Tag: Dim Sum Palace

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Creator Spotlight: X. Fang

At Tundra Books, we want you to get to know and love our creators as much as you know and love their books. Our creator spotlight series will launch you into the universe of the brilliant minds behind some of your favorite titles . . . this week, say hello to X. Fang!

About the Author:

X. FANG, who also goes by Susan, is a visual artist and maker of books for young readers, including Dim Sum Palace, winner of the 2023 Society of Illustrators’ Dilys Evans Founder’s Award among other honors, and We Are Definitely Human, an Indie Next Pick and the recipient of 5 starred reviews. She exhibits her art throughout the U.S. and internationally and has worked professionally as a graphic designer and art director for film and television studios. Born in Taichung, Taiwan, raised in Atlanta, Georgia, she now lives in rural Maine with her husband, son and their dog, Pamela.

Spotlight on X. Fang:

What inspired you to write a story about an alien invasion with a humorous twist? Can you share any particularly funny moments or lines from the book that you enjoyed writing?

Before I had a story, I had the title: We Are Definitely Human. A few years back, my hair stylist was telling me about a conspiracy theory that claims lizard people lived among us and how some have even infiltrated the highest levels of government. That was such a funny idea to me that I immediately repeated it to my husband and we had a great time imagining terrible disguises these lizard people could wear. Then I had a thought: what if instead of disguising themselves they did nothing and just insisted they were human. I love the idea of someone pretending to be something they are very obviously not. 

What was the process like for creating the visual humor in the illustrations?

It was important for the three “humans” to really stand out in town. So I tried to give them silly shapes, loud colors, and gestures and actions that were awkward. There were so many opportunities for humor whenever the “humans” interacted with the town people just in the subtle facial expressions and body language. It was a lot of fun.

The book explores themes of kindness and acceptance. What message do you hope readers, both young and old, take away from this story?

Kindness can be expressed in many forms. In this case, kindness is expressed through a helping hand. I hope the big takeaway that readers get from this story is that kindness is not conditional, and even the tiniest act of kindness can ripple through the galaxy.

How has the reception been for We Are Definitely Human, and what feedback have you received from readers? Have there been any particularly touching or memorable responses from children or parents about the book?

The feedback has been wonderful. Kids love the various jobs held by these interesting “humans” and the adults love the message of kindness. I had one kid ask me if I was an alien, and I replied that I was “definitely human” but they remained skeptical.

Can you give us any hints about what’s next for you in terms of future picture books or other book projects?

I’m finishing up my third book. It’s called Broken and it’s a about a little girl, her grandma, a cup, a cat, and cake. After that I get to illustrate an amazing story written by the very clever Mac Barnett.

Books by X. Fang:

We Are Definitely Human
By X. Fang
48 Pages | Ages 4-8 | Hardcover
ISBN 9781774882023 | Tundra Books
When three mysterious visitors from “Europe” crash-land in Mr. Li’s field, he does what any good host would: he invites them back to his farmhouse and offers to help fix up their “car”. No, there’s nothing strange about these guests at all. Just like other humans, they “make business”, “play sportsball” and “wear hat”. As the townsfolk also come to the aid of the visitors and the gathering turns into a little party, interplanetary relations reach an all-time high. A sweetly funny extraterrestrial offering that explores surprising acts of kindness and acceptance, X. Fang’s second picture book is truly out of this world.

Dim Sum Palace
By X. Fang
48 Pages | Ages 3-7 | Hardcover
ISBN 9781774881989 | Tundra Books
Liddy is so excited about going to the Dim Sum Palace tomorrow with her family that she can’t sleep. So when a delicious smell wafts into her room, she hops out of bed, opens her door and steps into . . . an actual palace of dim sum! There are dumplings, baos, buns and more delicious treats than one girl can possibly eat. Liddy just has to take a bite, but she slips and falls . . . into a bowl of dumpling filling. The chefs are so busy rolling, folding and pinching dough that they don’t notice they’ve prepared a most unusual dumpling for the Empress – a Liddy dumpling! Worst of all, she looks good enough to eat . . .

Click here for more out of this world titles!

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CCBC Choices 2024

The CCBC Choices is a best-of-the-year list created annually by the librarians of the Cooperative Children’s Book Center. This year’s edition selected 238 books for children and teens published in the United States or Canada in 2023 that encompass a wide range of subjects, topics, and themes.

We would like to congratulate X. Fang and Cherie Dimaline on their CCBC Choices selection!

Dim Sum Palace
By X. Fang
48 Pages | Ages 3-7 | Hardcover
ISBN 9781774881989 | Tundra Books
Liddy is so excited about going to the Dim Sum Palace tomorrow with her family that she can’t sleep. So when a delicious smell wafts into her room, she hops out of bed, opens her door and steps into . . . an actual palace of dim sum! There are dumplings, baos, buns and more delicious treats than one girl can possibly eat. Liddy just has to take a bite, but she slips and falls . . . into a bowl of dumpling filling. The chefs are so busy rolling, folding and pinching dough that they don’t notice they’ve prepared a most unusual dumpling for the Empress – a Liddy dumpling! Worst of all, she looks good enough to eat . . .

Funeral Songs for Dying Girls
By Cherie Dimaline
280 Pages | Ages 14+ | Hardcover
ISBN 9780735265639 | Tundra Books
Winifred has lived in the apartment above the cemetery office with her father, who works in the crematorium all her life, close to her mother’s grave. With her sixteenth birthday only days away, Winifred has settled into a lazy summer schedule, lugging her obese Chihuahua around the grounds in a squeaky red wagon to visit the neglected gravesides and nursing a serious crush on her best friend, Jack. Her habit of wandering the graveyard at all hours has started a rumor that Winterson Cemetery might be haunted. It’s welcome news since the crematorium is on the verge of closure and her father’s job being outsourced. Now that the ghost tours have started, Winifred just might be able to save her father’s job and the only home she’s ever known, not to mention being able to stay close to where her mother is buried. All she has to do is get help from her con-artist cousin to keep up the rouse and somehow manage to stop her father from believing his wife has returned from the grave. But when Phil, an actual ghost of a teen girl who lived and died in the ravine next to the cemetery, starts showing up, Winifred begins to question everything she believes about life, love and death. Especially love.

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Charlotte Zolotow Award 2024

Established in 1998 by the Cooperative Children’s Book Center (CCBC), the Charlotte Zolotow Award is given annually for outstanding writing in a picture book published in the United States in the preceding year with up to five honor books and up to ten highly commended titles also selected. The award is named to honor the work of Charlotte Zolotow, a distinguished children’s book editor for 38 years, and author of more than 70 picture books.

We would like to congratulate X. Fang whose debut picture book, Dim Sum Palace, has been selected as a 2024 Highly Commended Title.

Dim Sum Palace
By X. Fang
48 Pages | Ages 3-7 | Hardcover
ISBN 9781774881989 | Tundra Books
Liddy is so excited about going to the Dim Sum Palace tomorrow with her family that she can’t sleep. So when a delicious smell wafts into her room, she hops out of bed, opens her door and steps into . . . an actual palace of dim sum! There are dumplings, baos, buns and more delicious treats than one girl can possibly eat. Liddy just has to take a bite, but she slips and falls . . . into a bowl of dumpling filling. The chefs are so busy rolling, folding and pinching dough that they don’t notice they’ve prepared a most unusual dumpling for the Empress – a Liddy dumpling! Worst of all, she looks good enough to eat . . .

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ALSC Notable Children’s Books 2024

Each year a committee from the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) identifies the best of the best in children’s books. According to the ALSC, “notable” is defined as, “worthy of note or notice, important, distinguished, outstanding.” As applied to children’s books, notable should be thought to include books of especially commendable quality, books that exhibit venturesome creativity, and books of fiction, information, poetry and pictures for all age levels that reflect and encourage children’s interests in exemplary ways.

We would like to congratulate X. Fang, Cristina Quintero, and Sarah Gonzales, on their notable selections in the Younger Readers category.

Dim Sum Palace
By X. Fang
48 Pages | Ages 3-7 | Hardcover
ISBN 9781774881989 | Tundra Books
Liddy is so excited about going to the Dim Sum Palace tomorrow with her family that she can’t sleep. So when a delicious smell wafts into her room, she hops out of bed, opens her door and steps into . . . an actual palace of dim sum! There are dumplings, baos, buns and more delicious treats than one girl can possibly eat. Liddy just has to take a bite, but she slips and falls . . . into a bowl of dumpling filling. The chefs are so busy rolling, folding and pinching dough that they don’t notice they’ve prepared a most unusual dumpling for the Empress – a Liddy dumpling! Worst of all, she looks good enough to eat . . .

The Only Way to Make Bread
Written by Cristina Quintero
Illustrated by Sarah Gonzales
40 Pages | Ages 3-7 | Hardcover
ISBN 9780735271760 | Tundra Books
A delicious exploration of all kinds of breads, from sourdough to bannock to bao, that will tickle your taste buds and warm your heart.
What’s the only way to make bread?
You might use white flour in your bread, or whole wheat flour or corn flour.
You might use water or milk, maybe an egg or two.
You’ll use a handful of this, a dash of that, a bit of this and a splash of that.
Some dough will rise, some dough will bubble. Sometimes it will be sticky, sometimes it will be shaggy.  
What’s the only way to make bread?
Your way!
This tasty celebration of all kinds of bread will tempt bread lovers big and small. No matter what kind of bread YOU like to make, this book is for you!

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Books to Celebrate Lunar New Year

Lunar New Year marks the first new moon of the lunar calendar, and is celebrated all over the world! To ring in the Year of the Dragon, we’ve created a list of children’s books to help you celebrate.

Bizzy Bear: Chinese New Year
By Benji Davies
8 Pages | Ages 0-2 | Board Book
ISBN 9781536232011 | Candlewick Press
A festive new title in this phenomenal board book series. Bizzy Bear and his friends get ready to enjoy the Chinese New Year celebrations in this novelty board book full of tabs to slide, push, and pull. Follow Bizzy Bear and enjoy a night of fun festivities!

Dim Sum Palace
By X. Fang
48 Pages | Ages 3-7 | Hardcover
ISBN 9781774881989 | Tundra Books
Liddy is so excited about going to the Dim Sum Palace tomorrow with her family that she can’t sleep. So when a delicious smell wafts into her room, she hops out of bed, opens her door and steps into . . . an actual palace of dim sum! There are dumplings, baos, buns and more delicious treats than one girl can possibly eat. Liddy just has to take a bite, but she slips and falls . . . into a bowl of dumpling filling. The chefs are so busy rolling, folding and pinching dough that they don’t notice they’ve prepared a most unusual dumpling for the Empress – a Liddy dumpling! Worst of all, she looks good enough to eat . . .

First Festivals: Lunar New Year
By Ladybird
Illustrated by Debby Rahmalia
12 Pages | Ages 2-5 | Board Book
ISBN 9780241629628 | Ladybird
Discover the celebration of Lunar New Year with this bright, interactive lift-the-flap book! Featuring simple text, gorgeous illustrations and satisfying lift-the-flaps, this book explores common traditions and helps young children understand the importance of this special holiday. Lift the flaps to reveal gifts being opened, a dragon dance being performed, a lantern taking to the skies and firecrackers and fireworks exploding in the night sky. The First Festivals series invites children to explore the world’s culture from the comfort of their home, encourages the development of hand-eye coordination and is recommended for children aged 2 and over.

Happy Lunar New Year! (Sesame Street)
By Sonali Fry
Illustrated by Barry Goldberg
26 Pages | Ages 0-3 | Board Book
ISBN 9780593648902 | Random House BFYR
Celebrate the Lunar New Year on Sesame Street with Ji-Young, Lily, and Elmo! Elmo learns about different Lunar New Year celebrations from his friends on Sesame Street. Ji-Young tells Elmo about Soellal, which is celebrated in Korea. And Lily the tiger shares traditions from her Chinese Lunar New Year festivities. This colorful board book is filled with good fortune and fun for everyone! It makes a great Lunar New Year gift for young boys and girls.

I Want to Be Spaghetti!
By Kiera Wright-Ruiz
Illustrated by Claudia Lam
56 Pages | Ages 4-8 | Hardcover
ISBN 9780593529874 | Kokila
Even from Ramen’s small shelf in the supermarket, they see spaghetti propaganda everywhere. They want to be celebrated, too. Maybe, Ramen misguidedly thinks, I have to change to be loved like that. “I want to be spaghetti!” they proclaim to the dismay of the rest of the instant noodle section. But when Ramen’s brought home and placed in a warm bowl of broth alongside new friends like Chashu, Narutomaki, and Nori, they realize they’ve always been perfect exactly the way they are. 

Lunar New Year: A Celebration of Family and Fun
By Mary Man-Kong
Illustrated by Michelle Jing Chan
32 Pages | Ages 2-5 | Hardcover
ISBN 9780593649466 | Golden Books
Every year, millions of Asian families come together to celebrate the first new moon in the sky. Now preschoolers can learn about the zodiac animals, the delicious food, the exciting parades, and all the fun traditions. Filled with colorful illustrations and simple, yet informative text, this Big Golden Book is perfect for reading again and again to the whole family. Happy Lunar New Year!

Night Market Rescue
By Charlotte Cheng
Illustrated by Amber Ren
32 Pages | Ages 4-7 | Hardcover
ISBN 9780593531723 | Rocky Pond Books
A stray dog stumbles upon the gift of friendship – and maybe even the promise of home – while wandering the delight-filled night market in Taipei. While resting on a stoop, Gogo smells something sweet and spicy on the breeze. It leads him to a place he’s never been – a bustling night market where vendors sell delicious treats. As he wanders, sniffing for scraps, GoGo discovers something else as well: a little girl who has gotten separated from her parents. He knows he can help and guides her through the market . . . to where her worried parents wait for her – with open arms for their daughter and GoGo, their new pet!

Rainbow Shopping
By Qing Zhuang
40 Pages | Ages 4-8 | Hardcover
ISBN 9780823449774 | Holiday House
On a rainy Saturday, a young girl feels as gray as a pigeon. Since moving from China to New York City, Mom, Dad, and Grandma have been very busy working. But a trip to Mom’s favorite Chinatown store to find the best produce, seafood, and spices for dinner just might turn the girl’s day around. Later on, Dad steams, boils, fries, and stir-fries all the ingredients while girl and Grandma taste-test. After cozy goodnights, a final dream spread shows the family walking hand-in-hand in rainbow colors – an affirmation of love and support even on rainy, gray days. Inspired by Qing Zhuang’s experience as a first generation Chinese American, Rainbow Shopping explores a young child’s feelings of loneliness and discovery with tenderness and humor. Qing uses watercolor, colored pencil, and crayon to beautifully recreate NYC’s Chinatown neighborhood. Filled with warmth and details of city life, this story about a working-class family is one readers can return to again and again.

Ra Pu Zel and the Stinky Tofu
By Ying Chang Compestine
Illustrated by Crystal Kung
40 Pages | Ages 5-8 | Hardcover
ISBN 9780593533055 | Rocky Pond Books
The story of Rapunzel where she’s being locked in a tower by a witch is a good one – but it’s not totally the truth. The real story is about a young princess in China named Ra Pu Zel who doesn’t want to talk to princes or look proper. What Pu Zel wants is to cook and eat in peace, her long hair neatly braided to keep it out of her food. And when she gets tired of everyone telling her what to do, she locks herself in a tower with her dog Bao. Although princes from everywhere try to convince her to come down, it’s not until a young chef arrives with an intriguing food to share that Ra Pu Zel finally has a reason.

Ten Little Dumplings
By Larissa Fan
Illustrated by Cindy Wume
48 Pages | Ages 4-8 | Hardcover
ISBN 9780735266193 | Tundra Books
In the city of Tainan, there lives a very special family – special because they have ten sons who do everything together. Their parents call them their ten little dumplings, as both sons and dumplings are auspicious. But if you look closely, you’ll see that someone else is there, listening, studying, learning and discovering her own talent – a sister. As this little girl grows up in the shadow of her brothers, her determination and persistence help her to create her own path in the world . . . and becomes the wisdom she passes on to her own daughter, her own little dumpling. Based on a short film made by the author, inspired by her father’s family in Taiwan, Ten Little Dumplings looks at some unhappy truths about the place of girls in our world in an accessible, inspiring and hopeful way.

The Goblin Twins
By Frances Cha
Illustrated by Jaime Kim
40 Pages | Ages 3-7 | Hardcover
ISBN 9780593480212 | Crown BFYR
Doki and Kebi are two Korean magical goblin twin brothers who couldn’t be more different! Kebi loves to scare people (maybe a little too much) and explore! Doki would rather give people bags of gold when he’s not reading a book! Despite their differences, Doki and Kebi are inseparable. When it’s time for the goblin tricksters to move, the brothers decide to make their new home together in a strange, unknown land . . . New York City! As they prepare for the new customs of Halloween, Doki and Kebi are in for a surprise in this new holiday adventure inspired by the Korean mythology of dokkaebi.

Tundra Book Group