Ming is sent by his family to the market to obtain some rice for their traditional Chinese New Years celebration. They are very poor and might not have a very nice celebration. When he comes home with a rusty wok pan instead, his parents are worried. But it was no ordinary pan, and their celebration becomes something they only dreamed of.
I enjoyed this book. The text and the story were fun and interesting. I liked the many cultural connections, and the book includes an incredibly interesting informational page on the Chinese New Year as well as a simple recipe. The only downfall for me is that the family problems are solved by magic. I am not advocating a bunch of books on reality, but I would have liked to see a little effort or ingenuity on the part of the family themselves. I would like to see more books that empower children, not make them hope for a train that won’t be arriving. In reality, I really do think a student learning to read would find this a fun and interesting tale. Best of all, the beautiful artwork was full of vivid colors and culture.
EL – ADVISABLE. Reviewer: Stephanie MLS graduate.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment