Shining Star

June 1, 2009
Yoo (Sixteen Years in Sixteen Seconds
) spotlights a famous Chinese-American actress from the golden days of Hollywood. Growing up poor in Los Angeles's Chinatown, Anna May Wong was fascinated with the local movie scene. “She regularly skipped school to watch the action on the set and ask questions about filmmaking.” Lin Wang's (A Single Red Thread
) elegant paintings in muted hues capture the actress's emotions in her expressive eyes framed by dark bangs. Full-page spreads showcase her stylish garb—snazzy flapper attire or traditional Chinese dress—and her early-20th-century surroundings. The conversational narrative uses many descriptive vignettes from her life (e.g., a girlhood visit to the movie theater, a trip to China) to briskly move the story from her youth to her early movie career. Peppered throughout are examples of the racism she experienced (“Movie studios forbade actors and actresses of color to kiss their white costars”). Always countering these are Anna May's responses, at first her strong feelings and, later, her decision to only portray roles that didn't denigrate Chinese-Americans. A fascinating account of the life of a determined actress. Ages 6–11.

July 1, 2009
Gr 2-5-Although Wongs days were filled with backbreaking work as she helped in her familys San Francisco Chinese laundry, her daydreams were replete with visions of life as a film star. Anna saw every movie she could, and eventually, despite her parents opposition, she became a movie extra. As a young woman in the 1920s, beautiful and unusually tall, she was given supporting roles, but, distressed by the stereotypical characters Chinese actors were forced to portray, she decided to pursue her career in Europe. When she returned to Hollywood in 1935, she discovered that nothing had changed. After a visit to China, Wong returned to the U.S. with a renewed determination to eliminate the old Asian stereotypes that had become film standards. Her efforts yielded her some wonderful roles and helped open doors for other Asian-American actors. This is an excellent introduction to a one-time celeb little known to todays children. Yoo explains Wongs circumstances with clarity and portrays her hardships and triumphs in concise, easy-to-follow prose. Lin Wangs acrylic and watercolor illustrations are the perfect complement to the well-written text, precise in their realistic detail and particularly adept in their portrayal of both facial expressions and textures. They provide a vivid portrait of Wongs changing lifestyles, from that of her impoverished childhood surroundings to the elegant luxuries that her fame made possible. Readers will be entranced by the actresss rags-to-riches story, and her efforts at confronting racial discrimination will resonate with all ethnic minorities. An authors note fleshes out the biography, making this a fine choice for both school and public libraries."Nancy Menaldi-Scanlan, formerly at LaSalle Academy, Providence, RI"

Copyright 2009 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2009
Grades 4-6 The name Anna May Wong wont mean much, even to young film buffs.However, Wongs storyher aspirations, disappointments, and the need to make peace with who she waswill resonate. Born in 1905 in Los Angeles Chinatown, Anna worked at her parents laundry.While her hands were in soapy water, her head was filled with starsmovie stars. Against her fathers wishes, she tried acting and eventuallygot a fewleading roles; but prejudice against Asians (and the rule of no on-screeninterracial romance) limited her career. For a long time she was forced to play either the China doll or the dragon lady, butafterWong both asserted herself and learned about her heritage, she pushed beyond stereotypes. Well paced and full of interesting detail, this picture book for older readersis a fascinating snapshot of what life was like for actresses of color. There are no sources for quotes (and some seem obviously made up), nor are there footnotes, only a brief list of sources. The figures in the watercolor art can be stiff, but the cover is enchanting and many interior pictures will intrigue.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2010
Anna May longed to escape her family's Chinatown laundry for Hollywood's silver screen. But when her dream became reality in the early 1920s, the actress faced stereotyped roles ("China doll," "dragon lady"), movie studio racism (no interracial kissing), and criticism in China for her negative portrayals (she later refused roles that denigrated Asians). Realistic watercolor and acrylic paintings illustrate the insightful biography.

(Copyright 2010 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)