ACCESS DIGITIZED EDITION
Guide/Reviews Database
PICTURE BOOKS
Zhuang, Qin

Rainbow Shopping

40 pp. | Holiday | February, 2023 | Trade ISBN 978-0-8234-4977-4 $18.99
(2) K-3 A young girl's family has recently moved from China to New York City, where things become very different for her. Everyone is busy: Mom is always working at the factory, Dad is out delivering food, and Grandma is nannying for another family. One rainy Saturday, when the girl feels "as gray as a pigeon," Mom takes her to Chinatown to buy ingredients for their long-awaited family dinner. Together, they shop through "rows of vegetables in a hundred greens," fruits "piled up like jewels inside a treasure chest," and "aisles of noodles, sauces, spices, pickles, and tea." When they get home, Dad shows off his "kitchen kung fu" and cooks a savory meal that everyone enjoys. The story ends as the girl goes to sleep, feeling relaxed and comforted. Zhuang's accessible text touches on common themes of the immigrant experience, and her colored-pencil, crayon, and watercolor illustrations provide a visual representation of feelings of disconnection, disorientation, joy, and warmth. Inspired by the author's own childhood experiences, the story beautifully reflects how it feels to relocate to a completely different country and still try to feel at home.
Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2023

RELATED 

PICTURE BOOKS

Born Ready
by Patterson, Jodie
PICTURE BOOKS

The House of Grass and Sky
by Ray, Mary Lyn
PICTURE BOOKS

The Dog's Gardener
by Storms, Patricia
PICTURE BOOKS

And I Paint It
by Kephart, Beth
PICTURE BOOKS

Poem in My Pocket
by Tougas, Chris
More

Get connected. Join our global community of more than 200,000 librarians and educators.

This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing.

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?