A wonderful book for young readers, which introduces them to Mandarin Chinese. However, this sweet story has so much more to offer, showing the beauty of the Chinese culture, the customs people share together, and the unique bond between a young child and his grandma. I read this book with my daughter, who loves learning foreign languages, and she was drawn to the idea of learning Chinese. I am grateful to authors who pour bits of themselves into their books!
My opinion:
I love books that draw their inspiration from real life and especially from the author’s culture. The book is an adventure indeed, with Brandon and his grandma having the time of their life, making Chinese dumplings, and enjoying themselves in the messy process. It was so comforting to be reminded of how kids bond with their grandparents, and I think the author did a great job in showing how easy it is for food and cooking to bring everyone together. The Mandarin Chinese bits were just the icing on the cake.
My daughter has already asked for us to make the dumplings and, if possible, with a face, just like in the story. I applaud the author for bringing culture and entertainment together, and I am proud of my little bookworm for learning a few Chinese words already. The story offers a brilliant introduction to the Chinese culture and language, but it is also a lot of fun to read. And what a lovely name for the grandma, Po Po! The whole book exudes with warmth and love! I found the glossary of Chinese vocabulary and spelling to be quite useful as well.
It takes a talented writer to bring together so many elements into a story. It was my first close encounter with the pinyin elements, and I was intrigued, and I felt happy for sharing this experience with my daughter. I might repeat myself, but I found it so nice to read about culinary traditions and how they are passed from one generation to the other. At a closer look, I discovered that the author teaches kids a very important lesson – we all make mistakes, but we must become resilient when confronted with such situations.
Verdict:
I absolutely loved this book, and so did my daughter. The bond between Brandon and his grandma is so precious to follow, and the introduction to the Chinese culture is brilliantly executed. Kudos to the author for adding the pencil-drawn illustrations, these are so cute and go well with the story. We are eager to move on to the next book written by this author, and I am sure it will be just as amazing!
Book Mockup: Canva