Fang, X. Dim Sum Palace. X. Fang, Illus. Penguin /Tundra, 09/2023. [42]pp. Picture Book. Trade $18.99. 978-1-7748-8198-9. GRADES Preschool–2. OUTSTANDING.
Too excited to sleep, a young girl named Liddy follows the delicious smells of a dazzling array of foods to the magical Dim Sum Palace, where the food is so irresistible that she finds herself wrapped in a dumpling and served to the Empress herself! Equal parts homage to food from Fang’s Taiwanese heritage and In the Night Kitchen (Sendak, Harper and Row, 1970), unadorned prose allows Fang’s digitally colored graphite illustrations to illuminate every page with soft textures and bright colors that evoke a dreamlike quality. The text refers to Liddy using she/her pronouns and she and the major characters are depicted as round-cheeked, plump, and light-skinned with thin eyes and straight black hair. Filled with depictions of a wide variety of mouthwatering dumplings, buns, pastries, and other dishes, Dim Sum Palace is a delightful picture book to read aloud to young gourmands.
Keith Chong—Oakland Public Library