Bao’s Doll

K-Gr 2–Bao wants many things her classmates have: a birthday party with cake and balloons; snuggles and jokes with her mom; and a special doll, Artist Amanda. Every time Bao tries to tell Mama these things, she answers that when she was a little girl in Taiwan, she had nothing. That’s when Bao stops listening. Frustrated with her mother, Bao sees the coveted doll in the store, takes her, and is immediately caught. In the aftermath, a giant rock sits between them. After Bao apologizes, Mama opens up about growing up in an orphanage and missing her own mother and the two start to understand each other. Bao is primarily illustrated in red that shifts from cheerful to angry, while her mother is in somber blues, highlighting their separation and isolation. As they open up to one another at the end, the colors start to meld into purple.