Cartoon Saturday- Noodle and Bao

Lu, Shaina. Noodle and Bao
October 15, 2024 by Quill Tree Books
E ARC Provided by Edelweiss Plus

In this graphic novel, we meet Momo, who loves living in Town 99. Her favorite place to eat is a small restaraunt run by Noodle Yi Yi and her grandchild, Bao, Momo's best friend. When Noodle has to sell the restaurant, it is bought by Ms. Jujube and turned into the expensive and upscale Fancé Café. Momo is very upset, and she also notices that there are other things changing in her neighborhood. Her parents have to work all the time, and there are overdue bills posted on the refrigerator. Noodle sets up a food truck outside her old location, but doesn't have the proper permit and is told to clear off. Momo and Bao decide to fight for their neighborhood.  They sneak into Fancé Café planning to order something inexpensive off the menu to find out how horrible it is, but Ms. Jujube spots them and comps them a complete meal. Bao is fascinated by the different flavors, and talks to Ms. Jujube with some interest, but Momo is upset. She challenges Ms. Jujube to a cooking contest at an upcoming neighborhood festival, and both agree that if Noodle and Bao wins, Fancé Café will close down, but if Ms. Jujube wins, the food truck will be removed and Bao will come and work for her. Bao spends a lot of time trying new dishes that they think represent the neighborhood, which include things like Cheeseburger and Chicharon Bao (which is a filled steamed bun). Momo is a little leery of these new twists on traditional cuisine, but she is very upset because her parents have told her that they are being evicted and have to move. When the festival arrives, Bao wins the contest, but it is a Phyrhic victory: Ms. Jujube will close down Fancé Café  as planned, but also tear it down and build a ninety-nine story hotel with a restaurant on the bottom floor. She claims it will bring jobs to the area, but Momo and Bao know it will destroy Town 99 as they know it. They start to protest, getting government officials involved, and casting a lot of bad publicity on Ms. Jujube's plan. She finally agrees to sell the land back, and the community is able to remain as it is. There are notes about real ethnic enclaves in the US that have fought gentrification, as well as information about Chinese immigration and an explanation of the different dialects of Chinese that are used alongside the English in the text. 

Strengths: I would suggest to readers that they start with the notes first; while I knew a little about the Chinese Exclusion Act and other bits of Chinese history (thanks to books like Lee and Soontornvat's Made in Asian America and Blackburn's Exclusion and the Chinese-American Story), having a brief background will make this more powerful for readers. I was also intrigued to learn about the Parcel C protests in Boston in the 1990s and would love to see a middle grade novel about that. The descriptions of food are very detailed and enticing. Momo's love for her neighborhood is very clear, and it's encouraging to see her work to save her neighborhood. 
Weaknesses: The illustration style seems a little young for the topic, and there were some odd things, like the fact that Momo's parents were depicted as pandas and Noodle looked like a cat. I suppose that is just a stylistic choice, but it was a little confusing; it would have made more sense to me if Momo were also depicted as a panda. 
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who want to learn about gentrification and want a graphic novel instead of traditional novels like Dilloway's Five Things About Ava Andrews, Vivat's Meet Me on Mercer Street, Nelson's The Umbrella House, Giles' Take Back the Block, or Broaddus' Unfadeable.