Author
Andrea Cheng
Illustrator
Ange Zheng
Book Summary
Helen, a biracial Chinese Caucasian child, has to give up her room when Gong Gong, her grandfather, comes from China to live with her family in America. Gong Gong seems disappointed that his grandchildren don’t speak Chinese, his only language, and Helen, her brother, and sister, who speak only English, are disappointed they cannot communicate with their grandfather. At first Gong Gong stays in this room and reads the Chinese newspapers he has brought with him. But one day Gong Gong joins Helen as she watches the trains go by behind their house. Soon he and Helen begin counting the train cars together, and they teach each other to count in their own languages. The ice is broken and they begin to bond, which fosters Helen’s interest in learning more about her Chinese heritage.
Asian/Asian American English Collection Grades PreK-2, Early Fluent Dual Language, Chinese Culture Collection, English Fiction Grades PreK-2, Asian Pacific American Heritage Collection, Family Diversity, Father’s Day Collection, Social and Emotional Learning Collection, Grandparents Collection, Realistic Fiction Collection Grades PreK-2, Building Classroom Community for Second Grade, Kindness and Compassion Collection, Respect and Self-Respect Collection, Immigration Collection, Fluent English, Fluent Dual Language, English Guided Reading Level N, Chinese and Lunar New Year