“I dream with Popo as she rocks me in her arms. She sings beibei xin, beibei gan. In my heart I hear: My baby, my heart. My baby, my love.” As a young girl in Taiwan, the narrator describes the many things she does with and for her grandmother (“I tell Popo about my adventure … I walk with Popo in the Park … I bow to Popo on New Year’s Day”). But there are clues that big changes are coming: The little girl’s family is moving. In San Diego, the girl continues to connect her activities to Popo (“I talk to Popo from across the sea … I think of Popo as I meet new kids”). Time passes and the little girl grows bigger. By the time her family makes a trip back to Taiwan, the girl can’t speak her original language as fluently, but her mother tells her she can still hug Popo as tightly as before. As the girl gets even bigger, there are more changes, some bittersweet as Popo ages, but love is the constant. A narrative brimming with warmth follows two distinct storylines—the girl’s changing life, and her ongoing relationship with Popo—creating a single, seamless whole. Beautiful, detailed digital illustrations reflect the specifics of character, family, setting, and culture in an artful, inviting picture book concluding with notes from the both the author and artist. (Ages 3-8)

From New York Times bestselling author Livia Blackburne and illustrator Julia Kuo, here is I Dream of Popo. This delicate, emotionally rich picture book celebrates a special connection that crosses time zones and oceans as Popo and her granddaughter hold each other in their hearts forever.

I dream with Popo as she rocks me in her arms.
I wave at Popo before I board my flight.
I talk to Popo from across the sea.
I tell Popo about my adventures.

When a young girl and her family emigrate from Taiwan to America, she leaves behind her beloved popo, her grandmother. She misses her popo every day, but even if their visits are fleeting, their love is ever true and strong.

A New York Public Library Best Book of 2021
A Booklist Editors' Choice Winner for 2021