The Pink Pajamas: A Story About Love and Loss

by Charlene Chua, Charlene Chua (Illustrator)

Overview

From Stonewall Award–winning illustrator Charlene Chua comes a tender, heartfelt story about love, loss, and the innumerable ways to carry someone in your heart, always, as a young girl honors her aunt’s memory by wearing the pink pajamas she sewed for her.

There are many ways of saying, “I love you.” For Ah Yi, it’s with her sewing machine, making extra soft, perfectly tailored pajamas for her niece. The little girl loves each pair, except the latest one which is pink, her least favorite color. She keeps a happy face on, but her aunt can always tell. She reassures the little girl there’s no need to worry—she’ll just make another pair.

But then Ah Yi gets too sick to use her sewing machine, so sick she has to go away to the hospital…and never comes home. Her niece doesn’t know what to make of the funeral customs until she finds her own special remembrance: wearing her pink pajamas, which were perfect all along.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781665943178
Publisher:	Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers
Publication date:	08/05/2025
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	eBook
Pages:	40
File size:	75 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Charlene Chua (she/they) is the illustrator of multiple picture books, including Colorado Blue Spruce Award nominee Going Up!, the Amy Wu picture book series, and Stonewall Award winner Love, Violet. She is also the author-illustrator of Hug?. When they are not making art, they enjoy cooking, reading, and playing with their cats. Charlene lives with her husband (and cats!) in Hamilton, Ontario.

Editorial Reviews

"A charming tribute to a lost loved one." —Kirkus Reviews

"A great addition for any community. This is a story about love and loss of extended family from a child’s perspective where difficult realities are faced, but it still ends on a hopeful note." —School Library Journal

"Chua’s ink-drawn and digitally colored illustrations make the pink pajamas pop, while straightforward prose pierces in its simple yearning." —Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

"A charming tribute to a lost loved one."

Kirkus Reviews

2025-05-03
A pair of pants sewn with love helps a child of Chinese descent remember a relative.

The young protagonist adores family visits with Yeye and Popo (Grandpa and Grandma) each week. Upon arriving, the child always runs straight to Ah Yi (Auntie). Ah Yi doesn’t verbally express her love; instead, she sews the youngster pajamas: “They are soft. They are comfortable. And they are always just the right length.” Onomatopoeia (“CLACK! CLACK!”) is strategically placed, connecting Ah Yi to her foot-pumped sewing machine. “The sound is music to my ears; when I hear it, I know Ah Yi is home.” But today, the pj’s Ah Yi has made aren’t a hit, because…“they are PINK!” Expressive cartoons textured with bold lines and colors clearly display the youngster’s disappointment. The child’s reaction isn’t lost on Ah Yi, who promises to make another pair. But a sudden illness lands Ah Yi in the hospital; she soon passes. The gentle narration flows naturally as the protagonist reels at the funeral; dissatisfied at the store-bought jammies purchased by Mom, the little one grieves further. Spying the pink jammies tucked away in a drawer, the child tries them on again and realizes they’re a perfect fit after all. And there’s something else in the drawer: Ah Yi’s sewing patterns (“her way of saying…I will love you—always”). Chua brings the tale to a satisfying ending as the child follows in Ah Yi’s footsteps.

A charming tribute to a lost loved one.(Picture book. 5-8)

Kirkus Reviews