Night Market Rescue

March 15, 2023
A stray dog makes a friend in a Taipei night market. It's a hot, sticky summer evening when GoGo, a lean, dark-furred pooch who is sheltering from the heat, is woken by a breeze carrying a delicious smell. Following the spicy, sweet scent, he finds a market of stands selling fruits, vegetables, and street foods. GoGo dodges scooters, samples the foods, chases a cat...and comes across a small girl who is all alone. The two become immediate friends, but as GoGo leads her through the market, she suddenly stops following. She has found a couple who embrace her, leaving GoGo alone again. Or is he? The Taipei night market makes a fun setting for this familiar story of friendship and found family. Ren's vibrant illustrations glow with warmth and color, but they often lack the energy of the text. The delicately outlined inked drawings are charming and sweet but a bit too polished and precise to bring to life the bustling night market. Those familiar with Taiwanese night markets and street food will have fun recognizing the different vendor offerings, and others will enjoy the feeling of visiting a new country. (This book was reviewed digitally.) A low-key friendship story. (Picture book. 3-7)

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April 3, 2023
Roused by a “sweet and spicy” scent on a cooling breeze, black-furred stray GoGo wanders solo on a hot summer’s evening into unknown territory: one of Taipei’s bustling night markets. Vendors line the streets with various treats, and GoGo dodges scooters and strangers, helping himself to “tasty, tender sausage bites/ while slurping ginger tea.” Passersby pay him no mind as he maneuvers the stalls, snacking on scraps as they drop. While capitalizing on a fallen watermelon, he encounters a “scared lost stranger”—a child who quickly becomes a friend. Eager to show his new companion all he’s discovered, GoGo guides the girl through the market, unwittingly leading her back to her parents’ embrace. Cheng (A Moment in Time) draws on her own memories of Taiwanese night markets to write a lively readaloud about finding one’s way home. Capturing a perhaps surprisingly subdued atmosphere, neat digital illustrations from Ren (Because) glow brightly in iridescent hues that grow more vibrant as the story reaches a happy ending for the solitary pooch. Ages 4–7. Author’s agent: Karen Grencik, Red Fox Literary. Illustrator’s agent: Jennifer Rofé, Andrea Brown Literary.

May 26, 2023

PreS-Gr 3-The vibrant colors and aromas of a Taipei food market come to life in this warm story of friendship and delivery. GoGo, a lean and homeless dog, is sheltering from the heat of a summer night when his nose leads him to a night food market. He delights in the scraps left by careless shoppers and enjoys the small pleasures of chasing a cat and rolling a fallen watermelon. But when he finds a lost and lonely child he also finds a temporary friend and is eager to show her all he has discovered. When she is reunited with her frantic parents, GoGo is again alone. But not for long. Friendship turns to love and a home and GoGo has found a family. Simple text and colorful illustrations bring to life the energy and spirit of a street market. Young children will enjoy both the warm story of a child finding a friend and of a pup finding a home. Recommended as a read-aloud. VERDICT A simple story of friendship and love between a child and a dog.-Eva Elisabeth VonAncken

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