Author: Jung Hee Kim
Illustrator: Jung Ah Noh
Publisher: Tantan Publishing
Genre: Children / Chinese Culture
ISBN: 978-1-939248-23-7
Pages: 38
Price: $17.95
Shao Ming needs to bring her mother’s special wok to her uncle’s house for a feast. While walking through the streets as the people are celebrating the Zhongqiu Jie Festival, Shao Ming puts it down to watch a performing dragon. As she turns to leave, she suddenly realizes she has lost the wok.
Hoping to find the special wok, Shao Ming visits the shops and restaurants in the area that smell like food. Her mom’s wok has a dragon carved on the handle, so it should be easy to identify when she sees it. Along the way, she samples Szechuan, Shanghai, Guangdong, and Beijing cooking. Finally, Shao Ming realizes she is very late to the feast, and reluctantly and tearfully heads toward her uncle’s house. But when she arrives, she finds a very happy surprise.
Find Mom’s Wok gives kids a fun and colorful introduction to Chinese culture. Along with the story, sidebar notes explain some of the food items and vocabulary of the text. The end pages share some of China’s history and cuisine.
Reviewer: Alice Berger
Bergers Book Reviews 