MING'S CHRISTMAS WISH

Ming wants a Christmas tree, but her mother refuses, telling her, “Christmas trees are not Chinese.”

Accompanied by golden- and sepia-toned depictions of early-20th-century life, Gong’s text gives readers a glimpse into the lives of families who arrived in the United States during the gold rush. Little Ming feels like an outsider, ostracized at school for being Chinese yet wanting to take part in American traditions. Why does Mama so vehemently refuse to participate? Then Pop takes her to visit some old friends of his father’s, and she listens to them tell stories about panning for gold, traveling the West, and surviving the San Francisco earthquake, always recovering from setbacks with resilience and strength. Afterward, Ming and Pop visit a sequoia grove where many immigrants before them escaped their troubles and connected with nature. Pop also has a compromise for Ming and her mother, a new Christmas tradition that does not forsake Mama’s Chinese roots. Most illustrations depict beautiful landscapes and settings illustrated with intricate details and glowing warmth, but human figures are inconsistent, the faces at times either too bland or a bit frightening. And while the plot is simple and Mama’s motivations are unclear, it is Gong’s depiction of the long arc of a bittersweet history in the context of the strength of human character that readers will remember.

A thoughtful take on Chinese American history that goes beyond the usual fare.