Bao’s Doll

Whenever Mama says, "when I was a little girl in Taiwan, we had nothing," Bao stops listening. Mama does not understand Bao, and Bao certainly does not understand Mama. So when Bao desperately wants a doll-specifically, the beautiful, blonde All-American Artist Amanda doll that everyone else has-Bao takes matters into her own hands and steals Amanda from the store. After getting caught, Bao's chest feels heavy like a giant rock. But gradually, the awkward silence between Bao and Mama shifts to honesty, and eventually, a deeper understanding of what binds them. Inspired by the childhood of debut talent Bo Lu, this poignant picture book brings emotional layers to the story of a parent and child learning to connect with their heritage and each other.