Starred Review ALA Booklist (Sun Jul 01 00:00:00 CDT 2018)

Starred Review When young Yu'er laments, "People think I'm different," her grandfather's immediate response, "Oh, who cares what they think!" sets her free to be just that and more. She's different because she's physically challenged, but Grampa ensures her mobility via push cart, wooden chair on wheels, or even his back. Buoyed by Grampa's playfully devoted support, Yu'er's adventures are magically empowering. Four such endeavors are included here: swimming without water in hopeful preparation for the Special Olympics in "Yu'er's Dream," visiting "Bug Paradise" with a protective new friend, sending "The Letter" from the present to the past, and nurturing artistic expression with the neighborhood grouch in "Kids at Heart." Yu'er and Grampa make ideal guides to their Beijing hutong, a traditional neighborhood of courtyard houses and alleyways. Gauvin's buoyantly translated speech bubbles exude youthful excitement and energy, and the occasional asterisks lead to explanations of, for instance, how Yu'er's name translates to fish girl and the literary significance of the Ming Dynasty classic, Journey to the West. Presented in sumptuous full color, Jun's exquisite graphics om perfect realism (a cancelled stamp) to comical specificity (Grampa's exaggerated backside) to the "natural simplicity" of Yu'er's own drawings fer nonstop merriment and whimsical delight.

Horn Book

Jun's graphic novel for young readers begins with Yu'er, a Chinese girl who dreams of swimming in the Special Olympics. When her swim-class application is rejected because of her disability, Grampa has an ingenious solution. Heartwarming relationships, moments of levity, and magical elements also mark the remaining three vignettes. The earth-toned watercolor illustrations seem quiet at first glance, but dynamic perspectives and compositions provide lively energy.

Kirkus Reviews

A young Chinese girl and her grandpa navigate life's challenges and joys in a small neighborhood of Beijing.In this graphic-short story collection, the author introduces readers to Yu'er, a girl with an unspecified physical disability that limits her mobility, and her loving grandfather. The first story opens with her dream of becoming a champion swimmer and a belief strong enough to carry her above her naysayers. From there, readers meet a boy who helps her fight off bullies, encounter the fantastical properties of an old mailbox, and finish by witnessing Yu'er's reconciliation with a grumpy neighbor. Whimsical and sweet, this will remind readers of animated movies such as My Neighbor Totoro and Kiki's Delivery Service. With no fancy fight scenes or action shots, this is a slow and quiet delivery presented in a bright and warm palette of watercolors. Scenes depicted are plangent and sweet evocations of childhood, as in the "Bug Paradise" retreat Yu'er's new friend shares with her and the story her retired-letter-carrier grandpa tells her via his stamp collection. The few cultural and translation footnotes help readers who may be confused by or unfamiliar with certain Chinese terminology or history.Featuring family and friendships, this title is recommended for curious young readers looking for some magic in the everyday. (sketchbook, author's note) (Graphic fiction. 8-12)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

This big-hearted debut is set in a traditional Beijing neighborhood of one-story dwellings whose tiled roofs and arched bridges offer an atmospheric backdrop for four tales. The author doesn-t explain why Yu-er walks with a crutch, or where her parents have gone. But the unshakable love that she and Grandpa share form the solid ground of these stories, which, in the manner of a Miyazaki film, slip from reality into a dreamy otherworld and back. In the first, Grandpa comes up with a novel way for Yu-er to -swim- in their courtyard. In the second, a boy defends Yu-er from bullies and introduces her to the glories of insect song. The third memorializes Yu-er-s late Gramma with a lovely twist that ventures into science fiction, and the fourth follows Grandpa and Yu-er as they melt the heart of a grumpy artist nicknamed Pumpkin. -Is this a dream?- Pumpkin asks. -Yep!- Grandpa replies. -And we all need dreams, don-t we?- Delicate pen-and-ink drawings glow with sunny colors in this graphic novel, and the sequential storytelling shines. Gauvin-s translation, from the French edition, is a translation in turn from the Chinese. Ages 7-11. (Sept.)

School Library Journal (Wed Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2018)

Gr 2-4 Four slice-of-life stories about a young girl and her grandfather in a hutong neighborhood of Beijing make up this quiet graphic novel. In the first, Yu'er, who has limited use of one of her legs, dreams of swimming in the Special Olympics, but none of the pools will let her in to train, so her grandfather devises a way to swim without water. The middle two tales are steeped in magical realism. In one, Yu'er meets a boy who protects her from bullies and takes her to a one-of-a-kind concert. In the other, hearing about her grandparents' courtship leads Yu'er to write a magical letter. In the final entry, Yu'er studies painting with a grumpy neighbor who laments his inability to act on his dreams when he was younger. Delicate full-color watercolors add to the gentle, dreamy atmosphere of the neighborhood as Yu'er, her friends, and readers discover the simple magic and wonder in everyday life. The translation occasionally hits an odd note but does not distract from the warm tone. VERDICT Recommended for most graphic novel collections. Jennifer Rothschild, Arlington County Public Libraries, VA