Amah Faraway

PreS-Gr 2—Kylie and her mother travel to Taipei from San Francisco to spend time with her Amah, or grandmother, with whom she video chats frequently but can't visit because of the distance. At first, the little girl feels nervous and unsure about the excursion, daunted by the language barrier and overwhelmed by new tastes and sights Amah wants to share with her. However, when they visit the hot springs, Kylie finally finds that embracing this comforting activity bonds her with her Amah and allows her to enjoy the rest of the stay. She delights in all of the things she found strange at first, and is sad to leave her grandmother when it's time to return home. She enthusiastically continues to video chat with her grandmother every Saturday and is no longer scared, but excited for future visits. Subisak's watercolor, pencil, and ink illustrations lovingly show details from Taiwanese life and culture. Ranging from multiple vignettes per page to full spreads, they possess an almost cinematic storyboard quality while supporting the mirrored narrative symmetry that has the hot spring visit as its midpoint. Taiwanese words and conversation are used throughout, clear from context. VERDICT As is true for Hyewon Yum's Grandpa Across the Ocean, this is a poignantly emotional and highly relatable story for children whose grandparents or other family members might live far away, but also one that teaches universal lessons about overcoming fears of the unfamiliar.—Yelena Voysey, formerly at Pickering Educational Lib., Boston Univ.

In this carefully structured picture book by a Taiwanese American author-illustrator team, black-haired, light-skinned Kylie, who lives in San Francisco, is apprehensive about visiting her Amah in Taipei. Though the duo connects weekly online, the language and culture feel somewhat daunting to Kylie when she and her mother arrive: "With/ ears pricked, she listened to Amah talk./ Kylie kind of understood." Chiu Greanias (Maximillian Villainous) employs a gently circular form that emphasizes how Kylie's feelings flip: "After she dipped a toe in the water.../ Kylie changed!/ The day they visited the hot springs?/ It was a brand-new day." Approachable, warmly colored doodle-style art by Subisak (Jenny Mei Is Sad)--rendered in ink, watercolor, pastel, and colored pencil--invitingly traces Kylie, her mother, and her grandmother's time in Taipei, including its restaurants, parks, and night market, appended with speech bubbles of English and Chinese with pinyin. Encouraging openness toward new experiences amid a centering of one child's diasporic shift in cultural perception, this contemporary tale tenderly spotlights the strengthening of an intergenerational relationship. Back matter includes creators' notes, a guide to the Taipei sights featured, and meanings behind Taiwanese foods. Ages 3-6. Author's agent: Sean McCarthy, Sean McCarthy Literary. Illustrator's agent: Lori Kilkelly, LK Literary. (Jan.)