My Mei Mei

by Ed Young

More than anything else in the world, Antonia wants a Mei Mei, little sister, to call her own. But when she and her mother and father fly all the way to China to get her little sister and Antonia finally meets her, she is not at all like Antonia imagined her: She can’t walk. She can’t talk. She just cries and steals attention. But is her Mei Mei all that bad? This charming personal story from Ed Young follows a little girl as she learns what being a big sister is all about, and discovers the real meaning of family.

Genres: Picture Books, Adoption, Cultural, Childrens, Family, China, Asian American

40 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Ed Young is the illustrator of more than eighty books for children, seventeen of which he has also written. Among his books is the Caldecott Medal winner Lon Po Po, which he both wrote and illustrated. He says that his work is inspired by the philosophy of Chinese painting. He lives in Westchester County, New York.

Reviews

[Megan Garrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Copyright- 2006
Number of Pages-
Book format-hardcover
Reading Level-Pre-K-K, 1-2 GR Level- N
Genre- Fiction
Lit. Requirement- Asian American Book

This was a heartwarming story about a young girl named Antonia who wanted a sister or Mei Mei. She practiced being a sister with her baby dolls and asked her parents. Finally her wish came true she had a baby sister! Although when they cam home things were not how they were supposed to be. The baby cried and got all the attention. Antonia was sad and did not want a sister anymore. Well one day Antonia and Mei Mei go to the park and a boy takes Mei Mei's shovel. Antonia swoops in and helps Mei Mei by telling the boy to leave her sister alone! Antonia begins to see that having a sister is not bad and she has someone who is always there for her. They play together now and in the end they ask for another sibling. I liked this book, I felt like I could relate to it because this was me when I was younger. I wanted a younger sister then when I got one I was disappointed. But as we got older I realized how lucky I was to have someone who was always there for me. I felt like this is a topic many can relate to which is beneficial. I also liked the characters in the book. I saw in the end it is based off real people which is really cool. All in all it was a good book and I would recommend it.

[Rebeca Sanchez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Readers are introduced to Antonia and her family visiting China. Antonia's wish is to have a Mei Mei -a little sister to play with. One day her family travels back to China to get her long-awaited sister for Antonia. After Antonia's family adopts the newest member, Antonia sees that everything wasn't like how she would imagine when having a younger sister. There was a bunch of things her sister couldn't do, so Antonia got frustrated at the stuff she couldn't do and the attention she got. After she sees her sister getting bullied, Antonia stands up for her little sister. Antonia then starts to realize that her sister isn't all that bad, and teaches her sister all that she knows.

As an older sister, I can relate to this story very much when my brother was introduced to my household. I could feel how Antonia felt a bit jealous of her sister, then starting to guide her sister in life. Young readers can relate to this book when it comes to being the younger sibling or the older one, so they could see that siblings are the best thing to happen to anyone. I really liked the plot and the message of siblinghood to the story. As for the illustrations, they are beautiful but doesn't really fit the entire story and what's happening. I did overall like the book by how its story is pretty simple and having a cheerful tone in the adoption process.

[Hannah Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always wanted a little sister. I would play big sister with mommy and daddy by making mommy blow her nose and by pretending to change daddy's diapers. Mei Mei came along and joined the family. She got all the attention and I felt lonely. One day I was with Mei Mei and things started to change between us.

My Mei Mei is a precious book about sisters. I think it portrayed how the first child must feel when they get their new sibling very well. It must stink when you are used to getting all the attention but now the attention is taken away from you. I also loved that the siblings eventually became close. Antonia, the main character, begins to help her little sister with her homework so they can play together. (SPOILER ALERT) At the very end, both of the sisters want another sibling to play with and I think that is so sweet.

This book could be used to talk about adoption and how it gives kids a home and makes a family really happy. This could even tie into the class "adopting" kids at Christmas time and they could raise money for them or buy them presents.

[Mia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful little picture book story about a young girl named Antonia who is adopted from China and her journey of discovery as she decides she wants to be a big sister. The background images are very interesting, but I'm not sure I like the illustration style in this book. Cute idea for kids who will soon have younger siblings.

[Viviane Elbee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely book that covers the adoption theme - a little girl wants a sister and her parents adopt one from China. Kids enjoyed it.

[TaNera Rodriguez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book the use of watercolors were used perfectly to see the emotions that Tonia is experiencing. I like the fact that her sister is adopted we don’t talk about it much in schools

[Jorge Pigeon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book features adoption & cross cultural adoption. I can relate as I am a pigeon adopted by a human. Fellow pigeons-if you thought people were weird from your street observations, live with one!

[Elaine Fultz, Teacher Librarian, MLS · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meandering but ultimately effective story about an adopted child and a little sister + all the things they do to bond after an unsure beginning.

[skcocnaH · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gorgeous illustrations.

[Melanie Gaum · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet story about sisters.

[Viviana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lovely art 4-5 star
Lowered rating because of the disturbing diaper thing

[Natalia]

Misunderstandings, having different expectations that finally lead up to sibling love, these themes are presented in “My Mei Mei” by Ed Young. The story is told with such passion makes the reader wanting more even though it touches on fragile subject of adaptation. This is a fiction picture book. The story is told by a narrator in a first person voice. The story is taking a place in house, and later on the characters are traveling to China. The main characters name is Antonia, her adopter sister is Mei Mei. Antonia was born in China and was an only child. She used to play with her mom or her grandma or with her imaginary sister Mei Mei. The pretend sister use to always let Antonia have her way. Antonia talked to her mother about having a real Mei Mei. Finally her family flew out to China and adapted Mei Mei. Mei Mei was not as Antonia expected her to be. She cried and she didn’t play with Antonia. But as Mei Mei grew older, the sisters grew up to be close and got along very well.

I personally believe this book is a good book because it teaches not only the parents but also the children about adaptation and sibling love. Some parents are usually afraid of adaptation as it brings out the thought of not being the child’s biological parent. However, this story portrays adaptation as a positive thing to do. It is not only good for the other child but for the parent as well. The children after being around with each other for a while will learn how to adapt each other and then get close together. Also, this is a good book because it somewhat presents Asian culture. “My Mei Mei” is a beautiful example of what different expectation a person or even a child can have and ending up with a totally different positive result. Teachers should know about this book as it demonstrates characters from a diverse background. If a teacher has multicultural classroom of students then it is good to show them different cultures. That way the student will learn to be more open-minded to the subject of diversity.

[Keri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Category: Grades K-3, Book #9

I had a student who was adopted from China when she was little, just like the little sister in this book. This is a great read-aloud, or even something to use during social groups about new siblings. My Mei Mei is about a little girl who always wanted a little sister, and when her parents take her to China to adopt her, things weren't quite what she thought they would be. The baby can't talk, walk, or do anything she wants her to. Kids will laugh at the baby's antics and the big sister's frustrations.

Critic Review taken from Barnes and Noble.com:
- School Library Journal
PreS-Gr 2-There are other picture books about traveling to China to adopt a child, but what sets this one apart is the relationship between the first adoptive daughter, Antonia, and her Mei Mei, or younger sister. Based on Young's experience, the text follows Antonia's story beginning with her arrival from China and her early years, to her request for a Mei Mei, to her disillusionment with her less-than-perfect sibling, to the girls' evolving closeness and love for each other. The narrative is told gracefully in Antonia's expressive, childlike voice: "When we returned, I found out that she was not what she ought to be. She couldn't walk. She couldn't talk. She couldn't play. She took all the attention away from me." Young's illustrations in gouache, pastel, and collage are irresistibly beautiful and filled with feeling. A significant page turn takes readers from Antonia's anticipation about their first meeting to Mei Mei's crying baby face filling an entire page. Most spreads achieve a serene unity through the use of varying wallpaper-like designs. A definitive composition shows the sisters lying together, legs intertwined, sharing a book, their form echoed against a gently curving floral background. A simple story of family bonds unerringly told.-Kate McClelland, Perrot Memorial Library, Old Greenwich, CT Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

[Mylinh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Non-Fiction


Ed Young's tale about his two adoptive daughters told from the perspective of his oldest daughter. A great story to read when talking about families, adoption, and new siblings.


From School Library Journal
Starred Review. PreSchool-Grade 2–There are other picture books about traveling to China to adopt a child, but what sets this one apart is the relationship between the first adoptive daughter, Antonia, and her Mei Mei, or younger sister. Based on Youngs experience, the text follows Antonias story beginning with her arrival from China and her early years, to her request for a Mei Mei, to her disillusionment with her less-than-perfect sibling, to the girls evolving closeness and love for each other. The narrative is told gracefully in Antonias expressive, childlike voice: When we returned, I found out that she was not what she ought to be. She couldnt walk. She couldnt talk. She couldnt play. She took all the attention away from me. Youngs illustrations in gouache, pastel, and collage are irresistibly beautiful and filled with feeling. A significant page turn takes readers from Antonias anticipation about their first meeting to Mei Meis crying baby face filling an entire page. Most spreads achieve a serene unity through the use of varying wallpaper-like designs. A definitive composition shows the sisters lying together, legs intertwined, sharing a book, their form echoed against a gently curving floral background. A simple story of family bonds unerringly told.–Kate McClelland, Perrot Memorial Library, Old Greenwich, CT
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Rian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary: Antonia tells the story of how she longs for a little sister and finally gets her wish when she travels with her parents to China to bring her new sister home.

Response: This is a very sweet story told from the perspective of a little girl who longs to be a big sister. I think it would ring very true to litter girls with the same wish. This story also gently reminds us that there are many ways to be a sibling when we learn that Antonia will meet her mei-mei by going to China with her parents to adopt her and bring her home. Antonia feels the same surprise any child might feel when they meet their baby sibling - the baby can't walk, or talk, or play at all yet - so the story is a wonderful way for adopted and non-adopted children to both learn about a different experience and relate tot he main character at the same time.
I also like that this story reminds me of the complexity of categorizing literature; this is one of many versions of what it means to be Asian-American, or to be an Asian-American literary work. While Antonia is from China, her name comes from her Italian nonna (grandmother) and her family is brought together by adoption across cultural lines. A teacher could use it to teach many points, or just to enjoy a sweet family story with lovely and peaceful water color illustrations. As a parent, I also loved Ed Young's note of explanation at the back of the book and how he came to write the story of adopting his first child and how, when he saw the story through her eyes, he knew how he wanted to tell it.

PICTURE BOOK

[Jazmyne Henry · Rating 4 out of 5]

This based on a true story children's book is about a young girl named Antonia who wants nothing more than to have a Mei Mei (little sister) of her own. Her sister was adopted but when she arrived she wasn't anything like she expected her to be. She could not walk or talk and she took all the attention away from Antonia. Once her Mei Mei got older the bond as sisters grew stronger and stronger. I would use this book in to teach language acquisition because some of the terms in this book like Mei Mei and Jieh- Jieh are Chinese terms. The students can use this text to ask themselves how they would feel if they had an adopted brother or sister. How they would deal with it? How they thought their lives would change? The author got the idea for this story because of his own experience with his adopted daughter Antonia and her coping with being passed from caregiver to caregiver for her first 6 months of life and her transition into an established family. The author does a good job in showing the growth in the two sisters' relationship he didn't just show the bad but he also showed how things got better for Antonia once she began to get comfortable with her new family. This text shows young children that even though a new sibling maybe hard to deal with when they are getting all of Mom and Dad's attention, it doesn't mean that your parents love you any less. It just means that your family is growing and family is all about growth.

[Samantha Van]

My Mei Mei

Author and Illustrator: Ed Young

Artistic Media Used: Drawing Materials.

Brief Summary: This story is about an adopted little girl named Antonia that grows up wanting a little sister or Mei Mei. She learns big sister skills and she even had an imaginary sister. Her mom and dad finally go to China to adopt her baby sister. She at first didn’t like her sister as much as she thought she would. She didn’t walk or talk and couldn’t be play with. Her sister also took all the attention away from her. Once her sister got older Antonia started liking her. They would play together, and read together. At the end of the book these two girls came up to their parents and asked for another Mei Mei.

Artistic Critique

The Illustrator’s style was realism. When comparing the photography of the girls on the last page with the drawing of the little girls they are near identical.

Color: The backgrounds are very colorful and inviting.

The Endpapers are done very well. They show the parents in the beginning getting Antonia from China. In the end they show a picture of the girls in real life.

[Ale_meows · Rating 3 out of 5]

This narrative tells a story about a young girl who is getting ready to become a big sister. The young girl learns about the importance of family through the adoption of her new sibling. The Author of this children's book, Ed Young, tells the story through the main character, Antonia. Antonia is at first eager to have a little sister but she then changes her mind and wants to take her back when she sees how much more attention Mei Mei is getting from her parents. I would use this book in my classroom when exploring other languages and cultures. The author incorporates Chinese words such as "mei mei" (little sister) and "jieh jieh" meaning big sister into the book. I feel that the illustrations in the book are appropriate with the story line and they will catch the students attention. This book teaches acceptance through adoption and can also help children understand that things aren't always exactly what they expect. Ed Young shares a strong connection with this story. He wrote this book using his family's own personal experience. He was inspired to tell the story about how his daughters met.

[Enasia Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This narrative tells about a story of a little girl who learns about the importance of family through her little sister's adoption. Ed Young, captures the story through a girl named Antonia, the main character. Antonia wants a little sister to all her own, but when her family finally adopts her little sister, Mei Mei, everything turns upside down. Mei Mei is stealing all of the attention and Antonia wants to send her back. This book is very authentic, because it can expose children to Chinese words,such as, "Mei Mei" (little sister) and "Jieh Jieh" (big sister). The illustrator weaves traditional Chinese paintings which can inspire many children in the classroom. I would teach this book to show that although you might be feeling a certain way in the beginning of a situation, but in the end, it might be different. Also, students can get inspired to make Chinese paintings. Ed Young connects to the story because it is about his own family, he tells about the experience that his daughter went through.

[Heidi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Summary: My Mei Mei is a story of a family who adopts a baby girl from China. The older sister was excited to have someone to play with. When she realized that Mei Mei couldn't walk, talk or play, she was upset. A few years later, they did everything together.

Reading Level: 1st- 4th grade

Genre: Picture Book

Topics: International Adoption & Family

Use: Read Aloud & Independent Reading

Social Issues: International Adoption

Literary Terms: The tone of the narrator changes throughout the story. She is excited, anxious, disappointed and content at different points in the story.

Text/image: The illustrations in this book are done very well for a Chinese theme. The illustrations make the story complete.

[Emilia P · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm always a little iffy on Issue Stories -- because there is a tendency to be preachy, didactic, leading with them. There's usually an agenda. There kind of has to be. This book is not completely free of that (I guess...I have some issues with international adoption? That it doesn't and probably shouldn't address). BUT on the other hand, it's actually the story of the author's family, and the illustrations are beautifully painted and set at really interesting intimate angles that just make you feel like the image is giving you a big familial hug. And for that, I really liked this book. It's one family's story, and it belongs as part of a larger set of stories to educate on China, Chinese-Americans, and Chinese adoptions. And being a big sister. It's tough. But it has great rewards! :)

[Kayla Gayle · Rating 3 out of 5]

My Mei Mei is a story about a little girl who gets an adopted little sister who shows her the importance of family. Antonia wants her own sister but when her parents decide to adopt she freaks out and everything changes. Mei Mei steals all of the attention away from Antonia who wants her to go back from where they adopted her from. This book is great because it introduces and exposes children to Chinese words. The illustrations are vivid and most use traditional Chinese paintings. This is a great book to use in the classroom due to the fact that some of the children in your classroom may be going through a similar situation and will maybe help them through this.

[Chanae Wills · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story follows a little girl, Antonia, who really wants a Mei Mei, younger sister. Eventually she gets one and in the beginning her new baby sister isn’t what she expected, but as time goes on she loves her sister more and more. I could use this story to teach my students about diverse families. This story also has Chinese words and the meaning following the words, which be something that I could teach my students. I could have my students write about their families or a time that they remember wanting a younger brother or sister.

[Paul Farbman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the story of a family that adopts a child from China. When the child gets older, she asks her Mom and Dad for a little sister, or Mei Mei, of her own.

This would be a good story for any child that has a new baby in the family. Antonia, the first child, initially idealizes the idea of how perfect a little sister will be. When the child arrives, she is upset that it is not able to play with her and that it takes up most of her parent's' attention. Eventually, Antonia comes to relate to her little sister.

[Molly Toomey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Antonia wants a little mei mei (sister) to call her own. Her parents take her to China when she is three to pick up a little sister. However, this sister is not like what Antonia expected at all. She cried, took all the attention away, could not walk, and could not play. Antonia was more annoyed than happy. When time passes, Antonia soon realizes that she loves her little sister and wouldn't trade her for anything in the world. A good book to talk about adoption, siblings, and multicultural language.

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

More than anything else in the world, Antonia wants a Mei Mei, little sister, to call her own. But when she and her mother and father fly all the way to China to get her little sister and Antonia finally meets her, she is not at all like Antonia imagined her: She can’t walk. She can’t talk. She just cries and steals attention. But is her Mei Mei all that bad? This charming personal story from Ed Young follows a little girl as she learns what being a big sister is all about, and discovers the real meaning of family.

[Emelda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes I am frustrated by the abundance of books with white people adopting from China. While they are probably the majority, the only people I know who have adopted from China are Chinese! So I was thrilled to find this book with a Chinese-American heterosexual couple adopting one girl from China and later going back to get another. At first Antonia rejcts her new baby sister but the story ends weaving parts of their lives growing up together. Lovely story.

[Jackie · Rating 2 out of 5]

A concise, terse book about adopting a daughter from China. Chinese words are sometimes confusing because they are not explained. We are left struggling with the meaning. Events are too rapidly glossed over. The background of the illustrations are extremely distracting. However, it may be a good book to recommend to a child adopted from China, because she may see herself in some of the unique situations depicted in the book.

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a story about the growth of a family when a new baby sister is adopted from China/. The older sister is excited but still finds there are times she's less than thrilled about her new sibling.

Illustrations were rendered in gouache, pastel, and collage. I really liked the backgrounds of the illustrations. They popped like scrapbook paper or a really striking wallpaper.

A great adoption read or for families expecting a new baby. PreK-2.

[NS - Cami Houston · Rating 2 out of 5]

The most striking part about this book are the illustrations. They are beautiful and life like. A little girl born in China wishes for a sister. Her parents finally adopt a baby girl. This esteems her because she can now feel important as an older sister because she gets to protect and love someone.