Book Bundles: Dim Sum, Lunar New Year, and More

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Sophie Diao. In this affirming story, an immigrant parent speaks to a Chinese American child. The parent assures young Mei that while "people [may] tell you that you're different and you can't be one of them," those differences are her own secret power: she carries a "golden flame inside." Mei is the visual center of many of the bright, glowing digital illustrations. She emerges from a lotus flower, rides the back of a traditional Chinese dragon, and, surrounded by family, takes a video call from grandparents far away. At book's end, both author and illustrator share their own experiences as Chinese Americans feeling "in between worlds."

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(3) PS Mia and her uncle Eddie walk through their Chinatown neighborhood to the Big Wok for dim sum. On the way--ten blocks in all--they encounter one giant panda, two stone lions, and so on, up to ten red lanterns. As Mia enjoys dim sum, she counts in reverse ("...nine fried wontons, eight shumai, seven tofu-skin rolls..."). The text is printed in both English and Chinese and ends with notes about each object's significance in Chinese culture. Hu's bright, cheerful digital illustrations of a child whose smile never wavers invite the reader to notice and enjoy the many special elements of Mia's neighborhood. A guide to the numbers one to ten in Chinese and sources are appended.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Lynn Scurfield. Before moving to America, Dandan and her family celebrate Lunar New Year in China with her best friend Yueyue and her family. They eat egg-and-chive filled dumplings dipped in black vinegar and soy sauce; later, the girls make celebratory red paper snowflakes, and Yueyue gives Dandan paper supplies to bring to America. The move proves lonely and difficult for Dandan, until she makes a friend whose favorite color is also red. With bright, warm colors and curved shapes, Scurfield enhances the tender story's hopeful tone. An author's note provides more details about Chinese New Year; instructions for making cut-paper snowflakes are also appended.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(3) PS In this bilingual book, handsome animal-shaped kites fly across the page, back and forth against a watercolor sky. English text and "simplified Chinese" characters describe the actions of each kite: "a crab moves sideways beneath the clouds"; "a tiger pounces across the sky." The final two pages list the fourteen animals and their significance in Chinese culture. The digital watercolor art is particularly effective; each pictured kite is "built" with layers of color that mimic the three-dimensional structure of an actual kite.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth