Cathy Wu’s PoPo & MeiMei Can Help (2024) opens with a cheery “早安”(or “zǎo ān” in pinyin) from MeiMei’s grandmother as she stretches awake to a new day. In that opening two-page spread, there is an “Easter egg” of sorts, with a practice writing saying “你好” (nǐ hǎo or “hello” in greeting).
MeiMei has breakfast. She tries to comb out her hair. She gets dressed. All with the help of her attentive PoPo, or paternal grandmother. They go out together to harvest vegetables from the garden. PoPo uses every moment to share a bit of Chinese language. She affirms MeiMei’s being and her choices, too. And then, the phone rings… MeiMei has to take the call in English… to return the favor for her grandmother.
PoPo & MeiMei Can Help touches on the warm mutual lives of children and their grandparents in Chinese culture.
Here, the older generation can step in to help younger parents when they go to work. The exact context is not fully spelled out here, though. It may be that PoPo and MeiMei live together in mutual support without others in the household.
This multilingual text is highly readable for beginning young readers and likely very fun for adults and children reading together. The pictures are straightforward and engaging. The colors are warm and soothing. The neighborhood is not fully defined, but there are palm trees in the streets.
Cathy Wu, the author-illustrator, is a Seattle-based freelance illustrator who runs a “small paper goods business.” She offers training on drawing on Skillshare. This adorable picture book was illustrated using an iPad Pro, an Apple pencil, and Procreate software.
Shalin Hai-Jew has worked in higher education for many years. She has edited dozens of nonfiction educational books and authored a dozen with a number of publishers.
