Yuna's Cardboard Castles

by Marie Tang, Jieting Chen (Illustrator)

Overview

Fold, fit, tuck . . .

Yuna and her family have just moved to the United States, and she doesn't speak English yet. At first, her attempts to catch the attention of the neighborhood kids get lost in translation, but when she shows that she can do something very special with paper, a whole new world unfolds.

Marie Tang and Jieting Chen have brought Yuna's origami creations to life in this whimsical, magical picture book, where the language of play can bridge the language barrier and build new friendships. Back matter includes information about the origin of origami and instructions for kids to fold their own paper boat.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781506483412
Publisher:	1517 Media
Publication date:	01/24/2023
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	1,107,986
Product dimensions:	8.60(w) x 10.20(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	AD560L (what's this?)
Age Range:	3 - 8 Years

About the Author

Marie Tang was born in Hong Kong, raised in New York City, and a resident of Shanghai for over a decade. She proudly tells tales of the grit, tenacity, and compassion of the Asian people.

Jieting Chen is an illustrator, animator, and designer with years of experience. She has produced and directed several award-winning short animation projects. Her illustrations are strongly influenced by Oriental paintings.

Editorial Reviews

"With its poetic language and beautiful imagery, this story of immigration and connection through play is a worthwhile ­addition to most collections." —School Library Journal

"Most children will be able to identify with Yuna, as most have experienced a time in which they have been unable to communicate with someone yet were finally able to bridge that gap with a game or a shared interest. The message is powerful and the illustrations complement the story well. . . . Recommended." —School Library Connection

From the Publisher

12/01/2022

K-Gr 2—A book about fitting in and filling new spaces that uses wonder and wistfulness as part of its vocabulary. Yuna watches her mom and dad "fold, fit, and tuck new things into old spaces," and wonders how she will fit into her new home. She misses her old home—in one illustration, the outline of her body is filled with a street scene, including a rice cake stand—and doesn't speak the language of her new one, so although she longs to play with the other neighborhood kids, she isn't able to bridge the gap between them at first. Instead, she makes origami, which takes on a life of its own ("paper and cardboard became the world all around her"). A fanciful spread shows her riding on the back of a pink paper crane, surrounded by paper boats and paper pansies. Her creations eventually expand to the titular cardboard castle, and when a boy crashes a paper kite into it, the two become friends. Back matter includes an autobiographical author's note and instructions for making an origami boat "that can actually float!" VERDICT With its poetic language and beautiful imagery, this story of immigration and connection through play is a worthwhile addition to most collections.—Jenny Arch

School Library Journal