Dumplings are Delicious
Deb Capone
Illustrated by Stan Jaskiel
Reviewed by Jenny Salyers
In Dumplings are Delicious, we meet up with Rain and her
stuffed friend Bo, the Heirloom Hippopotamus. Rain is a girl
from China,
who has recently been adopted by an American couple. She and her mom
have
learned how to make jiặozi, a type of Chinese dumpling. One day at
school
during lunch time Rain and her friends start talking about the
different types
of dumplings that they and their families make and eat. This leads to
her class
having a day dedicated to trying new types of dumplings and learning
about the
countries that they come from.
Dumplings are Delicious is the third book by Deb Capone. We
are reintroduced to the main character. The book is aimed to introduce
young
readers to the ideas of new foods and different cultures. The story
focuses on
one type of food, which has similar incarnations in many different
cultures. I
loved how the story shows Rain and her friends all enjoying the
dumplings that
they eat regularly. Older readers will learn how to pronounce the names
of the
different dumpling types, as well as where they come from around the
world.
Stan Jaskiel’s illustrations make the story come alive. They
make use of bright colors and shapes to illustrate Rain’s day at
school. The
images used are cartoon like but not un-lifelike. Younger readers will
enjoy
looking at the illustrations and trying to find Bo as he peeks into
each
picture.
As Simple as That books share the same similar ideal. They
are all aimed at teaching children about different cultures and how to
respect
one another. Currently, all the books published by the author follow
Rain and
her life and discoveries in her new American family.