I Dream of Popo

Starred review from November 30, 2020
Steeped in personal history, this picture book from a Taiwanese American author-illustrator-editor team tenderly portrays the time zone–transcending love between a girl and her grandmother. Spotlighted variations on the titular phrase launch descriptions of the experiences the first-person protagonist shares with Popo: “I bow to Popo on New Year’s Day,” one page begins, sensorially relaying Lunar New Year traditions and foods that the family enjoys. Though the child subsequently moves from Taiwan to the U.S. (“I wave at Popo”), meets new friends (“I think of Popo”), and learns English (“I talk to Popo”), her relationship with Popo remains robust, even as her ties with her first language weaken. Digital illustrations evoking vintage advertisements have an effectively nostalgic quality, enhanced by abstract-colored skies, a subtle rice paper–like texture, and a subdued mid-century modern palette, while contemporary touches, including spreads of the girl and Popo video chatting, ground the story in the present day. A richly nuanced narrative that illuminates the interstices of one family’s diasporic experience. Back matter includes author’s and illustrator’s notes, as well as a Mandarin-English glossary with pronunciations in pinyin. Ages 3–6.

December 1, 2020
A picture book centering a young emigrant's journey as well as her homecoming. Unlike conventional or traditional narratives that launch immigrant characters on one-way passages and their accompanying plots along linear trajectories, this focused family story illustrates modern migration by choice as an evolving tale of round trips through conscious reconnections with one's origins. The young protagonist moves from Taiwan to San Diego and learns English at school while staying connected with Popo, the grandmother who stayed in Taiwan, via video chats. As time passes, linguistic barriers blur along with ongoing transitions between cultures and geographies: A once-fluent vernacular recedes to accommodate new sounds and expressions until the child even dreams of Popo speaking English. Sympathetic, gentle treatments of aging and illness convey life's inevitabilities with a loving imagination steeped in the scent of sweet osmanthus. Faithful representations of Chinese-language signage, street scenes, and cityscapes evoke nostalgia for those familiar with Taiwan and its vibrant food culture. Whimsical depictions of Chinese New Year at home and Popo's kitchen are authentic, down to the accurate details on a calendar, dumpling making from scratch, and the iconic rice cooker. Readers will connect with this visual story on various levels or learn something new; possibly both. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.) #Ownvoices tributes to childhood memories of home: It is as much an emotional space as a physical place. (author's note, illustrator's note, glossary) (Picture book. 3-6)

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