Dumplings for Lili

I loved this book! The illustrations are fun and made me hungry! I loved how she interacted with her neighbors and they all came together for a wonderful meal! Beautiful book with lovely recipe. 


Thanks NetGalley for this ARC!

A cute book that teaches children about different foods and languages. When Lili is cooking baos with her Nai Nai and in the recipe for baos in the back of the book, "secrets" are included in the directions to make it more fun for kids. There are also silly cooking descriptions such as letting the ingredients "make friends" and letting the dough "take a "catnap." As Lili visits all the grandmothers in her grandmother's building, words and phrases that mean "hello," "grandmother," "oh no," and "dumpling" are introduced in a variety of languages such as Polish and Arabic. I also enjoyed the map at the end of the book that showed Lili's travels up and down the stairs and what kind of dumplings each grandmother was making and what ingredient they were missing. The ending is sweet, as we find out why Lili has been spending time at her Nai Nai's house.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an electronic copy to read and review. 

This is a perfect book - it has dumplings and grandmothers in it. What more could you want? Oh, representation of different cultures, families, and people - yup, it has that too. I cannot wait to read this one to my daughter, who would eat dumplings for every meal if we let her. ,

Dumplings for Lili is a beautiful book that highlights cooperation and diversity. Melissa Iwai’s celebration of multiculturalism and community is present in every page, through the story and the stunning illustrations. Can we take a moment and appreciate Iwai’s talent? She not only wrote, but illustrated this book and I feel honoured to have her vision on a page. It reads like a gift to children.

Dumplings for Lili show us to be kind to others, to respect our elders, empowers children to help in the kitchen, embraces diversity with accuracy, care and respect. Not only that, but you walk away with a delicious original recipe. I think the author knew it’s impossible not to be hungry after reading her book!

I can’t wait for its release on June 1 so I can share with my classroom. There are so many things we can draw from this book to enhance our dialogue and I might even try to make the recipe with my students! That would be a fun way to help them with their numeracy and fine motor skills!

Thank you Melissa Iwai, Norton Young Readers, and NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy of Dumplings for Lili in exchange for my honest review.

#DumplingsforLili #NetGalley

A wonderful story of community coming around food regardless of culture. I loved how Lili interacted with all the women in her building and how they all come together to celebrate a new life.

I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

What a sweet story, about different cultures and different grandmas, essentially making the same food, whether its called bao, patty or tamale. The building is of neighborly love, where all the neighbors are wiling to lend out different ingredients to make food, and then have a big potluck together.

It's a good book to read with my daughter, to show her people of different culture and backgrounds, enjoying the same type of food, and sharing the love through eating together.

I was drooling all over while reading this book, and all I can think now is dumplings! Such a fun and heartwarming story. We need more books and definitely more buildings like the one in this story. The illustrations and the colour palette is exceptional; I want to look at them now and again cause they make me so happy. This will make an adorable gift for all children! Amazing book!

I loved this book!  It is a charming story of different grandmas living in a block of flats who need help with cooking their favourite dumplings: tamales, pierogi, bao, patties... A lovely way to introduce a child to variety of cuisines and cultures. Plus - lovely illustrations by the author.

I have loved Melissa Iwai's other two books, <i>Soup Day</i> and <i>Pizza Day</i>, and this new title didn't disappoint. I love how Iwai pulls in different cultures and their interpretations of the dumpling, and how each grandmother bears a traditional name (Abuela, Teta, Nai Nai, etc.). The big dumpling reveal at the end was sweet too. I like how the story grew and the chart at the end mapping Lili's adventures. This book would work for a preschool food storytime.

Thanks to NetGalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

The exact representation I wish I had seen when I was a kid. I absolutely love how the book highlighted the different yet similar foods being made across floors and cultures. Even better that there's a recipe in the back, I must try it soon. 

I almost want to buy copies of this book for when I do have young children in my life! Like Oprah, all be handing them out to everyone!

A delightful introduction to delicious wrapped foods from various cultures! An apartment building full of cooking grandmothers -- what a dream! With exciting action verbs as Lili tromps up and down the stairs retrieving ingredients from one culturally-specific apartment and delivering them to another, this community-minded picture book will leave readers smiling but hungry. Cha!

Lili and her Nai Nai (Mandarin for grandmother) wanted to make some baos, but they needed one more ingredient before they could steam their baos. Thus begin Lili's journey all up and down her apartment building finding ingredients to help the grandmothers in the building make different kinds of dumplings (LOVE the nods to different cultures here, with the different languages and types of dumplings like fatayeh and ravioli!)

I could definitely see how this book could be such a great vehicle for young kids to learn about different cultures through food, and how we live in a rich multicultural society. Perhaps we could even make some baos after that! :)

I received the ARC from NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

What a fun picture book about cooking and sharing amongst neighbors. A young child is making baos with Nai Nai. When they are missing an ingredient the child is sent throughout the building, meeting all the grandmother. We learn about different food from different cultures. The illustrations are beautiful and the back of the book has a recipe for baos. Pair this with Thank You Omu by Oge Mora for storytime.