Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Nari's city household can be a challenging place: "Nari's parents bicker,/ her grandparents chatter,/ and her little sister whines." Readers see East Asian--presenting Nari gazing out her window at an elevated train. Maybe the train can carry her to a quieter place? As the cars rumble past, she boards one, then steps out its doors into a bower overgrown with twining blooms, moths, and other wildlife. In these woods, a child-size nest offers a place to "sleep and dream in the treetops." The next stops see the child visiting a coral reef, a houseboat, a library--scenes portrayed in muted blues, greens, and golds, that, despite their activity, carry a sense of solitary quiet. The subway's chrome siding and vintage signage offer piquant contrast to the lush natural surrounds. When the train carries Nari far into outer space, where "everything is beautiful," she wishes her family were there, and it's not long before she is ready to be back among them. Kim (The Grandmaster's Daughter) affirms the push and pull of life for a city child who loves her family and finds needed sanctuary in the quiet of her own company. Ages 4--8. (Apr.)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2--Nari lives in an apartment that's too full and in a city that's too loud. Watching the train rumble by her window, she dreams of taking it someplace quiet just for her: a treetop nest, under the sea, or outer space. But in each place she imagines, she also thinks of which family member would like to see it with her. Nari starts to miss the noise of her family amid the quiet and decides to take the train back home. Even in Nari's quiet times, Kim's illustrations are a riot of color and delicate details; young readers will love to explore the different worlds Nari visits in her imagination. The language is poetic: "Nari's parents bicker, her grandparents chatter, and her little sister whines. Their apartment grumbles with neighbors left and right, above and below." The overall effect is a comforting dream-like world. Nari is East Asian with pale skin and a long, black braid. VERDICT This quiet ode to imagination, the need for quiet, and the reassurance that one can always come back home should be a first purchase for most collections.--Jennifer Rothschild
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Review by Horn Book Review
An enchanting look at a child's quest for belonging. Nari is a quiet, dreamy sort of girl, and at times her bustling, multigenerational Asian American household is a bit too raucous for her liking. As she peers out her apartment window and hears the rumbling of an elevated train, she imagines hopping on and riding to someplace beautiful and a bit more serene. She is soon transported to a magical forest with a treetop nest, then a lovely beach with a sea breeze, a coral reef under the waves, and a magnificent library full of books. Nari's musings take her on a prehistoric jaunt with some dinosaurs and even into space, where she makes a wish on the brightest star. After a while, she longs to share her discoveries with her family and finds that she misses her parents' laughter, her grandparents' stories, and her sister's singing. She decides to catch the next train home, "where her favorite people in the world are gathered." Korean American author-illustrator Kim's (The Grandmaster's Daughter, rev. 1/22) mixed-media art is dynamic, subtly blending realism with touches of whimsy and lush naturalistic detail. The palette is equally pleasing, with just the right distinctions between cityscapes and dreamscapes. This understated and creative picture book takes on the theme of being true to oneself and ends with the realization that "there's no place like home." (c) Copyright 2023. 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 young Asian girl dreams her way home. Nari lives in a small, crowded apartment in a diverse, bustling city. Among the chatter from her grandparents, the arguing from her parents, the whining from her little sister, and noise from their neighbors, she finds little respite. As she watches a passing train, she wonders if she "can take it…and find her dream home." Layers of textured, colorful vines brimming with flowers, insects, and animals greet Nari as she imagines herself at her first stop. After lying in an intricately lined nest in the woods, she boards the train again. Her next stop is a bridge amid rolling waves and a sky embroidered with birds and winding winds. The next few fantastical stops include a "delicate coral reef" with a brown-skinned, coral-finned mermaid, the vast shelves in the New York Public Library, and back in time with dinosaurs roaming a lush forest. (She makes a mental note to bring her little sister next time.) As Nari floats in space surrounded by the galaxy, she wishes for her "parents' laughter" and "her grandparents' stories." Eventually Nari takes the magical train back to her true home--noise and all. This spare narrative, with its graceful illustrations, gently makes its point--sometimes we need a little distance to appreciate what truly matters. Hints in the artwork cue the family as Korean.(This book was reviewed digitally.) A quiet, imaginative, and tender tale of finding home. (Picture book. 5-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
