Review by Booklist Review
Intergenerational family bonds are at the heart of this lyrical story. A girl finds comfort and strength watching her grandma do tai chi in the park, with dance-like moves and "cotton candy breaths." Their steady routine of walks in the park followed by making "dancing dumplings" in a cozy kitchen gets interrupted when Grandma falls ill. The girl is worried as she and her mother tend to Grandma by letting her rest and lighting incense in her room. Before long, Grandma is well again, back to doing tai chi in the park and crunching leaves on the walk home, but now the girl is making dumplings herself to share with her grandma in a sweet reversal of an affectionate gesture. Quek's autumnal artwork swirls with windy leaves, steam, and breath, echoing the onomatopoeic rhythms of Nava's poetic text, and the quietly cyclical nature of the story nicely mirrors the theme of passing down traditions, particularly sharing food made with love. A sweet, comforting story that gently touches on aging grandparents and changing family dynamics over time.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A grandmother and grandchild share their love through the years by making dumplings for each other. Poetic text describes a child's active grandmother as she "moves to tai chi beats" ("Slow. Firm. Focused") and walks home in the autumn leaves ("ka-runch, ka-runch, ka-runch"). At home, the two prepare dumplings, dancing in the swirls of steam. As they eat them afterward, Grandma's love "fills up my tummy." Delicate illustrations full of movement and color portray family life through the seasons, while borders of flowers, leaves, and airy swirls frame many of the spreads. When Grandma falls ill, the story takes a turn as the child's heart squeezes and "da-dubs with fear" and memories of Grandma float in the swirls of incense smoke. The profusion of flower imagery returns when Grandma recovers and both, noticeably changed by time, return to their old places for tai chi and dancing. Soon it's the child's turn to make dumplings for Grandma, and the same love fills their tummies. Similar themes are more poignantly expressed inLaolao's Dumplings by Dane Liu and Shinyeon Moon, but the art shines here. The child, grandmother, and mother, who present East Asian, are depicted throughout as the family unit. Lovely artwork elevates a familiar theme.(Picture book. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
