Review by Booklist Review
Ages 3^-7. Rooted in childhood, in one child's family and friendship, Wells' picture book gently subverts the kind of bland "multiculturalism" that is only about ethnic foods and festivals. Yoko's mother packs her a lunch with all her favorite sushi, but the other kids jeer ("Yuck-o-rama!") at the raw fish and green seaweed, and Yoko is devastated. The kind, well meaning teacher has a solution; they will have an International Day, and everyone will bring in a dish from a foreign country. The kids bring enchiladas, Caribbean coconut crisps, Boston franks and beans, etc., and the class has a feast, but no one touches even a piece of Yoko's sushi. Then Timothy, who is still hungry, tries one piece of sushi and declares it delicious. He polishes everything off, and he finds a coconut crisp for Yoko. They sit together on the bus, and the next day they push their desks together to play restaurant and share tomato sandwiches and dragon rolls, brownies, and green tea ice-cream. Wells sets the story in an active preschool classroom, and her clear ink-and-watercolor pictures have never been more expressive and tender, with a range of animal characters that are endearingly human in body language and expression. Timothy is a raccoon in checked overalls, Yoko is a green-eyed small cat in a red-flowered jacket, the Franks are bullying dogs in striped football jerseys. Several of the classroom characters, including Hazel and Tulip, will be familiar to kids who know Wells' books. In fact, Timothy's role is nicely reversed here: in Timothy Goes to School(1981), he is the lonely outsider who does not fit in. Children will love the food talk and the contemporary school scene as each pupil brings in a luscious dish to share and Yoko finally finds a friend. --Hazel Rochman
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Yoko the kitten has gone off to her school with her willow-covered cooler filled with sushi, looking forward to a good day. But her classmates tease her mercilessly when lunch time rolls around ("Ick!... It's seaweed!"). Even worse, during the class Snack Time Song, the two bulldogs who brought franks and beans for lunch snort, "Red bean ice cream is for weirdos!" A pat ending seems in sight when Yoko's wise teacher plans an International Food Day and requires the students to try everything. But only hungry Timothy (a raccoon) is brave enough to taste Yoko's sushiand yet this proves to be enough for Yoko. By book's end, Timothy and Yoko are fast friends, planning to open their very own lunch-time restaurant featuring tomato sandwiches and dragon rolls. As usual, Wells demonstrates a remarkable feel for children's small but important difficulties. Like the just-right text, her expressive watercolors, both panels and full-scale, capture a distinctive variety of animal children as well as the nuances in Yoko's expressions. Wells's message is clear without being heavy-handed, making this brightly colored schoolroom charmer a perfect book for those American-melting-pot kindergartners who need to develop a genuine respect for one another's differences. Ages 3-7. (Nov.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-Yoko, a gray kitten, is crushed when her classmates (including Fritz, Tulip, and Hazel from previous titles by Wells) mock her favorite sushi lunch. Her plight, however, is noticed by her teacher. Under the guise of International Food Day, the resourceful Mrs. Jenkins encourages the insensitive students to bring in a dish from a foreign country and "Everyone must try a bite of everything." Yoko is further humiliated when her sushi remains untouched. However, Timothy's appetite leads him to the sushi cooler where he discovers crab cones. The next day, he and Yoko share dragon rolls and tomato sandwiches. A class song for every activity, the group dynamics, even the students' clothing and their sandwich fixings perfectly capture the grade school experience. The watercolor-and-ink illustrations vary from full page to postage stamp size and enhance the pacing of the brief text and the realistically contemporary dialogue. Every child's need for peer acceptance and dread of being "different" are addressed in an affirming and believable manner. The sushi endpapers and Yoko's beguiling smile on the title page introduce this newest heroine, and the eclectic but satisfying menu at the conclusion of the tale speaks volumes about open-mindedness. Just as Yoko's mother carefully crafted the delectable sushi, Wells, too, has tucked a real treasure in this tasty morsel of a tale.-Carol Ann Wilson, Westfield Memorial Library, NJ (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
When Yoko (a kitten in a classroom that includes a skunk, a porcupine, a raccoon, etc.) is teased for bringing sushi for lunch, Mrs. Jenkins breaks out The Friendly Song before resorting to an International Food Day. The remedy allows the story an ending that is as comforting and reassuring as Wells's signature watercolors. From HORN BOOK Spring 1999, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
The first graders in Mrs. Jenkins's room are quick to criticize the sushi, seaweed, and red bean ice cream that fill Yoko's willow-covered cooler. Even Mrs. Jenkins's brainstorm, to hold an International Food Day at Hilltop School, fails to entice anyone to try the deluxe sushi Yoko brings. It is ever-hungw Timothy who samples these Japanese treats, setting the stage for culinary experimentation. As always, Wells's unerring sense of how children think and feel shines through. The lesson might have been labored; instead, Wells offers some trusty guidance and a light touch, and leaves the conclusions to readers. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
