Pie in the sky
(Book)

A boy struggles to come to terms with his father's death and his new life after immigrating to Australia in this character-driven novel. Back home, Jingwen's family ran a cake shop. In Australia, Jingwen struggles to understand his classmates and teachers. Worse, his annoying little brother, Yanghao, seems to be learning English and making friends with no trouble at all. Jingwen's refuge becomes secretly baking, with help from Yanghao, all the cakes his father planned to sell in his new bakery. Jingwen thinks if he can bake all of them, maybe he will be forgiven for not always appreciating his father. Maybe everything will be OK again. Jingwen's slow journey through grief and displacement is heartbreaking but ultimately hopeful. Lai's cartoon illustrations depict Jingwen's sense of alienation (at times, Jingwen is drawn as an alien, a ghost, and a robot) with care and sensitivity. Comics interludes, complete with speech balloons, enliven the story. Even though Jingwen deals with heavy burdens, his story also contains plenty of humor. An emotional tale about loss and letting go, pleasantly buoyed by comedy and cake baking.--Mariko Turk Copyright 2019 Booklist

Lai centers her incisive illustrated novel debut on Jingwen, who moves from his unspecified home country to Australia with his mother and younger brother Yanghao after his father's death. The boy mourns the loss of his father and feels like an alien among his fifth-grade classmates as he struggles to learn English, which sounds like "Martian words" (blue-tinged illustrations show others, then the boys, as space aliens in their daily life). Summoning memories of baking with Papa, Jingwen imagines the cakes they'd anticipated selling at Pie in the Sky, the bakery they planned to open upon moving. Jingwen vows to make the 12 cakes, believing this will preserve his memories of Papa-and that "cakes make everything better." But his baking obsession leads to the betrayal of his hardworking mother's trust, landing him and Yanghao in hot water. Though repetition of facts and dialogue (including the brothers' penchant for calling each another "Booger") at times thwarts the narrative flow, its pace accelerates in the final chapters as Lai adds a few surprise ingredients to concoct a deeply satisfying ending for this heartwarming immigrant story about sibling bonds, honesty, and surmounting obstacles. Ages 8-12. (May) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Gr 3--6--Having recently immigrated to Australia, 11-year-old Jingwen feels like he's been dropped onto a strange planet full of gibberish-spouting aliens. He knows life would be easier if he learned more English like his annoyingly chipper, too-loud, too-energetic little brother Yanghao. But guilt over his father's accidental death festers. Worried that assimilating into Australian culture means he's forsaking his father's memory, Jingwen latches on to the idea that if he can make all the cakes his father planned to feature on the menu of his dream bakery, Pie in the Sky, then everything will be okay. Even if that means disobeying his mother's rules while she's working the night shift at a local bakery. Written from Jingwen's perspective, the text is augmented with humorous, often exaggerated black and blue spot and sequential paneled illustrations that offer a visual window into Jingwen's experiences and emotions. Frequent flashbacks to Jingwen's younger years in his (unnamed) country of origin contribute to strong character and relationship development and to the satisfying conclusion. Whether Jingwen and Yanghao are teasing, supporting, or bickering with each other, their relationship rings true. The humor, akin to that of Jeff Kinney's popular "Wimpy Kid" series, occasionally veers into the delightfully gross, such as when Yanghao barfs from one too many slices of cake. VERDICT A first purchase for all libraries, this #OwnVoices hybrid chapter book/graphic novel is the perfect mixture of funny and emotionally resonant.--Amy Seto Forrester, Denver Public Library

Its been almost two years since Jingwen lost his father in a tragic accident; he now finds himself starting over in a new country. The novel begins with Jingwen, his mother, and his (annoying) younger brother Yanghao landing in Australia, where Jingwen does not know the language and isnt interested in learning English or making friends at his new school. All Jingwen wants to do is bake the elaborate cakes he and his father perfected (in preparation for the cake shop his father was going to open in Australia called Pie in the Sky) without his strict mother finding out that he is breaking her no-baking rule. Lais debut illustrated middle-grade novel delves into Jingwens grief and onerous fraternal responsibilities while providing a window into the strain of adjusting to life in an alien world. Jingwens journey through loss will resonate with readers, while his quest to bake all the Pie in the Sky cakes deepens this story from typical middle-grade tearjerker to delectable page-turner. Lais frequent, blue-tinged illustrations provide comic relief (the interactions between Jingwen and Yanghao are often hilarious) and serve to propel the narrative forward; they often include diagrams of the impressive confections Jingwen bakes. Heartbreakingly honest; in equal parts funny and poignant. eric carpenter July/Aug p.131(c) Copyright 2019. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Two brothers navigate a new country, a new language, and grief through cake.In this graphic/prose hybrid novel, 12-year-old Jingwen, his little brother, Yanghao, and their mother immigrate to Australia. The family is Chinese, though their home country is never specified. The boys start at the Northbridge Primary School not knowing any English, which has Jingwen feeling they have just arrived on Mars. Quickly he realizes it is he and Yanghao who must appear to be the Martians to everyone else, comically literalized with pictures of a four-eyed, antennae'd Jingwen. While Yanghao quickly picks up English, Jingwen resists, struggling in lessons and to make friends. Piece by piece readers learn it was Jingwen's father's dream to open a cake shop called Pie in the Sky in Australia before he suddenly passed away. After finding the family's cookbook, the boys decide to secretly bake all the Pie in the Sky cakes. Jingwen especially takes it to heart, pouring his grief and frustrations into every frosted layer, believing that it "will fix everything." Herself an immigrant to Australia from Singapore, Lai unfolds the story like a memory, giving brief flashbacks interspersed throughout the daily musings and nuanced relationships among family members. Jingwen's emotional journey is grounded in honest reality; it ebbs and flows naturally with strategic spots of humor to lighten the overall tone.Like salted caramel, a perfect balance of flavors, this deftly drawn story is a heartfelt treat. (Graphic/fiction hybrid. 10-13) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

A boy struggles to come to terms with his father's death and his new life after immigrating to Australia in this character-driven novel. Back home, Jingwen's family ran a cake shop. In Australia, Jingwen struggles to understand his classmates and teachers. Worse, his annoying little brother, Yanghao, seems to be learning English and making friends with no trouble at all. Jingwen's refuge becomes secretly baking, with help from Yanghao, all the cakes his father planned to sell in his new bakery. Jingwen thinks if he can bake all of them, maybe he will be forgiven for not always appreciating his father. Maybe everything will be OK again. Jingwen's slow journey through grief and displacement is heartbreaking but ultimately hopeful. Lai's cartoon illustrations depict Jingwen's sense of alienation (at times, Jingwen is drawn as an alien, a ghost, and a robot) with care and sensitivity. Comics interludes, complete with speech balloons, enliven the story. Even though Jingwen deals with heavy burdens, his story also contains plenty of humor. An emotional tale about loss and letting go, pleasantly buoyed by comedy and cake baking. Grades 3-6. Copyright 2019 Booklist Reviews.

Lai centers her incisive illustrated novel debut on Jingwen, who moves from his unspecified home country to Australia with his mother and younger brother Yanghao after his father's death. The boy mourns the loss of his father and feels like an alien among his fifth-grade classmates as he struggles to learn English, which sounds like "Martian words" (blue-tinged illustrations show others, then the boys, as space aliens in their daily life). Summoning memories of baking with Papa, Jingwen imagines the cakes they'd anticipated selling at Pie in the Sky, the bakery they planned to open upon moving. Jingwen vows to make the 12 cakes, believing this will preserve his memories of Papa—and that "cakes make everything better." But his baking obsession leads to the betrayal of his hardworking mother's trust, landing him and Yanghao in hot water. Though repetition of facts and dialogue (including the brothers' penchant for calling each another "Booger") at times thwarts the narrative flow, its pace accelerates in the final chapters as Lai adds a few surprise ingredients to concoct a deeply satisfying ending for this heartwarming immigrant story about sibling bonds, honesty, and surmounting obstacles. Ages 8–12. (May)

Gr 3–6–Having recently immigrated to Australia, 11-year-old Jingwen feels like he's been dropped onto a strange planet full of gibberish-spouting aliens. He knows life would be easier if he learned more English like his annoyingly chipper, too-loud, too-energetic little brother Yanghao. But guilt over his father's accidental death festers. Worried that assimilating into Australian culture means he's forsaking his father's memory, Jingwen latches on to the idea that if he can make all the cakes his father planned to feature on the menu of his dream bakery, Pie in the Sky, then everything will be okay. Even if that means disobeying his mother's rules while she's working the night shift at a local bakery. Written from Jingwen's perspective, the text is augmented with humorous, often exaggerated black and blue spot and sequential paneled illustrations that offer a visual window into Jingwen's experiences and emotions. Frequent flashbacks to Jingwen's younger years in his (unnamed) country of origin contribute to strong character and relationship development and to the satisfying conclusion. Whether Jingwen and Yanghao are teasing, supporting, or bickering with each other, their relationship rings true. The humor, akin to that of Jeff Kinney's popular "Wimpy Kid" series, occasionally veers into the delightfully gross, such as when Yanghao barfs from one too many slices of cake. VERDICT A first purchase for all libraries, this #OwnVoices hybrid chapter book/graphic novel is the perfect mixture of funny and emotionally resonant.—Amy Seto Forrester, Denver Public Library