A girl guides her dad on his route delivering Chinese take-out food in this touching picture book -- written by an APALA award winner and illustrated by a Caldecott Honor winner -- that celebrates the unique bond between immigrant parents and their children.
Every night, a girl must help her dad, whose English is not as good as hers, make deliveries for their small family restaurant. Sitting next to him in the car, she studies a map and gives him directions in Cantonese. She helps him get to the places he needs to go.
She hates doing this, though. Hates carrying grease-stained boxes of Mongolian beef and moo goo gai pan to customers' doors. Hates being different from the kids behind these doors. Why can't her family be normal like everyone else’s?
But when her dad tells her about how he immigrated, all alone as a teenager, to the United States, she comes to better understand him, and appreciate how he has made her American life possible.
★ "An impressively realistic, heartfelt exploration of family dynamics and illuminating understanding." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review
★ "A touching familial picture book....The creators highlight a distinct bond and sacrifices made across generations." —Publishers Weekly, starred review
★ "Leung’s child-centered text honors the unique bond between immigrant parents and their children. Kang’s dynamic mixed-media illustrations mirror the story’s emotionally resonant arc....An homage to love and resilience." —The Horn Book, starred review
★ "Together, the realistic writing and expressive artwork create an insightful and moving portrayal of family, sacrifice, and connection within the immigrant experience." —Booklist, starred review
★ "Navigating Night is a beautiful example of a picture book that quietly tells universal truths through one specific story. Its underlying messages about kindness and love will resonate with readers of all ages and backgrounds." —BookPage, starred review
Julie Leung is an award-winning author of numerous children’s books. Her picture book, The Truth About Dragons, was a 2024 Caldecott Honor Book and winner of the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature. She is also the author of Paper Son, Mr. Pei's Perfect Shapes, and The Fearless Flights of Hazel Ying Lee, all of which received multiple starred reviews. By day, she works in book publishing.
Julia Kuo is the author and illustrator of Let’s Do Everything and Nothing and Luminous: Living Things that Light Up the Night. She is the illustrator of several picture books including I Dream of Popo by Livia Blackburne, I Am an American: The Wong Kim Ark Story by Martha Brockenbrough and Grace Lin, and New York Times bestselling Rise by Jeff Yang, Phil Yu, and Philip Wang. Julia has created editorial illustrations for publications such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Economist. She currently lives in Bellevue, WA.
View titles by Julie Leung
Angie Kang is a Chinese American writer and illustrator living in LA. Her work has appeared in The New Yorker, Narrative, The Believer, and elsewhere, and has been generously supported by MacDowell and other organizations. Angie graduated from the Brown-RISD Dual Degree Program with a BFA in Illustration from the Rhode Island School of Design and a BA in Literary Arts from Brown University. She enjoys painting places she remembers and places she would like to go. Learn more about Angie’s writing and art at AngieKang.net or @anqiekanq on social media.
View titles by Angie Kang
A girl guides her dad on his route delivering Chinese take-out food in this touching picture book -- written by an APALA award winner and illustrated by a Caldecott Honor winner -- that celebrates the unique bond between immigrant parents and their children.
Every night, a girl must help her dad, whose English is not as good as hers, make deliveries for their small family restaurant. Sitting next to him in the car, she studies a map and gives him directions in Cantonese. She helps him get to the places he needs to go.
She hates doing this, though. Hates carrying grease-stained boxes of Mongolian beef and moo goo gai pan to customers' doors. Hates being different from the kids behind these doors. Why can't her family be normal like everyone else’s?
But when her dad tells her about how he immigrated, all alone as a teenager, to the United States, she comes to better understand him, and appreciate how he has made her American life possible.
Reviews
★ "An impressively realistic, heartfelt exploration of family dynamics and illuminating understanding." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review
★ "A touching familial picture book....The creators highlight a distinct bond and sacrifices made across generations." —Publishers Weekly, starred review
★ "Leung’s child-centered text honors the unique bond between immigrant parents and their children. Kang’s dynamic mixed-media illustrations mirror the story’s emotionally resonant arc....An homage to love and resilience." —The Horn Book, starred review
★ "Together, the realistic writing and expressive artwork create an insightful and moving portrayal of family, sacrifice, and connection within the immigrant experience." —Booklist, starred review
★ "Navigating Night is a beautiful example of a picture book that quietly tells universal truths through one specific story. Its underlying messages about kindness and love will resonate with readers of all ages and backgrounds." —BookPage, starred review
Author
Julie Leung is an award-winning author of numerous children’s books. Her picture book, The Truth About Dragons, was a 2024 Caldecott Honor Book and winner of the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature. She is also the author of Paper Son, Mr. Pei's Perfect Shapes, and The Fearless Flights of Hazel Ying Lee, all of which received multiple starred reviews. By day, she works in book publishing.
Julia Kuo is the author and illustrator of Let’s Do Everything and Nothing and Luminous: Living Things that Light Up the Night. She is the illustrator of several picture books including I Dream of Popo by Livia Blackburne, I Am an American: The Wong Kim Ark Story by Martha Brockenbrough and Grace Lin, and New York Times bestselling Rise by Jeff Yang, Phil Yu, and Philip Wang. Julia has created editorial illustrations for publications such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Economist. She currently lives in Bellevue, WA.
View titles by Julie Leung
Angie Kang is a Chinese American writer and illustrator living in LA. Her work has appeared in The New Yorker, Narrative, The Believer, and elsewhere, and has been generously supported by MacDowell and other organizations. Angie graduated from the Brown-RISD Dual Degree Program with a BFA in Illustration from the Rhode Island School of Design and a BA in Literary Arts from Brown University. She enjoys painting places she remembers and places she would like to go. Learn more about Angie’s writing and art at AngieKang.net or @anqiekanq on social media.
View titles by Angie Kang
