A tasty (if slight) tour of fast-food offerings the world over.
Sticky fingers, smudged faces, and full bellies—the hallmarks of good street food everywhere.
Whether purchased from a street vendor in Athens, a bike vendor in Marrakech, a train station in Mumbai, one thing is universal: The mouthwatering aromas of cooking food beguile people on highways, alleyways, and byways. Larios’ whimsical tribute to the comfort found in munching mandu in Seoul or chomping a churro in Oaxaca will stir memories of places far away—or right next door. These sometimes-awkward, four- to six-line poems are little bites of specific places and experiences—try a deep-fried scorpion on a stick in Beijing or the black devil’s broth in Surabaya, East Java! Not so adventuresome? How about pretzels in New York or Fenway franks in Boston? Paschkis’ vibrant, opaque watercolor scenes whisk readers off to an Israeli beach or a celebration in Peru. A few page turns later, and the scene is at the foot of a baobab tree in Senegal. Diverse dishes for diverse cultures. Readers will be sorry, however, there is no illustrated food glossary. In the closing “International Menu of Sweets and Treats,” some dishes, such as the devil’s broth, are vividly explained, but others are only names mentioned in passing—Russian pelmeni, piroshki, and blini are lumped together as “savory pastries.” (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.)
A tasty (if slight) tour of fast-food offerings the world over. (Picture book/poetry. 4-8)Pub Date: April 13, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5344-5377-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: March 1, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
A cheerful and thorough look at Chinese Lunar New Year traditions.
A full catalog of Lunar New Year traditions packed into a poetic vehicle inspired by Clement C. Moore’s famous verse.
In this installment of Wing’s Night Before series, which has grown to more than two dozen volumes, rhyming couplets describe an Asian family’s Lunar New Year celebration. From hanging spring poems and receiving red envelopes to setting firecrackers, watching the lion and dragon dances, and lighting lanterns on the 15th day, the book is filled with details on what are predominantly Chinese traditions despite the more inclusive title. And it really is quite a comprehensive overview, including the major foods and activities spanning the weekslong holiday. Upbeat, charming pencil, ink, and watercolor illustrations from Wummer, who has collaborated on many other books in the series, capture it all. Unfortunately, the meter of almost every couplet is uneven and awkward, beginning with the opening line, “ ’Twas the night before Lunar New Year,” making it a difficult read-aloud. Nonetheless, the content makes it a worthy pick for the holiday. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A cheerful and thorough look at Chinese Lunar New Year traditions. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Dec. 27, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-593-38421-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Grosset & Dunlap
Review Posted Online: Oct. 11, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2022
A quirky, fun story that will appeal to young audiences looking for a little bit of scare, with a premise so good it...
A tiger can’t believe it’s being upstaged in this picture-book riff on William Blake’s famous poem.
A group of zoologically diverse animals huddle around a fire, listening to a porcupine read from a chilling poem: “Bunnies, bunnies, burning bright, / in the forests of the night—.” An incredulous tiger interrupts, saying that the poem is actually about it. But a squirrel matter-of-factly states that “Here, it’s ‘bunnies, bunnies.’ ” The tiger still doesn’t understand why the animals would be so afraid of bunnies but not afraid of tigers and tries to explain why it, an apex predator, is far more threatening. The smaller animals remain unimpressed, calmly telling the tiger that “In this forest, we fear the bunny” and that it should “Hide now, before it’s too late.” An amusing and well-done premise slightly disappoints at the climax, with the tiger streaking away in terror before a horde of headlamp-wearing bunnies, but eager readers never learn what, exactly, the bunnies would do if they caught up. But at the end, a group of tigers joins the other animals in their awestruck reading of the adapted Blake poem, included in full at the end. Cute, fuzzy illustrations contrast nicely with the dark tone and forest background.
A quirky, fun story that will appeal to young audiences looking for a little bit of scare, with a premise so good it overcomes a weak conclusion. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Feb. 5, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-4814-7800-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Caitlyn Dlouhy/Atheneum
Review Posted Online: Nov. 20, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
