Product Description
Join the animals of the zodiac as they make noodles for a party in this festive book from an award-winning author and food editor.
It’s almost time for the party! One-by-one all the animals of the zodiac go up the hill, each one carrying an ingredient. Horse trots up the hill with a big wok. Goat strolls up the hill with wild onions.
Except for snake, that is. It’s his birthday! All of his friends have prepared long noodles to celebrate his long and happy life. Simple text is paired with delightful, friendly art in this joyous look at the Chinese tradition of preparing long noodles to celebrate birthdays, the New Year, and other festive occasions.
A kid-friendly recipe for how to make Dragon Beard Noodles, a dish popular in Northern China, is included as well as a note on the Chinese Zodiac.
From School Library Journal
PreS-Gr 2-The 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac are off to a celebration. Each one will contribute a food item, condiment, or utensil necessary for preparing and eating a special dish. Snake is the only one who brings nothing along. But readers can quickly forgive his negligence, as we soon learn that a surprise is in store for Snake. It's his birthday, and his friends will honor him with the traditional dish of noodles wrapped around Dragon's long, lean body. Long noodles-as the back matter explains-are symbolic of a long life. The bright illustrations appear in elongated strips that amplify this idea. The cover art includes the years for each animal's sign, and back matter offers information on each animal's traits. An explanation of the cyclical calendar is provided, as well as a recipe for dragon beard noodles. This playful take on a child-friendly topic will resonate with kids familiar with Chinese customs and will inform and delight others. VERDICT A worthy addition to multicultural resources that will shine during Chinese New Year and throughout all the seasons.-Gloria Kosterα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review
"Cute and delightful. . . ."—Kirkus Reviews
"Simple text from Compestine reliably describes how each animal makes the journey ('Rooster strutted,' 'Dragon flew'), and Pang dedicates a festive full-spread landscape to each animal's trek."—Publishers Weekly
"This playful take on a child-friendly topic will resonate with kids familiar with Chinese customs and will inform and delight others. A worthy addition to multicultural resources that will shine during Chinese New Year and throughout all the seasons."—School Library Journal
About the Author
Ying Chang Compestine is an award-winning author and former food editor for Martha Stewart's Whole Living magazine. She grew up in Wuhan, China during the Chinese Cultural Revolution. Ying graduated from Central China Normal University with a degree in English, then earned her Master's in Sociology from the University of Colorado, Boulder. She has taught writing and sociology in both the U.S. and China. Her many beloved books for young people include Revolution Is Not a Dinner Party, which has received over 30 national awards, and A Banquet for Hungry Ghosts, which received a starred review from Publishers Weekly. She lives in California.
Paula Pang is an illustrator based in Singapore. She has illustrated for such clients as Cricketmedia, Yoyo Books, Thermos, and more. Her work was selected for "Never Too Old: Picturebook Rediscovered," an exhibit at the National Design Centre in Singapore.
