Little White Duck

By Na Liu, Andrés Vera Martínez (illustrator),

Book cover of Little White Duck: A Childhood in China

Book description

The world is changing for two girls in China in the 1970s. Da Qin―Big Piano―and her younger sister, Xiao Qin―Little Piano―live in the city of Wuhan with their parents. For decades, China's government had kept the country separated from the rest of the world. When their country's leader, Chairman Mao,…

Shepherd is reader supported. When you buy books, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Why read it?

1 author picked Little White Duck as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

This graphic novel, based on the author’s own childhood experiences, offers a darker picture of life in 1970s China than I usually like to share with other Americans, whose view is often already bleak at best. But Little White Duck passes my nuance test: for every episode that strikes the reader as shockingly foreign, there is something that highlights the commonality of human experience. The story begins in 1976, when four-year-old Na attends a funeral for Chairman Mao with her grief-stricken parents. In the years that follow, Na’s life continues to be shaped by political campaigns: inspired by the heroic…

From Sigrid's list on China for young readers.

Want books like Little White Duck?

Our community of 10,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like Little White Duck.

Browse books like Little White Duck

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in China, presidential biography, and Shanghai?

10,000+ authors have recommended their favorite books and what they love about them. Browse their picks for the best books about China, presidential biography, and Shanghai.

China Explore 574 books about China
Presidential Biography Explore 18 books about presidential biography
Shanghai Explore 52 books about Shanghai