My Day with Gong Gong

Summary of Book

A day in Chinatown takes an unexpected turn when a bored little girl makes a connection with her grandpa.

May isn't having fun on her trip through Chinatown with her grandfather. Gong Gong doesn't speak much English, and May can't understand Chinese. She's hungry, and bored with Gong Gong's errands. Plus, it seems like Gong Gong's friends are making fun of her! But just when May can’t take any more, Gong Gong surprises her with a gift that reveals he’s been paying more attention than she thought.

With lighthearted, expressive illustrations by Elaine Chen, this charming debut expertly captures life in the cityand shows how small, shared moments of patience and care—and a dumpling or two—can help a child and grandparent bridge the generational and cultural gaps between them.

Author Biography

Sennah Yee is from Toronto, where she writes poetry, prose, and film criticism. She is the author of the poetry collection How Do I Look? (Metatron Press), which dissects pop culture through personal anecdotes, and the children’s book My Day With Gong Gong (Annick Press), a love letter to her grandpa and Chinatown.

She is the co-founder and managing editor of the pop culture journal In The Mood Magazine. She is also a poetry editor at Peach Mag.

She produced the feature film Withdrawn, which was released on Netflix. Her Cinema & Media Studies Masters thesis focused on gendered robot design in popular media.

Though named after a Formula 1 driver, she has yet to get behind the wheel.

Illustrator Biography

Elaine Chen is an illustrator, painter, and visual storyteller. She enjoys using her own expressions to capture life's little things and moments that cannot be put into words. Currently, she works as an artist at a video game studio in Vancouver, British Columbia.