PARACHUTE KIDS

A full cast dramatizes this story of three Taiwanese kids who are left alone in the U.S. after a vacation while their loving parents return home to support them from afar. Author-illustrator Betty Tang opens this adaptation of her graphic novel by explaining that the English-language dialogue spoken by 10-year-old Feng-Li and her family is halting and heavily accented to emphasize the challenges of the language barrier they encounter. The effortless American-accented English listeners hear when the characters speak Mandarin with one another effectively drives the point home. Voicing the ebullient protagonist, Jenny Chan takes listeners through the highs and lows Feng-Li experiences as she navigates her strange new life. Kenton Chen and Ell also shine as Feng-Li's fully realized older siblings. V.S. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine [Published: AUGUST 2023]