Rainbow Shopping

Zhuang’s solo debut follows a child who has recently emigrated from China traveling from a muted New York City neighborhood where “I feel gray as a pigeon” to a bustling Chinatown where there’s much to observe. Candid narration and expressive drawings depict the child’s family life—“Mom is always sewing at the factory. Dad is always delivering food for a restaurant. Grandma is always nannying in a big house.” One day, though, the protagonist is pulled out of bed like “a giant turnip” by Mom; since everyone will be home for dinner, they take a train to Chinatown for ingredients. Once there, the subdued landscape gives way to vivid hues as the two shop amid a kaleidoscope of fruits, vegetables, seafood, and sweets. Colored pencil, crayon, and watercolor applied in a personal sketchbook style communicate the feel of New York City sights and sounds, transporting the protagonist into rainbow dreams and making the stylized city illustrations feel achingly real. Ages 4–8. (Mar.)