Mei's grandfather, a master noodle-maker, is full of magic. Mei loves to help him, but she's certain she doesn't have any of his magic inside her. When he leaves her to make all the noodles for the Emperor's birthday -- including a long-life noodle for the Emperor himself -- she despairs. Can she tap the magic within before it's too late?
The illustrations in this one are lovely, and both the cultural and magical details are fun and fascinating. Unfortunately, the story didn't feel quite as solid or complete as I would have liked -- mostly toward the end, when it was unclear how, exactly, Mei received her magic. (Was it by wishing hard enough? Or was there more to it than that?) Nonetheless Noodle Magic, a nice cultural study and an interesting story.
EL (K-3) -- OPTIONAL. Reviewed by Sydney G., K-6 Library Media Specialist
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