Yaya and the Dan-Tats

A joyful picture book about all the mischief a young girl and her Yaya get up toand all the friends they make and dan-tats they eat!-during her weekly visits to his long-term care home.

The narrator of this story is on her weekly visit to her Yaya at his nursing home and has brought him, like always, dan-tats for them to eat together. But as Yaya zooms away in his wheelchair, she has a hard time keeping up: trying to track him down leads to run-ins with many of the other unfamiliar residents, not to mention Nurses Joey and Anna, who are trying to keep things orderly. Just when she starts to worry Yaya may have forgotten about her, a trail of their favorite custard tart crumbs leads the way back to him. Finally, they head to his room to share their weekly treat, but not before making a few more stops, and a few new friends, along the way.

A gentle introduction to adjusting to change and uncertainty, Yaya and the Dan-Tats showcases the unexpected fun and the community that can be found anywhere, even in unfamiliar places. Phoebe Xiao’s energetic and thoughtfully detailed art further captures the charm and imagination of this heartfelt story about intergenerational connection.

Author Biography

CAMELLIA KOO is a Toronto-based author and designer for theater, opera, and dance. Her favorite stories to write are about, and for, shy, quiet kids with the biggest, loudest hearts. Yaya and the Dan-Tats is her debut book.

PHOEBE XIAO is an illustrator based in Toronto, Canada. She was born in China and moved to Vancouver when she was a child. Phoebe graduated with a BFA in illustration from OCADU in Toronto and is pursuing her master’s degree at China Academy of Art in Hangzhou.