Review by Booklist Review
It's Lunar New Year, and all Ren wants to do is help out. Her baba is putting up decorations, her mama and uncle are making dumplings, and her aunt is cooking noodles, but when she asks to help, they all say the same thing: you're too little. It's only when her brother, Charlie, comes home that she's able to finally participate in the flurry of preparations. Together, they make pineapple cakes. They mix ingredients, roll out the dough, put them into molds, and bake them. Everyone applauds Ren for being big enough to make them. What follows is a lavish description of Lunar New Year foods, along with depictions of a traditional family dinner flanked by firecrackers and lanterns. The illustrations do a good job of showing the chaos before the biggest dinner of the year for Chinese families. There's a recipe for pineapple cakes at the end. A note to readers: don't read this book on an empty stomach, or you'll be hungry!
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
On an early morning that "smells like Lunar New Year is almost here," narrator Ren wakes with pineapple cake--making on her mind: "Will I get to help, finally?" But her family gives the same answer; despite having grown two inches, "You're still too little, Ren." And not just for making pineapple cake: Ren can only watch as Baba hangs red lanterns and Auntie Weili stirs longevity noodles. Ho's softly bright, digitally rendered art colors the pages with the same enthusiasm and fullness as Sterling's crisply sensate prose, which follows the family's bustling preparations, including Ren's scrambling for groceries with Mama ("I poke the fish's glassy scales as it slips and squeaks into a bag"). And when older brother Charlie helps Ren prepare a batch of pineapple cakes, the family looks on proudly at the new year's sweet beginnings. Includes an author's note and pineapple cake recipe. Ages 4--8. (Nov.)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 3--A young girl and her family prepare for Lunar New Year by cooking a sumptuous feast. Ren is eager for the upcoming celebration. She hopes this year she can finally help make her favorite New Year's treat, pineapple cake. Unfortunately, the grown-ups deem Ren "still too little" to assist in hanging lanterns, folding dumplings, and stirring noodles. Despite being relegated to an observer for these tasks, Ren's spirits remain high. She attempts to impress her older brother Charlie by making pineapple cakes on her own, but instead makes a big mess. Charlie patiently teaches Ren how to roll the dough, and an aunt advises Ren on how to press it into molds. Ren is proud to have contributed to the dinner offerings and grateful to be surrounded by her family on this joyous occasion. Cheerful cartoon illustrations bring a lively, upbeat tone in keeping with the sense of festivity. The palette of radiant reds, golden yellows, and budding greens reflects shades traditionally associated with the holiday and reinforces the warmth and love of this family-focused celebration. VERDICT A delightful charmer that touches on practices associated with Lunar New Year and highlights a variety of foods.--Sophie Kenney
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
A young Chinese American girl enjoys the bustle of new year preparations. Excited that Lunar New Year is nearly here, Ren wakes up to a window of blooming cherry blossoms. She rushes to the kitchen to ask her parents if she can finally help make the pineapple cakes for the celebration. Her mother, however, insists that she is "still too little" even though Ren points out that she has grown two whole inches since last year. Undeterred, Ren persists with her requests while her family hangs lanterns and visits the local market to buy ingredients for the upcoming feast. Ren asks various extended family members if she can help, but her pleas go rebuffed. It is only when her older brother Charlie arrives that Ren finally has the opportunity to participate. The descriptive narrative is surprisingly subdued at the moment when Ren finally gets her hands on some dough. Still, the gentle pace brings an overall charm to the family get-together. Ho captures the messy coziness of families wrapping and steaming dumplings. Layers of textures and splatters of colors bring depth and movement to each scene, especially when the hand-tossed noodles are prepared and then added to a pot of boiling water. A recipe for the cherished pineapple cakes follows. (This book was reviewed digitally.) A celebration teeming with family, love, and, of course, food. (author's note) (Picture book. 5-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
