The House Baba Built: An Artist's Childhood in China

"The House Baba Built" is a moving memoir by renowned artist Ed Young, recounting his childhood in Shanghai during World War II. Despite the looming war outside, Young's home, built by his father, became a sanctuary of imagination and joy. He describes how everyday objects transformed into playthings, and how his family expanded to include friends and strangers, fostering a strong sense of community and belonging. This book offers a gentle yet powerful look at resilience, the power of imagination, and the enduring strength of family bonds in challenging times, making it suitable for children aged 4-11.

In Ed Young's childhood home in Shanghai, all was not as it seemed: a rocking chair became a horse; a roof became a roller rink; an empty swimming pool became a place for riding scooters and bikes. The house his father built transformed as needed into a place to play hide-and-seek, to eat bamboo shoots, and to be safe. For outside the home's walls, China was at war. Soon the house held not only Ed and his four siblings but also friends, relatives, and even strangers who became family. As the war grew closer, Ed watched planes fly overhead and friends join the Chinese air force. But through it all, Ed's childhood remained full of joy and imagination. - Jacket flap.