A fun read that explores Japanese culture and culinary history—just don’t expect a literary tour de force.
A time-traveling red panda gives two American schoolkids a tour of the history of ramen.
In this first installment in the Asian Hall of Fame series, Emma, a girl with brown hair and light brown skin, and Ethan, who appears to be Asian, are on a school field trip when they meet Dao for the first time in a ramen-ya, or ramen restaurant. The talking red panda invites them to discover the history behind this delicious noodle dish, and with a bang on Dao’s gong, all three find themselves in 19th-century Japan, where vendors are selling ramen from pushcarts. After World War II, ramen became even more accessible because an abundance of wheat drove the cost of production down. At a ramen factory, they watch how the noodles are made with salt, eggs, and kansui (alkaline water). Then they travel to the 1950s, when Momofuku Ando invented (and popularized) instant ramen, flash-fried noodles with seasonings already added. Today, 100 billion packages of instant ramen are sold annually, but fresh ramen is rising in popularity again, in the United States and all over the world. Calle’s illustrations are undeniably adorable; cute characters and dynamic scenes elevate the sometimes heavy-handed and confusing text, which too often relies on didactic dialogue to provide the fascinating facts and information.
A fun read that explores Japanese culture and culinary history—just don’t expect a literary tour de force. (glossary) (Picture book. 4-10)Pub Date: Nov. 15, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-59702-134-0
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Immedium
Review Posted Online: Sept. 30, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
Broccoli: No way is James going to eat broccoli. “It’s disgusting,” says James. Well then, James, says his father, let’s consider the alternatives: some wormy dirt, perhaps, some stinky socks, some pre-chewed gum? James reconsiders the broccoli, but—milk? “Blech,” says James. Right, says his father, who needs strong bones? You’ll be great at hide-and-seek, though not so great at baseball and kickball and even tickling the dog’s belly. James takes a mouthful. So it goes through lumpy oatmeal, mushroom lasagna and slimy eggs, with James’ father parrying his son’s every picky thrust. And it is fun, because the father’s retorts are so outlandish: the lasagna-making troll in the basement who will be sent back to the rat circus, there to endure the rodent’s vicious bites; the uneaten oatmeal that will grow and grow and probably devour the dog that the boy won’t be able to tickle any longer since his bones are so rubbery. Schneider’s watercolors catch the mood of gentle ribbing, the looks of bewilderment and surrender and the deadpanned malarkey. It all makes James’ father’s last urging—“I was just going to say that you might like them if you tried them”—wholly fresh and unexpected advice. (Early reader. 5-9)
Pub Date: May 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-547-14956-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: April 4, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift.
A paean to teachers and their surrogates everywhere.
This gentle ode to a teacher’s skill at inspiring, encouraging, and being a role model is spoken, presumably, from a child’s viewpoint. However, the voice could equally be that of an adult, because who can’t look back upon teachers or other early mentors who gave of themselves and offered their pupils so much? Indeed, some of the self-aware, self-assured expressions herein seem perhaps more realistic as uttered from one who’s already grown. Alternatively, readers won’t fail to note that this small book, illustrated with gentle soy-ink drawings and featuring an adult-child bear duo engaged in various sedentary and lively pursuits, could just as easily be about human parent- (or grandparent-) child pairs: some of the softly colored illustrations depict scenarios that are more likely to occur within a home and/or other family-oriented setting. Makes sense: aren’t parents and other close family members children’s first teachers? This duality suggests that the book might be best shared one-on-one between a nostalgic adult and a child who’s developed some self-confidence, having learned a thing or two from a parent, grandparent, older relative, or classroom instructor.
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-943200-08-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Compendium
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
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