GOING HOME, COMING HOME /V NH, THAM QU HUONG

In this intimate bilingual tale bridging two cultures, Tran and Phong, both natives of Vietnam who now live in California, write and paint from the heart (both the English and Vietnamese versions of the text appear on each spread). Eight-year-old American-born Ami Chi narrates as she describes a trip with her parents to Vietnam. She questions why her mother and father "still think of it as home"—even though they haven't been back since they left as children during the war. Initially, Ami Chi complains that Vietnam is too hot, that her grandmother's house is too small (it's "no bigger than our garage back home") and that she can't understand the language. Phong's lush landscapes drenched in green convey the country's beauty, and predominantly red interiors emanate the warmth of the grandmother's home. Several scenes of the market, where Ami Chi becomes separated from her parents, allow readers a wider view of the culture, as the heroine meets a girl who is a kindred spirit, and who helps to change Ami Chi's perspective. The narrative occasionally becomes cloying ("The rain is a neighborhood friend who knocks on your door and asks if you can come out to play"), but the author delivers a message that will strike a familiar and reassuring chord with first-generation Americans. Ages 6-up. (Aug.)