Review of DIM SUM FOR EVERYONE!

Bibliography:

Lin, Grace. 2001. Dim sum for everyone! Illustrated by author. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN 0375910824

Summary:

A little girl talks about dim sum as her family eats a variety of Chinese food at a restaurant.

Review:

In Dim Sum for Everyone!, a little girl describes the dim sum dishes she and her family enjoy at a Chinese restaurant. Grace Lin’s simple story teaches readers about this Chinese dining tradition. The story itself consists of only eleven sentences. Each two-page spread contains a single sentence describing what is happening in the illustrations. Lin’s bold, vibrantly colored paintings fill the pages and capture the pleasure of this dining experience. The author/illustrator provides readers with a bird’s eye view of each scene, so they are not only aware of what is happening in the restaurant as a whole, but also what is happening at the family’s table. The close up of Mei-Mei, Jei-Jei, and other family members selecting their food invites readers to take part as well. The drawings are warm and welcoming in part because Lin has included a variety of patterns and designs in each illustration, drawing readers’ eyes to the carpet, the chairs, the dishes, the people, and their clothing. Despite the fact that dim sum is a Chinese practice, readers from all nationalities will feel welcome to join in the “bustling atmosphere” of the dim sum restaurant. Lin’s inclusion of people from various ethnic groups reminds readers that the joy of sharing food with loved ones is universal. At the end of the story, Lin includes a two page explanation of the history of dim sum and shares a few of its customs, such as “To thank the waiter, tap three fingers on the table.” In addition, she tempts readers with a display of “gait sat” (chicken bundles), “hung yan daofu” (almond gelatin), “chun guen” (spring rolls), and other dishes on the green patterned end pages. After reading Dim Sum for Everyone!, readers will want to invite family and friends to a dim sum restaurant in order to experience it for themselves.