Review by Horn Book Review
Enraged by homework she doesn't understand, Nunu runs into her room, slams the door, screams, and tears up the yellow origami house on her desk. In a story line reminiscent of Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are and Bang's When Sophie Gets Angry -- Really, Really Angry..., Nunu leaves her home and sets sail in a newspaper boat on stormy seas. Delicate lines and rich watercolors blend in mixed-media illustrations that mirror the progression of Nunu's emotions. Initial black-and-white spreads evolve into the indigo of the dark skies and thundering waves of the storm. When the sky clears, Nunu feels alone, but then she remembers her backpack stuffed with paper, which she uses to fold into origami creatures that keep her company, and the palette brightens with rose, purple, and gold notes. Spare, poetic text ("The sea recedes. The sea reveals. The sea reflects") is soothing, as the time Nunu spends in her imagination calms and restores her. In a new frame of mind, she notices the yellow scraps of paper that followed her through her journey. She gathers them and rebuilds the origami house she had destroyed, then returns home in a spread that glows with light and love. This sensitive, engaging book acknowledges overwhelming feelings and offers a compassionate nudge toward healthy coping mechanisms. Adrienne L. PettinelliNovember/December 2025 p.52 (c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
An emotional journey of epic proportions. Nunu, an Asian-presenting child with red glasses, angrily shreds a paper house on her desk; the yellow scraps pop against the grayscale background of her room. "It is all too much," an unseen narrator explains as Nunu lies on the floor, sobbing. Like Max in Maurice Sendak'sWhere the Wild Things Are (1963), Nunu discovers another world in her room--a vast, steely ocean dotted with yellow scraps. Aboard a folded paper boat, Nunu fixes her gaze far away from her unhappiness, but soon the waves swell around her tiny boat until she's swept into a giant whirlpool. Nunu is alone. "Or so she thinks." A spirited paper crane escapes from her backpack, and Nunu folds more paper to add to her menagerie. With the vessel becoming overcrowded, she must sacrifice her boat to create something new for herself. Kung subtly introduces a soft pastel palette as Nunu finds her way back to calm waters and her home, where, evoking Sendak's work again, warmth and love await her. Kung has deftly folded her own magic into evocative prose and mesmerizing artwork that enchants in its simplicity. The author/illustrator invites young readers to confront big feelings and to ride them out, with the promise of acceptance and reconciliation upon return. An author's note offers parents a starting point for beginning these important conversations with children. Captivating.(Picture book. 3-6) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
