Join Pao Arts Center in celebrating the release of Noodle & Bao by Shaina Lu. Bring the whole family for an afternoon of fun with crafts, snacks, and a peek into this whimsical and empowering story about food, friendship, and community advocacy.
★ Staged Reading of an excerpt from Noodle & Bao, Directed by Alison Qu of CHUANG Stage
★ Talkback and Q&A with Shaina Lu, moderated by Laurence Louie
★ Buy a book from Porter Square Books
★ Get your book signed by Shaina Lu
★ Enjoy some craft activities - make your own clay baozi, coloring, and more!
Books will be available for purchase at this event thanks to our partnership with Porter Square Books.
This event is at capacity and registrations have closed.
About the Book:
Perfect for fans of Animal Crossing and Measuring Up, this whimsical and empowering middle grade graphic novel follows a girl who helps her friend’s humble food cart stand its ground against the gentrification of their Chinatown neighborhood.
Momo has lived in Town 99 her entire life. She knows all its quirks and rhythms: the best places to buy fruit, practice tai-chi in the park, and, most of all, get the best meal: Noodle & Bao, run by Momo’s best friend, Bao, and their amah, Noodle.
But Town 99 is changing. Rent is becoming unaffordable for Momo and her parents, and even Noodle & Bao has been edged out of its storefront, which was just recently bought out by a new business venture—Fancé Cafe. Fancé is run by the ambitious Ms. Jujube and her henchmen, who claim they're only beautifying Town 99 with good business.
Momo knows that’s not true, and knows that if she doesn’t do something, she’ll lose everything she loves about her neighborhood. From undercover recon to a cook-off proposal, protest signs to petitions, Momo and Bao are on a mission to protect Town 99. Will they succeed before it’s too late?
About the Writer
Shaina Lu 呂明穎 (she/her) is a queer Taiwanese-American artist interested in the intersection of art, education, and activism. She creates community art for social change through dialogue and conversation with local youth, residents, and grassroots organizers. She is the creator of NOODLE & BAO (2024, HarperCollins Quill Tree.)
When she’s not creating art, she works with young artists and makers in Boston’s Chinatown.
Most importantly, she drinks juice every day, and she is full of sugar.
About our Partners
Porter Square Book
Porter Square Books is an independent bookstore that has been serving the Cambridge/Somerville community and beyond for over 20 years. With a second location in Boston Seaport, PSB staff strive to provide a welcoming, inclusive atmosphere where all can have access to a wide selection of stories. Featuring weekly events with authors and monthly book clubs, PSB is a space to gather, learn, share ideas, and support small businesses.
CHUANG Stage
CHUANG Stage is Boston’s Asian-American Theatre company, cultivating joyful and radical Asian American stories that pioneer a translingual activism in the arts.
Contact: Ashley Yung