The premise of this mouthwatering book is a multicultural neighborhood getting ready for a dumpling party. The pages take us on a rhyming celebration of dumplings from cultures and places around the world: India, the United States (Pennsylvania Dutch), China, Nigeria, Japan, Israel, Mexico, Syria, Russia, and Italy. Each spread shows us a different family preparing its featured dumpling treat, including samosas, apple dumplings, wu-gok, fufu, gyoza, bourekas, tamales, shish barak, pelmeni, and ravioli.
The family making gyoza at first glance appears to have two dads—but closer examination shows something slightly different. One man is putting chopsticks into a box; a second man is feeding one of three children a bottle. The text, however, tells us, “Oji-san packs pairs of chopsticks”—and the glossary at the end of the book explains that “Oji-san” means “uncle.” If one man is an uncle, then are he and the other man not a couple? I checked with the publisher, Barefoot Books, and a spokesperson explained that the men are indeed meant to be husbands/partners, both uncles to the kids. That’s not at all clear just looking at the image, since the men are across the room from each other and not wearing wedding rings—but now you know. Barefoot Books has published several other books that are clearly inclusive of families with same-sex parents, so I don’t believe they’re trying to be coy here; indeed, readers who don’t consult the glossary will simply assume the men are the kids’ two dads. Still, I think the page doesn’t convey the creators’ intent as clearly as it might.
Nevertheless, this is a joyous book about one of the world’s favorite food groups, and is especially recommended for any family that loves to cook, eat, or travel (or dream about any of those). Recipes at the end help readers and their adults make these treats at home, and maps help them see where they came from. Dumplings are a great vehicle for introducing children to both similarities and differences across cultures—and there are enough types of dumplings around the world that I could envision several more volumes on the same theme.
(Don’t confuse this book with Dumpling Days, a middle grade novel by Grace Lin.)
