Review by Booklist Review
Hu's charming bilingual book, written in both English and Mandarin Chinese, will be an entertaining counting book for young children of any background. As little Mia and her Uncle Eddie walk the 10 blocks through Chinatown to a restaurant for dim sum, they encounter a number of items along the way that are important symbols in Chinese culture: a panda, lions made of stone, bonsai trees, and silk fans. A small, curious caramel-and-white kitten tags along as the two make their way to a delicious meal, adding a fun seek-and-find element. In addition to listing the numbers 1 through 10, the author/illustrator uses ordinals and even offers a backwards countdown from 10 to 1, listing the variety of foods Mia and her uncle have ordered. Colorful illustrations in watercolors and pastels with some digital assistance are cheerful and show Chinatown from a variety of perspectives, making each detailed picture a joy to study. An author's note explains the Chinese symbols featured and includes a pronunciation guide for counting in Mandarin.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
In her solo debut, Hu (Jingle Dancer) presents an immersive bilingual counting tale as young Mia is escorted by her bespectacled uncle Eddie, both presumably of Chinese descent, to dim sum at the Big Wok. As the duo travels 10 blocks through Chinatown streets with strong similarities to Manhattan's, observational English text follows ("On the sixth block, six bundles of sweet Emperor lychee hang from Uncle Chuck's fruit stand"), interspersed with friendly dialogue; Mandarin translations appear beneath, and relevant numbers in both languages adorn each spread's bottom right corner. The softly textured, warm-hued watercolor and pastel artwork, manipulated digitally, provides sunny accompaniment to the duo's outing, with recognizable contemporary touches such as signs for boba as well as steamed custard buns in the shape of pigs and pandas. Young readers will also enjoy spotting a cat throughout the pages as delighted Mia's clear enthusiasm for her community and food shines through. Back matter includes an author's note with more information on each counted item, as well as a guide to numbers one to 10 in English and Chinese, including phonetic pronunciations for each. Ages 3--5. (Jan.)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2--Mia and her uncle are walking through Chinatown to a dim sum restaurant in this fun counting book. There are 10 blocks to walk, and each block offers something to explore, such as two stone lions on the second block or five neighbors practicing tai chi on the fifth block. When they get to the restaurant, Mia counts out 10 soup dumplings, nine fried wontons, and on down to one: the one bowl of steamed anchovies will go to the cat that eagle-eyed readers will have noticed accompanying the young girl through the neighborhood. Mia and her uncle are of East Asian, and likely Chinese, descent. Back matter offers brief explanations of the cultural significance of several items from the story and illustrations, such as dim sum or goldfish. The back matter also includes how to count to 10 in Mandarin, although there is no information on tones. The text is in English and simplified Chinese characters. VERDICT This engaging read is almost as enjoyable as the everyday adventure it depicts. A good choice for story time as well as one-on-one sharing.--Jennifer Rothschild, Arlington Cty. P. L., VA
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Review by Horn Book Review
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. (c) Copyright 2023. 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
Mia and her Uncle Eddie go for a walk through Chinatown, counting along the way. The pair, who are presumably Chinese American, depart home for The Big Wok, a dim sum restaurant 10 blocks away. En route, they take in the scenery, noticing details that appear in quantities corresponding to the block number. There is one giant panda ride on the first block, two stone lions on the second, three toy turtles outside a shop on the third, and so on. Each block is depicted on its own double-page spread, with only a sentence or two naming the items and the block number (the backmatter provides more details about each item). Vibrant but not overly saturated colors give the journey a cheerfulness that is mirrored in Mia's bright smile--her delight is infectious. At the restaurant, the duo place an order, requesting food items in numbers counting backward: 10 soup dumplings, nine fried wontons, eight shumai, and so forth. Everything they've ordered is pictured in a mouthwatering spread, and a page turn reveals a small surprise for the last item. The English text is translated in full into Simplified Chinese, though both fonts are unusually small. The numerals are shown in the bottom corner of each page, but they are inconspicuous and could easily be missed. A chart in the backmatter includes all the written forms and bilingual pronunciations for the numbers one through 10. (This book was reviewed digitally.) Standard Chinatown fare with an appealing concept-book structure. (author's note) (Picture book. 3-7) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
