My Day with Gong Gong

Written by Sennah Yee | Published by Annick Press Fall 2020

“A day in Chinatown takes an unexpected turn when a bored little girl makes a connection with her grandpa.

May isn't having fun on her trip through Chinatown with her grandfather. Gong Gong doesn't speak much English, and May can't understand Chinese. She's hungry, and bored with Gong Gong's errands. Plus, it seems like Gong Gong's friends are making fun of her! But just when May can’t take any more, Gong Gong surprises her with a gift that reveals he’s been paying more attention than she thought.

With lighthearted, expressive illustrations by Elaine Chen, this charming debut expertly captures life in the city and shows how small, shared moments of patience and care—and a dumpling or two—can help a child and grandparent bridge the generational and cultural gaps between them.”

For this book, I drew on my personal experiences as a child of immigration and multicultural upbringing to bring the audience into a world that feels more real and familiar. While I can speak fluent Mandarin and interact with my Wai-Gong or Yeye, there are still a great many words they speak in their own dialect, and cultural differences that make it hard for us to communicate. Sennah truly brought that experience to life in this picture book and I was very honored to have collaborated with her and editors at Annick Press for this project.

Chinatown is also one of those places I love visiting whenever I am in a new city that is lucky enough to have an area dedicated to festive colours and yummy Asian cuisines. Ones with a keen eye may spot the iconic Millenium Gate in Vancouver (where I currently live) and the streetcars of Toronto (where I grew up). I had also taken references from San Francisco, where I took a research trip during the making of this book. Even the characters in this book were designed with an amalgamation of all the Asian grandpas I have encountered in my life.

I hope everyone who reads the book can be transported to the bustling liveliness of Chinatown and be reminded of their own sweet grandparents, who love you in their own unique way ♥