The Magnificent Banyan and the Green Tong Lau
$42.26
- Hardcover
40 pages
- Release Date
23 September 2026
Summary
A modern fable beautifully illustrated in watercolor about the residents of a Hong Kong apartment whose lives are seemingly disrupted by a hardy banyan tree that begins to grow on the building’s walls.
There once was a bird that dropped a seed into a crack in a green tong lau. Nobody noticed, not even when a spindly root sprouted from the wall and curled past The Grandpa playing mahjong on his balcony, The Aunties belting Chinese opera, The Grandma lighting incense at her alt…
Book Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780593858448 |
|---|---|
| ISBN-10: | 0593858441 |
| Author: | Stephanie Ellen Sy, Ishita Jain |
| Publisher: | Penguin Young Readers |
| Imprint: | Kokila |
| Format: | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages: | 40 |
| Release Date: | 23 September 2026 |
| Weight: | 468g |
| Dimensions: | 10mm x 226mm x 300mm |
| Audience Age: | 3-7 |
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Critics Review
Praise for The Magnificent Banyan and the Green Tong Lau by Stephanie Ellen Sy; Illustrated by Ishita Jain:
★ “A lush and lovely celebration of urban nature’s gifts.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review
★ “This symbiotic, intergenerational, and interspecies story will encourage children to find their voice and remind adults to listen. A must-purchase for picture book shelves.” —School Library Journal, starred review
“A cheerful, clever tale of community and environmental awareness.” —The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
Stephanie Ellen Sy
Stephanie Ellen Sy is the author of A Roof!, You Can’t Tame a Tiger, Jia Has a Dog Problem, and The Magnificent Banyan Tree and the Green Tong Lau. Like the banyan tree that grows from a tiny seed on a city wall, she has learned to thrive in the places she’s called home—from the Philippines to Hong Kong, from a boarding school in the tiny town of Deerfield, MA, to Florence, Italy, where she arrived without speaking the language. She now lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, writing stories about the quiet magic of belonging and community.
Ishita Jain is an illustrator and designer based in NYC, though she is from New Delhi, India. She is the illustrator of Midnight Motorbike, The Magnificent Banyan Tree and the Green Tong Lau, and several other books. She draws on location and documents the people, places, and stories that surround her. She loves to go on long walks, stare at massive trees, and draw outdoors.
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