Bao's Doll
Bao (Taiwanese American) yearns for her own All-American Artist Amanda doll. But “Mama did not hear that.” Mama, who often tells Bao about how little she had as a child in Taiwan, also does not see her daughter’s desire for a close relationship with her. After Bao is caught trying to steal the doll from a store, the gulf between her and her mom seems to grow wider. When she can’t face the silence any longer, Bao apologizes, and Mama tells her a little bit about her own childhood and how much she missed her mother when she “lived in a home with many children.” She brings out an old tin box filled with mementos, and together they use some of them to make a doll that looks just like Bao. Bao and her Little Bao doll share “jokes, snuggles, dreams, and even birthday parties together,” while Bao and her Mama share a deeper understanding of each other. Bao and her Mama’s feelings of isolation are conveyed with dramatically dark backgrounds that later brighten to lighter shades signifying the healing of their relationship. ©2025 Cooperative Children’s Book Center
Illustrated by Bo Lu
CCBC Age Recommendation: Ages 3-7
Age Range:
Babies/Toddlers (birth – 3)
PreK-Early Elementary (Ages 4-7)
Format:
Picture book
Subjects:
Communication
Memory
Mothers
Taiwanese and Taiwanese Americans
Diversity subject:
Asian
Publisher:
Abrams
Publish Year: 2024
Pages: 32
ISBN: 9781419769214
CCBC Location: Picture Book, Lu