Youngsters will enjoy consuming this well-illustrated yum cha tale.
A child of Asian heritage eats a delicious meal at a Chinese restaurant in Felix’s debut picture book.
Yum cha is a Chinese meal of dim sum and hot tea. An unseen narrator asks a child questions, such as “Do you see the cups being filled with hot tea?” and uses affectionate terms, including “my little dumpling.” Debut writer Felix effectively emphasizes noises with repetition and capitalization: the “CLANK! CLANK! CLANK!” of the dishes and the “SQUEAK! SQUEAK! SQUEAK!” of the lazy Susan on the circular table. Mariana’s full-color illustrations are quite fun, especially when playing with perspective; the child is occasionally miniaturized, apparently to demonstrate their outsized love of dim sum. The images, which use plenty of red, give the boy excited expressions and show the food in great detail. The narration describes siu mai as wearing “yellow pants with orange polka dots,” calls har gow “a purse filled with the sea,” and name-checks fluffy cha siu bao. It would have been helpful, though, if the text supplied translations and pronunciations for some Cantonese terms, such as mai dan, for readers who may be unfamiliar. Caregivers and kids may wish to read the work in conjunction with eating yum cha for deeper appreciation.
Youngsters will enjoy consuming this well-illustrated yum cha tale.Pub Date: Nov. 3, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-578-32873-7
Page Count: 36
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: May 24, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A series of rollicking riddles with unexpected answers. In the first spread, the picture on the left apparently shows a rabbit in silhouette while the short verse on the right provides the clues: “He steals carrots... / His floppy ears are long and funny. / Can you guess who? That’s right! My….” Turn the page for the answer: “Grandpa Ned.” (Ned’s upside-down, with socks half-pulled off to resemble rabbit ears.) Grandpa Ned turns up twice more, as the answer to a riddle that seems to be about a cat and later as the setup answer to another riddle. The book’s four other riddles involve a pirate, snow creatures, a mouse hole and a dark cave. A lifting flap and a gatefold add tactile interest. Rex’s straightforward gouache-and–mixed-media illustrations downplay the mischief of the premise, appropriately lobbing visual softballs at an audience disoriented by the goof on a tried-and-true formula they’ve encountered over and over. In all, it’s a refreshing (albeit slight) spoof for jaded young readers who have aced easy Q&A books; some may find it too cool for the room. (Picture book. 4-6)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2009
ISBN: 978-1-4169-5566-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2009
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
A solid addition to Rotner’s seasonal series. Bring on summer.
Rotner follows up her celebrations of spring and autumn with this look at all things winter.
Beginning with the signs that winter is coming—bare trees, shorter days, colder temperatures—Rotner eases readers into the season. People light fires and sing songs on the solstice, trees and plants stop growing, and shadows grow long. Ice starts to form on bodies of water and windows. When the snow flies, the fun begins—bundle up and then build forts, make snowballs and snowmen (with eyebrows!), sled, ski (nordic is pictured), skate, snowshoe, snowboard, drink hot chocolate. Animals adapt to the cold as well. “Birds grow more feathers” (there’s nothing about fluffing and air insulation) and mammals, more hair. They have to search for food, and Rotner discusses how many make or find shelter, slow down, hibernate, or go underground or underwater to stay warm. One page talks about celebrating holidays with lights and decorations. The photos show a lit menorah, an outdoor deciduous tree covered in huge Christmas bulbs, a girl next to a Chinese dragon head, a boy with lit luminarias, and some fireworks. The final spread shows signs of the season’s shift to spring. Rotner’s photos, as always, are a big draw. The children are a marvelous mix of cultures and races, and all show their clear delight with winter.
A solid addition to Rotner’s seasonal series. Bring on summer. (Informational picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Oct. 16, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-8234-3976-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: Aug. 13, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2018
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