What an absolute delight of a children's book, that can be devoured in a day. It is so funny, creative, inspiring and life-affirming.
'Magnolia Wu Unfolds It All' - it's strange, but when I first heard of this book, looked at the cover, and then skimmed the blurb, I thought it was not about sock detectives, but sock puppet detectives. Like, sentient socks that go around solving cases. Which sounds awesome in of itself.
But no, 'Magnolia Wu' is actually about young very human children who go around New York City looking for the owners of socks that get lost in a laundromat. Which is a premise that is just as fantastic, and the execution is amazing and almost flawless.
Magnolia Wu lives in her parents' laundromat. It's the summer, she's just turned ten years old (a fact that is barely brought up and doesn't contribute to anything, oddly enough), and she's bored. That is, until she finally makes a friend, Iris Lam from California - by way of their mothers being friends - and together they become the NYC Sock Detectives, searching the city for the owners of the socks (originally on display on a bulletin board) that get lost in the Wus' laundromat. Along the way, they discover far more about the people Magnolia knows in NYC than they ever imagined.
The NYC Sock Detectives - the impulsive, brash Magnolia and the shy yet creative and inquisitive Iris - end up unfolding more than colourful socks; they unfold all sorts of hidden, colourful depths in the lives of others.
No one is as they seem on the surface.
It turns out you can find out a lot about a person just by their socks.
What is in a sock?
'Magnolia Wu Unfolds It All' is about community. Connection. Belonging. Understanding your fellow human beings.
And it all links to socks.
Suffice to say, you will not think of socks the same way again after reading this little gem of contemporary children's literature.
Maybe it would have been even funnier and deeper if it was about sock puppet detectives (though there is something like it near the end, which I won't elaborate on due to spoilers), but as it is, the 145-page creative spark is cute and clever in the right ways, in the right areas.
It is also about friendship, especially the new one between Magnolia and Iris, and how it develops. How they work as a team, and how much they end up enjoying each other's company and caring for the other's feelings and life experiences - this is at the heart of the lovely novella, in the center of the themes of community, and socks, that are swirling around it like in a washing machine. That the girl duo are Asian American kids living in NYC makes everything all the more unique and special, with extra communal and societal highlights.
'Magnolia Wu' isn't too lighthearted, silly, goofy, and whimsical, and it doesn't shy away from the harsh reality of racism in America, specifically towards Asians and Asian-owned businesses. These truths need to be spotlighted - most crucially nowadays - no matter the target audience and tone.
In addition, as a Brit, I learned quite a lot about New York from 'Magnolia Wu'.
It is a fabulously colourful and diverse book... except that there are no explicit LBGTQ+ characters - none that are directly stated in the text beyond maybe speculation concerning appearances, jobs, hobbies, mannerisms and behaviour, anyway. In a story set in New York City. It is quite a shame (Magnolia has a crush on a boy as a tiny aside).
On another slightly negative note: Why is Magnolia's dog, Mister Pants, barely in the book? He's on the cover, going around New York with Magnolia and Iris, but this never actually happens in the book. As it stands, he hardly exists. His design is cute and funny - he looks like a pig in sheep's clothing, literally, and he wears booties - and I assume he's meant to be the animal mascot of something that's going to be an ongoing children's lit series. So why not utilise him, like, at all?
Will Mister Pants have a bigger role in the sequels? I should hope so!
Also, you wouldn't really know what the main characters look like if not for the illustrations. There is not much in the way of character appearance descriptions.
But apart from that, the light and bouncy writing in 'Magnolia Wu' manages to cram in many details effortlessly. The pacing and structure are breezy and brilliant.
Is there anything else I could add without revealing spoilers?
Well, at its most basic form, 'Magnolia Wu Unfolds It All' is like a love letter and homage to classic, nostalgic childhood literature, such as the works of Roald Dahl, E.B. White, Dick King-Smith, Anne Fine, Judy Blume, Lauren Child, and copious amounts of others. It is adorable, heartwarming, introspective, and precious.
Oh, and there's the theme of knowing your parents better, and what they were like before you were born, via your long-lived community. For a community is a family.
I feel privileged to have read 'Magnolia Wu Unfolds It All' from 2024, written and illustrated by Chanel Miller. She has enormous talent, and so much to say to us. She truly is an inspiration in a world too full of hurt and hate. She is an example of: no matter what happens, there remains love, and reasons to keep going, to keep moving forward, and keep making your dreams and aspirations a reality.
As 'Magnolia Wu' demonstrates:
People can surprise you.
People are complex, and are fighting inner and outer battles every day, but they are mostly good.
Understanding, empathising, and connecting to your fellow humans, and being kind and compassionate, are the keys to equality, and survival.
The little things in life, like socks, that are just as important as the "big" things, and they can make the unexpected happen, and the impossible possible, such as bonds and supportive relationships between seemingly different people.
It's the little things we do for others that make it all worth it; that make life big, fulfilling, and worth living.
You have already won in life just by being you, and being there for yourself, and for the people who love you. You have touched many lives, made better by you, by your presence. Together, you are a family and support system. You are home. You are where you need to be.
You are great, amazing, and important.
Nothing and no one can stop you from doing anything.
Never give up.
Never give up hope.
Never give in to hurt, hate, fear, and despair.
Keep trying.
It will get better.
It will be okay.
Thus finally ends my big review of a little novella.
Thank you, Chanel Miller, one again, and forever.
Final Score: 4/5
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