Cian Like Keyin

Yellow Singing Sail: A Memoir of An Only Child In China is a graphic memoir which uses a consistent and beautiful color pallet of muted reds, greens, and yellows. The book follows Yinfan “Yinyin” Huang‘s childhood in Xintian and Guangzhou. Huang focuses on her school years as a young girl who is passionate about drawing. She writes honestly about her childhood as an artistic kid who was bullied, struggled with some school subjects, experienced loneliness as an only child, and had to cope with moving across the country. In the book, Yinfan moves to Guangzhou and wants to learn Cantonese so she can conform and not be bullied for her native Xintian dialect. These themes are relatable to any kids who have ever struggled to fit in. Additionally, Huang discusses other universal issues like her family’s financial struggles and conflicts between family members.

Throughout Yellow Singing Sail, Huang describes cultural differences that will be intruiging and informative to young readers in places like the US. Yinfan describes unisex uniforms/strict hair rules in schools as well as military training before middle school. She discusses the variety of languages and characters within China such as Pinyin, the “system that uses roman letters to suggest the sound of Chinese characters.” Huang also explains that every Chinese character has different tones, which change meanings of words.

Age recommendation: I think this book is perfect for middle grade readers, though upper elementary-age kids and teens who are fans of graphic memoirs/novels would also enjoy Huang’s work.

Yellow Singing Sail will be available June 3, 2025.