For me, the best part of traveling is getting to try different kinds of food. I have always considered multiculturalism and food going hand in hand. What better way to learn about a country's culture and traditions than to experience its food? And if you can't be there yourself, travel there in a book.



Books mentioned in this video:
Bee-bim Bop by Linda Sue Park and Ho Baek Lee
Bread Bread Bread by Ann Morris and Ken Heyman
Cora Cooks Pancit by Dorina Lazo Gilmore and Kristi Valiant
Dim Sum for Everyone by Grace Lin
Dumpling Soup by Jama Kim Rattigan
Everybody Bakes Bread by Norah Dooley and Peter J. Thornton
Everybody Brings Noodles by Norah Dooley and Peter J. Thornton
Everybody Cooks Rice by Norah Dooley and Peter J. Thornton
Everybody Serves Soup by Norah Dooley and Peter J. Thornton
Hiromi's Hands by Lynne Barasch
Let's Eat! What Children Eat Around the World by Beatrice Hollyer
Squeamish About Sushi by Betty Reynolds
The Tortilla Factory by Gary Paulsen and Ruth Paulsen
The Ugly Vegetables by Grace Lin
The Wakame Gatherers by Holly Thompson and Kazumi Wilds
Yoko by Rosemary Wells

Cora Cooks Pancit (by Dorina Lazo Gilmore and illustrated by Kristi Valiant) is reviewed in the November, 2009 issue of School Library Journal!

LAZO GILMORE, Dorina K. Cora Cooks Pancit. illus. by Kristi Valiant. unpaged. glossary. CIP. Shen's. 2009. Tr $17.95. ISBN 978-1-885008-35-0. LC 2008045836.

PreS-Gr 3--When Cora's Filipino family cooks together, she's always stuck doing the "kid jobs." Then one day when her older siblings are out and about, Cora gets her chance to bond with Mama in the kitchen. She even gets to choose her favorite dish, so the two of them make a large bowl of noodles, chicken, and vegetables called pancit. Clear expository prose explains how to perform kitchen tasks. For example, Mama tells Cora, "Open the package of rice noodles and put them in this bowl of water." Then she engages her daughter by asking her, "Do you know why we soak them?" These scenes effectively model how adults can introduce children to cooking. The simple, direct style also makes the book equally well suited as a read-aloud and for newly independent readers. The artwork nicely complements the text, as Valiant's warm hues of gold, red, and orange highlight the family's loving relationship. They also capture Cora's feelings through facial expressions. Wide eyes and smiles show the child's joy at cooking with her mother, while a downcast mouth and arched eyebrows illustrate her anxiety that her family won't like her pancit. Although this dish is unique to Cora's culture, children of all backgrounds will share her feelings at being allowed to help cook a meal for the first time. A solid choice for schools and public libraries, especially where family-based programming is popular.--Mary Landrum, Lexington Public Library, KY

Books mentioned in this episode:
Balarama: A Royal Elephant by Ted and Betsy Lewin
An Elephant in the Backyard by Richard Sobol

I just returned from Europe on Tuesday! My college roommate and I went to the Frankfurt Book Fair, and then turned it into a bit of a vacation. After Frankfurt, we traveled on to Bruge and Amsterdam, and had a whirlwind of a great time.

I was planning to post this video last week while I was there, really I was. But I was thwarted by my technology and couldn't edit it until today. So pretend that it's actually live and coming to you directly from Frankfurt.



The exhibit on the history of printing was part of China's country exhibit at the book fair "forum." The room was set up as a little museum, showroom, and press conference stage, all with the aim of showcasing Chinese publishing.

In Multicultrual Minute #4 a few weeks ago, I promised to do an episode on books for older readers featuring characters who were biracial. I am nothing if not true to my word, so here it is:




Books mentioned in this episode:

Black Mirror by Nancy Werlin
Middle grade thriller/mystery featuring a half-Japanese, half-Jewish girl.

Bobby Versus Girls (Accidentally) by Lisa Yee
Middle grade humor featuring a half-Chinese, half-white boy. (Race not a foreground theme.)

Brendan Buckley's Universe and Everything Else In It by Sundee T. Frazier
Middle grade realistic fiction exploring racial themes around a boy who is half-black and half- white.

Half and Half by Lensey Namioka
Middle grade fiction about a girl's difficulties with choosing between her Chinese heritage and her Scottish heritage.

The House You Pass on the Way by Jacqueline Woodson
YA coming of age story exploring a half-black and half-white girl's experience with racism, homosexuality, and family.

Mexican White Boy by Matt de la Pena
YA novel featuring a half-Mexican, half-white boy who deals with many issues, including racial discrimination.

Monsoon Summer by Mitali Perkins
YA novel about a half-Indian, half-white girl who travels to India with her mother and discovers a lot about herself and racial perceptions.

Nothing But the Truth (and a Few White Lies) by Justina Chen Headley
YA novel about a half-Taiwanese, half-white girl who learns to celebrate her "hapa" status when she spends a summer at camp.

Outside Beauty by Cynthia Kadohata
Middle grade novel about a single-parent family where all the sisters share their Japanese mother but each have a different father. While race is not the central issue, their truly multicultural family plays a large role in shaping their characters.

The True Meaning of Smekday by Adam Rex
Middle grade humor/science fiction in which the main character is half-black and half-white. Race is not a central issue, though discrimination by an alien race is.

As part of their tribute to the Philippines and Filipino culture, Papertigers.org has published a review of Abadeha: The Philippine Cinderella.

"To recreate this story, rich with cultural references, de la Paz pulled together local religious beliefs and practices and incorporated native flora, fauna, and names into the tale. The soft, colorful illustrations by Youshan Tang paint an evocative picture of indigenous life in the tropical islands. Abadeha:The Philippine Cinderella is a great story for opening the door to a heritage worth preserving."

Thanks, Papertigers!

We have another special guest this week: Elizabeth O. Dulemba, author and illustrator extraordinaire. Her second bilingual book was just published this week, and well, I'll let her tell you about it. And about her experience with learning a new language for her books.



Books mentioned in this episode:
Soap, Soap, Soap/Jabon, Jabon, Jabon

Other books by Elizabeth Dulemba:
Paco and the Giant Chile Plant/Paco y la planta de chile gigante
Glitter Girl and the Crazy Cheese
The Prince's Diary

California Librarians: mark your calendars! Shen's Books will be at the annual California School Library Association conference again this year. The conference will be held November 19-21 at the Ontario Convention Center. We'll have copies of all our books for sale, at special conference prices. See you then!

Shen's Books at CSLA Conference
November 19-21, 2009
Ontario Convention Center
Ontario, CA

Burnt Lumpia is a blog about Filipino culture and, more importantly, food! Last week, Marvin of Burnt Lumpia featured Cora Cooks Pancit on the blog, including interior shots and everything. The children's book inspired Marvin to take a stroll down memory lane, and also to look into the future:

Now, as a new parent myself, I can only hope that my little one will some day show a curiosity in the cultural dishes I prepare in our own kitchen. Luckily, his curiosity is getting a head start whenever I read him Cora Cooks Pancit.

Thanks, Marvin!