Review by Booklist Review
Ages 3-5. This simple, well-designed picture book introduces the experience of dining on dim sum. Ingredients and kitchen tools are scattered across the endpapers, setting the scene for the culinary pleasure to come. The title page shows three little Asian girls and their parents in Chinatown about to enter a restaurant with a sign that advertises dim sum. In the double-page spreads that follow, the family is seated at a table, they choose small dishes of food from the carts wheeled to them by servers, and they share "a little bit of everything." Tired and full, they end the meal at a table full of empty dishes. On the last spread, an appended note offers translations of the term dim sum, a short history of the tradition, and an explanation of its customs. Lin's paintings are graphically striking. They combine a simplicity of form and design with a delight of patterning that appears in clothing and in backgrounds that are reminiscent of Matisse. Arresting, yet pleasing, combinations of color underscore the dynamic sense of every action portrayed, making even the selection of dishes an important moment, as it can feel to small children. Like the pleasures of dim sum, this is a compact treat. Carolyn Phelan
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
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. (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
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 (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
From sweet pork buns and fried shrimp toáturnip cakes and egg tarts,ádim sum delicacies are savored by a family in a Chinatown restaurant. Lin's deft, colorful illustrations show Ba-Ba, Ma-Ma, and two little girls each choosing a favorite dish. The simple text is enriched by an endnote and endpapers that provide more information about the tradition and range of dim sum meals. From HORN BOOK Spring 2002, (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
Dim sum is the perfect tea party for children because of the tasty, small dishes on teacarts from which to choose. Here, a little girl narrates a simple story of the delicious meal she shares with her family. Turnip cakes, fried shrimp, sweet pork buns, and sweet tofu are all chosen, and lastly, the narrator selects egg tarts. As each child selects from a cart, the perspective changes to focus on the chooser. The bright red restaurant rug is the background color for every page, setting off the silver carts with their goodies and the bright, patterned colors of the people's clothes. The yellow letters of the text at times curve to match the tables in the picture or appear a little off to the side so as not to interfere with the visual image. One particularly effective spread steps back and shows a half-dozen tables all filled with little dishes and the silver carts wending their way through them; the pattern is delightful. A history of the origins of dim sum and its popularity today is described in an epilogue. The bright green endpapers are decorated at the front with food, condiments, and tableware while the back endpapers depict almost two dozen dim sum dishes. A delightful read-aloud, sure to please those children who have enjoyed dim sum and a fascinating adventure for those who have yet to experience it. (Picture book. 3-6)
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
