Bao’s Doll

For her birthday, Bao wants cake, balloons, and an expensive “All-American” branded doll like her peers have, but “Mama did not hear that.” Nor does Mama understand Bao’s longing to “share jokes, snuggles, and dreams,” as the girl sees other mothers and daughters do. Instead, Mama describes her childhood in Taiwan (“We had nothing”), and a rift grows between the two. After Bao, desperate over the perceived unfairness, takes a doll from a store shelf and runs for the door, an even larger space crops up between them. Soon, though, they talk about Mama’s upbringing and childhood longing for her own mother, and the two honor “Mama’s memories and Bao’s hopes” by making a doll that resembles them. Digital illustrations that mimic graphite and pastel add deep emotionality to a resonant debut that affirms family as well as cultural heritage. An author’s note concludes. Background characters are portrayed with various skin tones. Ages 4–8. (June)