The Legend of Auntie Po

by Shing Yin Khor

Overview

A NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST

Part historical fiction, part fable, and 100 percent adventure. Thirteen-year-old Mei reimagines the myths of Paul Bunyan as starring a Chinese heroine while she works in a Sierra Nevada logging camp in 1885.

Aware of the racial tumult in the years after the passage of the Chinese Exclusion Act, Mei tries to remain blissfully focused on her job, her close friendship with the camp foreman's daughter, and telling stories about Paul Bunyan—reinvented as Po Pan Yin (Auntie Po), an elderly Chinese matriarch.

Anchoring herself with stories of Auntie Po, Mei navigates the difficulty and politics of lumber camp work and her growing romantic feelings for her friend Bee. The Legend of Auntie Po is about who gets to own a myth, and about immigrant families and communities holding on to rituals and traditions while staking out their own place in the United States.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780525554899
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	06/15/2021
Pages:	304
Sales rank:	196,596
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.20(h) x 1.00(d)
Lexile:	GN390L (what's this?)
Age Range:	10 - 14 Years

About the Author

Shing Yin Khor is a cartoonist and installation artist exploring the Americana mythos and new human rituals. A Malaysian-Chinese immigrant, and an American citizen since 2011, they are also the author of The American Dream?, a graphic novel about travelling Route 66.

Editorial Reviews

05/10/2021

In 1885, following the passage of the Chinese Exclusion Act, Chinese American Mei, 13, works alongside her father at a California logging camp, feeding 100 white lumberjacks and 40 Chinese workers. In her free time, Mei regales the women and children at camp with stories of Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox, reimagined as the legends of Auntie Po and her faithful blue buffalo, Pei Pei. Through these tellings, Mei navigates the dangers and politics of lumber camp work, her yearning to hold on to her cultural identity, her burgeoning acknowledgment of her queerness, and the waning dream of university education. When tragedy strikes, Mei’s faith in her invented god, Auntie Po, falters. But by connecting with traditions old and new, and harnessing the healing power of storytelling within her community, Mei begins to recognize her agency in a prejudiced world. Khor (The American Dream?) straddles myth and harsh realities via stunning digital pencil and hand-painted watercolor art that highlights cornerstones of Chinese culture. Much will resonate with diasporic readers, though any reader will find Mei’s journey cathartic. Informative spreads serve as sources of logging trivia, and an author’s note clarifies identity intersections and historical omissions. Ages 10–14. Agent: DongWon Song, Howard Morhaim Literary. (June)■

Publishers Weekly

An Eisner Award Winner for Best Publication for Teens 2021
A National Book Award Finalist
A California Book Award Finalist
A 2022 Bank Street College Best Children's Book of the Year
A 2022 ALSC Notable Children’s Book List
A 2021 Horn Book Fanfare List Selection
A 2021 ALA Best Graphic Novels for Children Reading List Selection
A 2022 Little Maverick Graphic Novel Reading List Selection
A 2022-2023 Black-Eyed Susan Book Award Nominee
A 2023 Rhode Island Middle School Book Award Nominee
A 2022-2023 Vermont Golden Dome Book Award Nominee

PRAISE FOR THE LEGEND OF AUNTIE PO

"Hopeful, humane, empowering story." —New York Times Book Review

“In this reclamatory and illuminating graphic novel, Khor underscores the healing power of sharing stories.” —Shelf Awareness

“A sweet book that places a Chinese girl squarely at the center of the frame... the art is lovely, it's enjoyable for young kids who can relate to Mei as a protagonist or enjoyable to adults who only remember what it was like to be thirteen.” —NPR Pop Culture Happy Hour

* "A timely and ultimately hopeful tale." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review.

* "A multifaceted addition to the historical graphic novel genre, this unique bildungsroman successfully presents many formidable topics with intentional and comprehensive grace." —The Horn Book, starred review.

*"A moving read that skillfully explores themes of racism, privilege, and identity. A must for all libraries." - School Library Journal, starred review.

“On the surface, this story is the birth of a folktale, but the author explores much deeper topics: grief, family, loyalty, racism, and self-discovery. … Watercolors are beautiful and illustrations are clean and simple, conveying a childlike air while tackling serious subject matter.” —Booklist

"Khor (The American Dream?) straddles myth and harsh realities via stunning digital pencil and hand-painted watercolor art that highlights cornerstones of Chinese culture. Much will resonate with diasporic readers, though any reader will find Mei’s journey cathartic." —Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

★ 07/09/2021

Gr 5–8—In Sierra Nevada in 1885, three years after the passing of the Chinese Exclusion Act, 13-year-old pie maker Mei helps her father run the logging camp's kitchen. Mei, who is Chinese, also spends time with her best friend Beatrice (Bee) Andersen, who is white, and masterfully spins tall tales about a female Chinese folk hero named Po Pan Yin, aka Auntie Po, and her blue buffalo Pei Pei. As Mei grapples with her growing feelings for Bee, she suddenly starts to see Auntie Po and Pei Pei in real life. Rising racial tension in the area reaches a boiling point when Chinese cook Ah Sam and another Chinese worker are attacked on their way back to the logging camp. Changes are coming to Mei's life, and even the mother of all loggers, Auntie Po, can only do so much to help. The author interweaves fabulism and historical fiction into a well-designed, evenly paced, stirring narrative. There is a strong sense of place, thanks to stunning watercolors and Mei's informative narration of how a logging camp is run. The Auntie Po stories add a layer of humor or poignancy and act as an emotional channel for Mei's internal struggles. Mei's gradual queer awakening is treated sensitively as an important part of her story line. Mei; her father, Hao; Ah Sam; and some background logging camp characters are of Chinese heritage; the majority of the rest of lumberjacks are white; and there is a Black family living at the camp as well. VERDICT A moving read that skillfully explores themes of racism, privilege, and identity. A must for all libraries.—Pearl Derlaga, York County P.L., VA

School Library Journal

★ 2021-04-14
In a late-19th-century Sierra Nevada logging camp, a Chinese American girl spins tall tales and dreams of a better future.

Mei helps her father in the kitchen, feeding the dozens of hungry men who work at their logging camp. At night, she entertains listeners with her made-up stories about Auntie Po, an elderly Chinese woman taller than the pine trees who has a blue water buffalo. In these stories clearly inspired by Paul Bunyan, Auntie Po is a guardian figure, protecting the logging crew from threats including giant mosquitos and unscrupulous companies. But in the real world, anti-Chinese sentiments have turned into acts of violence. When the logging company caves under a boycott, the White camp boss dismisses all the Chinese workers, leaving frustrated Mei angry at her own helplessness. Nuanced portrayals of characters’ relationships keep the themes of discrimination and allyship in focus; the tenuous friendship between Mei’s father and the camp boss in particular highlights the difference between offering verbal support and taking meaningful action. The clean, expressive linework and muted watercolors portray both the dangerous realities of logging and quiet, emotional moments with equal effectiveness. In a sweet, naturally inserted subplot, Mei, who wears trousers rather than dresses, says she is not interested in boys and is clearly enamored of her closest White female friend.

A timely and ultimately hopeful tale. (author's note, bibliography) (Graphic historical fiction. 10-14)

Kirkus Reviews