In a residential alleyway of Beijing, China Yu'er, her grandfather, and their eccentric neighbors experience the magic of everyday life. - (Baker & Taylor)
A 2019 Batchelder Honor Book
Yu'er and her grandpa live in a small neighborhood in Beijing—and it's full of big personalities. There's a story around every corner, and each day has a hint of magic.
In one tale, Yu'er wants to swim in the Special Olympics, a sports competition for people with disabilities. But she and her grandpa don't have a pool! Their trick to help Yu'er practice wows the whole neighborhood. In another story, a friend takes Yu'er to a wild place full of musical insects. Later, Yu'er hears a special story about her grandparents. And in the final story, Yu'er and her grandpa show a cranky painter the sweet side of life.
- (
Baker & Taylor)
"Four short stories set in a hutong, or residential alleyway, of Beijing, China. Yu'er, her grandfather, and their eccentric neighbors experience the magic of everyday life."-- - (Baker & Taylor)
A 2019 Batchelder Honor Book
Yu'er and her grandpa live in a small neighborhood in Beijing—and it's full of big personalities. There's a story around every corner, and each day has a hint of magic.
In one tale, Yu'er wants to swim in the Special Olympics, a sports competition for people with disabilities. But she and her grandpa don't have a pool! Their trick to help Yu'er practice wows the whole neighborhood. In another story, a friend takes Yu'er to a wild place full of musical insects. Later, Yu'er hears a special story about her grandparents. And in the final story, Yu'er and her grandpa show a cranky painter the sweet side of life.
- (
Lerner Pub Group)
Booklist Reviews
*Starred Review* When young Yu'er laments, "People think I'm different," her grandfather's immediate response, "Oh, who cares what they think!" sets her free to be just that and more. She's different because she's physically challenged, but Grampa ensures her mobility via push cart, wooden chair on wheels, or even his back. Buoyed by Grampa's playfully devoted support, Yu'er's adventures are magically empowering. Four such endeavors are included here: swimming without water in hopeful preparation for the Special Olympics in "Yu'er's Dream," visiting "Bug Paradise" with a protective new friend, sending "The Letter" from the present to the past, and nurturing artistic expression with the neighborhood grouch in "Kids at Heart." Yu'er and Grampa make ideal guides to their Beijing hutong, a traditional neighborhood of courtyard houses and alleyways. Gauvin's buoyantly translated speech bubbles exude youthful excitement and energy, and the occasional asterisks lead to explanations of, for instance, how Yu'er's name translates to fish girl and the literary significance of the Ming Dynasty classic, Journey to the West. Presented in sumptuous full color, Jun's exquisite graphics—from perfect realism (a cancelled stamp) to comical specificity (Grampa's exaggerated backside) to the "natural simplicity" of Yu'er's own drawings—offer nonstop merriment and whimsical delight. Grades 2-5. Copyright 2018 Booklist Reviews.