NOODLE & BAO

Two kids try to save their beloved neighborhood from gentrification.

“This is a love story between people…and a town.” Momo grew up in Town 99. Her favorite place to eat, Noodle & Bao, belongs to Noodle, her best friend Bao’s grandmother. When the landlord sold the building, Noodle had to close the restaurant and instead open a food cart. Bao says the business is struggling. Ms. Jujube, the owner of Fancé Café, the restaurant that took their place, is trying to force them out. Momo also notices changes—higher rent, “shiny new stores and big buildings appearing,” and neighbors moving away. Then Fancé Café’s owner announces that she’s opening Fancé Hotel, which she says will transform the “dirty old neighborhood.” Momo and Bao try everything they can think of to protect Town 99—it isn’t easy, but gathering everyone together is the only way to protect their neighborhood. This fantasy world, which is populated with humans and anthropomorphized animals, is based on the real history of American Chinatowns and the struggles of community organizations against gentrification. Lu uses light humor to tell the story in an accessible way. Informative backmatter offers additional context. Illustrated in black and white accentuated by shades of salmon, the charming, whimsical illustrations highlight the food and various neighborhood details. Noodle is Taiwanese, and her dialogue is written in English and traditional Chinese characters; Momo’s family and some other characters use English and romanized Cantonese.

An empowering combination of food, humor, and advocacy.