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BIG JIMMY’S KUM KAU CHINESE TAKE OUT

Name: BIG JIMMY’S KUM KAU CHINESE TAKE OUT
Author: Ted Lewin
ISBN: 0-688-16026-3

by Ted Lewin & illustrated by Ted Lewin ‧ RELEASE DATE: Dec. 1, 2001

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In a fond salute, Lewin (Red Legs, p. 588, etc.) introduces readers to his favorite Chinese take-out place. It is a mood piece, striving for ambience rather than story line, and it succeeds admirably. The narrator is a young Chinese boy who takes readers through a day in his family’s Chinese restaurant, beginning with his own tour of duty carrying in supplies. A slew of uncles staffs the kitchen, chopping vegetables and meats, prepping for the lunchtime onslaught. “Chop! Chop! Chop! Dice and slice. Trim and dice. Slice and shred. Faster. Faster.” Lewin’s watercolors work wonders with the tight but electric bustle of the men as they respond to the gathering mayhem of lunch orders. Filling the pages with activity, he leaves borders of space for the text, which reflects the varying colors of the food and interior lights when the pictures are inside and are in black when the ordinary outside world is the scene. Then there are the regulars (including the handsome illustrator), whose orders are shouted into the kitchen without them even having to open their mouths. All day, the little boy pitches in to help, folding menus, packing take-out bags, and passing along orders. In a wonderfully abrupt turn, Lewin closes the long day at the restaurant with the narrator enjoying his favorite food—a slice of pizza. Finally, Lewin himself prepares to eat his favorite dish and offers the recipe, except for the “special secret sauce.” Everyone loves take-out food. And everyone ought to love this, from its menu on the endpapers to the aromas that fairly rise off the page. Readers won’t just drink in its transporting atmosphere, but will soon be on their way to their nearest Chinese community to taste the very air as well as the food. (Picture book. 5-9)

Pub Date: Dec. 1, 2001

ISBN: 0-688-16026-3

Page Count: 40

Publisher: HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2001

Categories:

CHILDREN'S FAMILY

- BOOK REVIEW
I SEE AND SEE
by Ted Lewin ; illustrated by Ted Lewin

- BOOK REVIEW
HOW TO BABYSIT A LEOPARD
by Ted Lewin ; Betsy Lewin ; illustrated by Ted Lewin ; Betsy Lewin

- BOOK REVIEW
ANIMALS WORK
by Ted Lewin ; illustrated by Ted Lewin

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HAND OVER HAND

by Alma Fullerton ; illustrated by Renné Benoit ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 4, 2017

A sweet tale that is both culturally specific and universal.

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A girl’s place is on shore in Nina’s fishing village in the Philippines, but today will be different.

Brown-skinned Nina convinces old Lolo to let her join him for a day of serious fishing, although she has been told “a boat is not the place for a girl.” She must promise to bait her own hook and take responsibility for handling any fish she might catch. The other fishermen scoff and jeer, but Lolo remains firm in his decision. As the day progresses Nina has not caught a single fish, while Lolo’s buckets are filling up. Finally, she gets a bite, a large fish that fights her violently. Lolo insists that Nina must bring it in herself “hand over hand,” assuring and encouraging her. They arrive home with the fish to the amazement and chagrin of the other fishermen. Fullerton presents a vignette of traditional Filipino culture with a modern twist. Sounds of the sea and the boat’s movements, repetition of the title phrase, sharp descriptive phrases, and simple dialogue, all in a gentle, unhurried third-person narrative, lovingly evoke the setting and the tender intergenerational relationship. Benoit’s watercolor illustrations beautifully capture the look of the islands with color and softly defined details. Love between Nina and old Lolo shines in their body language and expressions.

A sweet tale that is both culturally specific and universal. (Picture book. 5-8)

Pub Date: April 4, 2017

ISBN: 978-1-77260-015-5

Page Count: 24

Publisher: Second Story Press

Review Posted Online: Feb. 3, 2017

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2017

Categories:

CHILDREN'S FAMILY

- BOOK REVIEW
FLIPPING FORWARD TWISTING BACKWARD
by Alma Fullerton ; illustrated by Alma Fullerton

- BOOK REVIEW
NO MORE PLASTIC
by Alma Fullerton ; illustrated by Alma Fullerton

- BOOK REVIEW
WHEN THE RAIN COMES
by Alma Fullerton ; illustrated by Kim LaFave

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A DAY'S WORK

by Eve Bunting & illustrated by Ronald Himler ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 19, 1994

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Award-winning author Bunting's (Night of the Gargoyles, p. 1122, etc.; The In-Between Days) persuasive moral tale about a young Mexican boy in contemporary California who lies in order to help his family. Francisco accompanies his grandfather to get work as a day laborer because grandfather, or "Abuelo," doesn't speak English. When a man comes along asking for a gardener, Francisco eagerly tells him that Abuelo is an excellent gardener. But as it turns out, neither Abuelo nor Francisco knows much about plants, and instead of pulling out the weeds, they pull out all the healthy new plants instead. The man who hired them is angry, and Abuelo is confused, until he learns the extent of his grandson's involvement in the mistake. Francisco is ashamed of what he has done and admires Abuelo's dignity under the circumstances: Abuelo insists on doing the job right and will not accept the man's offer of payment until it has been done. Himler's gentle watercolor illustrations capture the hot, dry landscape and the cowed, yet hopeful, postures of immigrants seeking to make their way in a new land. A fine, moving story that manages to convey an important moral message without sounding preachy or didactic. (Fiction/Picture book. 5-8)