WELCOME TO CHINATOWN

The exciting sights and sounds of Chinatown are introduced to the board-book set.

Ostensibly an adaptation of Low’s 1997 picture book Chinatown, this work shares an obvious visual parentage but still stands alone as a new experience for a new generation and target audience. The verso of each spread features a digitally rendered portrait in saturated colors of Chinatown denizens in action. On the recto, a smaller image and a single word or phrase is offered in English, simplified Chinese, and Pinyin. In one scene, four men unload a delivery truck. The accompanying phrase is “hand trucks,” unusual vocabulary for a board book but perfect for presenting the details of daily life in Chinatown. Another illustration features an elder reaching for a drawer of herbs. “Shopkeepers” is this spread’s word, along with an image of an abacus. The latter half of the book is reserved for words and phrases relating to Chinese New Year. Exceedingly simple, this short book nonetheless captures the unique atmosphere and energy that permeate this vibrant neighborhood. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

An appealing bilingual celebration of Chinatowns and Chinese culture.