12 Jul / My Beijing: Four Stories of Everyday Wonder by Nie Jun, translated by Edward Gauvin [in Booklist]
*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. Edward 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, Nie 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.
Review: “Graphic Novels,” Booklist, July 1, 2018
Readers: Middle Grade
Published: 2018 (United States)