Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Yang (Forget Sorrow) follows her young narrator as she cycles through Beijing looking for her cat, Kitty, who has been carried aloft on the tail of a Dragon Kite. At last, the girl hears a familiar "niaow-niaow" on the other side of a gate. When she's reunited with Kitty, she extends a lovely gesture to the elderly woman who's been taking care of her. The device of the cycling search allows Yang to examine Beijing's traditional urban spaces: "I take a shortcut through a hutong [narrow alley] that smells of yummy steamed baozi [steamed buns]." With expressive ink lines and pleasing color combinations, Yang's gouache paintings linger on the one-story buildings, tiled roofs, and intimate courtyards that characterize Beijing's older neighborhoods. The details of the journey refer to the sounds, smells, and sights of the city, though the list of famous tourist spots ("I climb Jingshan," "I ride along the west side of Beihai Park") may make younger listeners wiggly as they wait to find out what's happened to Kitty. Curiously, there's no glossary for the Chinese terms. Ages 4-8. Agent: Al Zuckerman, Writers House. (July) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 2-A modern girl living in Beijing bonds with a white cat who was startled into her courtyard by the New Year's Eve firecrackers. Tooling around the city, Kitty endearingly answers "niaow-niaow" to the "trrring-trrring" of the unnamed girl's bicycle bell. However, Kitty takes flight over a wall on the tails of a kite at the Dragon Boat Festival. Unable to find the feline, the girl roams the more traditional city landmarks, ringing her bicycle bell. One day, Kitty answers back and the girl finds her comfortably at home with a lonely old lady. The girl kindly promises to visit both of her new friends often, leaving the cat there. The glorious illustrations overshadow the slightly awkward text. Written in the present tense, the sentence structure is repetitive, and the proper names of places and occasional Chinese words may challenge unfamiliar readers. On the other hand, soft curving shapes mixed with bold white and black outlines keep the visuals lively. The lines are gentle and brushlike while the fills have only the barest hint of texture for a flowing sense to the images. -VERDICT A visual feast that introduces the sights of Beijing with a tender, thoughtful story in the background.-Erin Reilly--Sanders, University of Wisconsin-Madison © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
A young girl rescues and adopts a white kitten. The two enjoy Beijing by bicycle until Kitty chases a kite and is lost. After searching many famous sights, the girl learns that Kitty, now named Angel, has a new home with a lonely old woman. Although the first-person narration lacks lyricism, the gouache illustrations use bold brush strokes and saturated colors enticingly. Visual context helps explain Chinese terms in the text. (c) Copyright 2019. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A Chinese girl in search of her lost kitty inadvertently takes readers on a tour of famous landmarks in Beijing.An unnamed girl and a stray white kitty quickly form a friendship. "Kitty loves to come with me when I bicycle around Beijing." The two even come up with a unique call and answer using the girl's "new bell" she attaches to the handlebars: "Trrring-trring. Niaow-niaow, answers Kitty." Unfortunately, while enjoying the kites at the Dragon Boat Festival, Kitty ambitiously captures a dragon kite only to be whisked away from her friend. The perfectly balanced and evenly paced narrative highlights the many historic sites in Beijing while showcasing the small scenes of everyday life during her search. "I visit Liulichang Street. Kitty has good taste in antiques. She likes to watch artists painting, too." Yang brings another layer of emotion to the story when the girl finally finds her furry friend in the care of "a granny" and must decide where Kitty is needed the most. Yang's simple sketches are painted over with bright, bold colors that are sure to keep young eyes exploring every scene, which bustle with cars, bicyclists, and other people enjoying activities both familiar and less typical for Western readers.A sweet tale about friendship that gives a glimpse of life in another part of the world, this loving tribute to Beijing is a perfect read-aloud for young travelers. (Picture book. 5-8) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
