3.5
emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective relaxing medium-paced
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes

 Yu’er and her grandpa living in a neighborhood called a hutong in Beijing, China. Throughout these four stories, you get a sense of their life and what living in Beijing might be like. Each of these stories has a sense of the magical about it, like when Yu’er is training for the Special Olympics in swimming and ends up flying. My favorite story is the last one, in which a grumpy painter slowly comes out of his shell after bonding with Yu’er about art. Jun’s illustrations are somewhere between an American cartoon style and manga and are a joy to look at. I especially enjoyed seeing when the eyes changed from full view to hidden, and I smiled every time Yu’er’s grandpa was on the page. This book was also a Batchelder Honor in 2019.