protagonist happens upon a glowing orb in the forest, a “thought rearranger-er”—a luminous pink fairy called the Magical Yet. This Yet reminds the child of past accomplishments and encourages perseverance. The second-person rhyming couplets remind readers that mistakes are part of learning and that with patience and effort, children can achieve. Readers see the protagonist learn to ride the bike before a flash-forward shows the child as a capable college graduate confidently designing a sleek new bike. This book shines with diversity: racial, ethnic, ability, and gender. The gender-indeterminate protagonist has light brown skin and exuberant curly locks; Amid the bustling secondary cast, one child uses a prosthesis, and another wears hijab. At no point in the text is the Yet defined as a metaphor for a growth mindset; adults reading with younger children will likely need to clarify this abstract lesson. The artwork is powerful and detailed—pay special attention to the endpapers that progress to show the Yet at work.
A solid if message-driven conversation starter about the hard parts of learning. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: April 14, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-368-02562-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion/LBYR
Review Posted Online: Dec. 7, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2020
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