Boy Dumplings [Hardcover]

Ying Chang Compestine (Author), James Yamasaki (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 2009 | Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up

As night falls, one hungry ghost is looking for his dinner. Yum! He spots a plump, delicious-looking boy just right for boy dumplings. Even better, the boy knows the perfect recipe. He sends the ghost all over China for stinky garlic, wormy cabbage, and moldy dumpling wrappers. There's always one more ingredient the boy tells the ghost to find, but the hungry ghost knows the boy dumplings will be worth it. But when dawn arrives, will this crafty youngster escape--or will the plan he's cooked up lead him to the cooking pot?

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3—A hungry ghost with pointed ears and sharp teeth searches the dark streets of Beijing, night after night, in search of food offerings from frightened townspeople. One night, he spies a plump little boy, grabs him, and carries him home, where he pulls out his bucket and chopsticks and prepares to dine. The boy crosses his arms petulantly and demands, "You're not going to eat me raw, are you?" What follows is the familiar theme of an unwilling victim outsmarting his captor and avoiding a terrible fate. While this story takes place in China and the boy suggests that the ghost gather the ingredients to make dumplings out of him, it doesn't really distinguish itself from similar tales. Yamasaki's watercolor and gouache illustrations can be both murky and redundant. Compestine's language is lively and often funny, but verbose. While Boy Dumplings would serve as a good read-aloud for the Ghost Festival (referred to as the "Chinese Halloween" in late August—early September), this theme is better served by books like Arnold Lobel's Mouse Soup (Scholastic, 1977).—Susan Weitz, formerly at Spencer-Van Etten School District, Spencer, NY
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About the Author

Ying Chang Compestine grew up in China and later moved to the United States. Her books include "The Story of Chopsticks", "The Story of Noodles", and "The Story of Kites" all illustrated by YongSheng Xuan. She lives with her family in California. You can visit her on the Web at www.yingc.com.

James Yamasaki is an illustrator who creates art for book jackets, magazines, and children's books. He teaches at the Academy of Art in San Francisco. He lives in Palo Alto, California. Learn more at www.jamesyamasaki.com.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Holiday House (August 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 082341955X
• ISBN-13: 978-0823419555
• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 9.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,608,342 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Ying Chang Compestine is the author of 16 books, including A Banquet for Hungry Ghosts, a collection of frightening Chinese ghost stories, and the award winning novel, Revolution is not a Dinner Party, which has received twenty-eight awards, including the ALA Best Books and Notable Books. Ying has been featured on numerous national television and radio programs and in magazines and newspapers. She is the spokesperson for Nestle Maggi and Celestial Seasonings and a frequent contributor to many national magazines.

Ying has visited schools throughout the US and abroad, sharing with students her journey as a writer, how her life in China inspired her writing, and the challenges of writing in her second language. She has lectured on a variety of subjects at writer's conferences and universities, and aboard cruise ships.

Ying is available to talk about her books to book clubs in person, by telephone or online. Ying was born and raised in Wuhan, China. Her website is: www.yingc.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Our 3 Year Old Loves This Story!, March 15, 2010

By 

M. Jackson (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Boy Dumplings (Hardcover)

When we checked it out at the library, we had no idea how much she would enjoy "Boy Dumplings." It takes place in Beijing and is about a young boy who outwits a hungry, "skinny ghost." Since we've exhausted all of our library renewals and she still wants to hear it, we ordered it for her today!

5.0 out of 5 stars My 4-year-old son adores this book, February 7, 2011

By 

sucheng (Silicon Valley) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Boy Dumplings (Hardcover)

When I ordered this, I honestly was a little apprehensive my 4 YO son would find it too scary - after all it is about a ghost in China who wants to eat up a chubby little boy. (My son has quite the imagination and finds many supposedly kid-friendly movies and TV show too suspenseful and frightening.) But surprisingly, he warmed up to it right away, and has been OBSESSED with the book since his birthday several months ago. We have been reading it repeatedly, and it sparked his interested in making (and eating!) boy-free dumplings for Chinese New Year last week. So 5 stars - minus maybe half a star for kids who might be too young or scared by the ghost. (Don't worry - of course there is a happy ending!)