My Day with Gong Gong

May is spending the day with her grandpa Gong Gong he only speaks Chinese and she only speaks English. May is sure the day will be long and difficult. But they go on quite the adventure throughout Chinatown. This was an interesting book.

We absolutely loved this book!! Especially the Cantonese translation in the back to help sound out the Chinese words. The story is heartwarming for grandkids to connect with their grandpas. Definitely there is generation gap and this book helps kids to be open and patient for new experiences. Highly recommend it to story time, bed time, and kids 3-6.

Absolutely charming! From the quietly observant grandpa, to the adorably impatient little girl, to the many friendly neighbours, and the very cute drawings, everything was charming! Seems like a typical day out with a grandparent, Chinese style.

I was drawn to this title because of my own Chinese ancestry. Gong Gong’s Chinese phrases and the scenes around Chinatown were immediately familiar. But I think that this story’s message of being able to bridge a double-generation gap through food, caring and love will resonate within immigrant families of all ethnicities. I loved it!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC copy.

This is such a sweet, endearing story of a granddaughter and grandpa spending the day together. The pictures are colorful, the words are easy to read. I’ve read this a few times to my twin toddlers. Thanks to Annick Press and NetGalley for an ebook ARC. This is my honest review.

My Day with Gong Gong by Sennah Yee is the beautifully illustrated story of a little girl named May, her Chinese grandfather, and a day spent together in Chinatown. The generational divide, added to a language barrier, makes for an initially challenging day, but through love and patience, May soon realizes that her grandfather understands her better than she thinks. This is a lovely multi-generational story that speaks to a familial love that transcends boundaries. I particularly enjoyed the glossary of Cantonese words that is included at the end of the book.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Annick Press Ltd. for the opportunity to read this ARC.

This is a sweet story of a little girl who doesn't know Chinese, and yet has to spend the day with her Gong Gong (her Chinese Grandfather on her Mother's side).

May thinks that her grandfather doesn't understand her, as they go through is errands, and hang out with his friends, but she picks up enough Chinese, in the end, to communicate just fine. And her grandfather shows that he does understand her as well.

Readers can pick up, through context, what some of the simple words in Chinese are, but if not, there is a small glossary in the back.

The pictures of Chinatown are sweet, as are the pictures of the interchange between May and her grandfather.

A delightful book. And although I've said it many times before, representation matters. There are many third generation children out there who never learned the language of their grandparents and feel as though they can't communicate.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.