Take Me to Laolao

From debut author Kelly Zhang comes a moving picture book about a girl whose desire to see her lăolao takes her on a Chinese mythology–inspired adventure on the night of the Spring Lantern Festival. Perfect for fans of I Dream of Popo and Drawn Together!

There’s nothing that Lili loves more than celebrating the Spring Lantern Festival with her family. But this year, Lili’s beloved lăolao wasn’t at the festivities. Though it’s one of Lili’s favorite days of the year, she can’t help but wish, as she drifts off to sleep, that Lăolao were still there.

That night, the first full moon of the new year invites Lili on an incredible journey. She’ll travel to the bottom of the sea on the back of a talking boat to visit the Dragon King and past the misty clouds to see the Jade Emperor in the Celestial Palace. But will Lili get to see the one person she wants to see most in the entire world before the night is over?

In this gorgeous picture book, debut author Kelly Zhang has crafted a touching story about the special bond between children and their grandmothers, set against a dazzling backdrop of Chinese mythology. Sweeping illustrations by Evie Zhu bring the tale to life in vivid detail and create a stunning package.

Kelly Zhang is a first-generation Chinese immigrant, children’s writer, and Chinese/English literary translator based in Ottawa, Canada. Kelly draws on her lived experiences to tell heartfelt stories and to connect readers of diverse backgrounds. Through writing and translating, she hopes to encourage children to stay curious about their world and to speak up with their uniquely beautiful voices.

Evie Zhu is an award-winning illustrator inspired by her travels around the world. Originally from China, she earned her MA in illustration from the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore, Maryland. In her spare time, she loves talking to birds and meditating with her intelligent cat, Lulu. Evie has the imagination of a child and often creates new fairylands in her head, which inspire her work in children’s illustration. She now works and lives in Bologna, Italy.