Fiction - Food, Fiction - General & Miscellaneous, Fiction - Family Life, Fiction - U. S. People, Places & Cultures

Dim Sum for Everyone!

Name: Dim Sum for Everyone!
Author: Grace Lin
ISBN: 9780440417705

by Grace Lin

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Overview

In English, dim sum means “little hearts,” or “touches the heart,” but to this young girl, dim sum means delicious. On a visit to a bustling dim sum restaurant, a family picks their favorite little dishes from the steaming trolleys filled with dumplings, cakes, buns, and tarts. And as is traditional and fun, they share their food with each other so that everyone gets a bite of everything.
Just right for young children, Dim Sum for Everyone! celebrates a cultural custom and a universal favorite activity–eating!

A child describes the various little dishes of dim sum that she and her family enjoy on a visit to a restaurant in Chinatown.

Synopsis

Publishers Weekly

After waxing poetic about the advantages of a vegetable garden in The Ugly Vegetables, author/artist Grace Lin describes the pleasures of a Chinese dining tradition in Dim Sum for Everyone. From sweet pork buns to little egg tarts, the plentiful dishes arrive on metal carts for a grand smorgasbord. An endnote offers a brief history of dim sum; endpapers show the wide spectrum available for sampling. Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.

About the Author, Grace Lin

Grace Lin is a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design. She is the author and illustrator of eight picture books, and the illustrator of over nine more. She grew up in upstate New York and now lives in Massachusetts with her husband, Robert.

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Editorials

From the Publisher

“Like the pleasures of dim sum, this is a compact treat.”—Booklist, Starred

“A delightful read-aloud.”—Kirkus Reviews, Starred

Publishers Weekly

Children's Literature

With just a few words per page, Lin introduces us to the Chinese custom of having dim sum, a wide variety of hot and cold snacks, which the diner chooses from rolling carts. A family sitting around a table picks many different ones, from pork dumplings and fried shrimp to sweet tofu and egg tarts, and tastes them all. The double-page scenes depict the diners at tables and the loaded carts on highly decorative pages. A brilliant, red patterned background sets off the flat painted figures, in their traditionally decorated clothing, wielding their chopsticks. Front endpapers identify basic ingredients while the back pages show dim sum labeled in both English and English orthography Chinese. There is also a brief explanation of the origin and traditions associated with dim sum. Don't read when hungry! 2001, Borzoi Book/Alfred A. Knopf, $14.95. Ages 3 to 6. Reviewer: Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz

School Library Journal

K-Gr 3-This tasty tradition is explored through simple text and realistic illustrations. A family with three daughters arrives at a restaurant for a meal of "little dishes." Carts are wheeled to each table and the guests select what they would like to eat. They each choose a favorite dish and then share with everyone at the table. When the plates and bowls are empty, the family looks satisfied and a little sleepy. The concluding note explains the cultural history of dim sum as well as the customs surrounding the meal. The endpapers feature an array of delicious ingredients, utensils, and items that are typical of this repast, all labeled in Chinese and English. The illustrations capture every detail from the texture and patterns of the clothing and food to the small jade necklace worn by the waitress. This enticing book can stand alone or supplement a lesson on food or Chinese culture.-Genevieve Ceraldi, New York Public Library Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.