The Story of Noodles [Hardcover]

Ying Chang Compestine (Author), YongSheng Xuan (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 2002 | Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

Left alone to prepare their family's prize-winning dumplings for the annual cooking contest, the young Kang boys accidentally invent a new dish, "mian tiao," or noodles. Includes a cultural note and a recipe for long life noodles.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Back from The Story of Chopsticks, the Kang brothers are in for another culinary misadventure in The Story of Noodles by Ying Chang Compestine, illus. by YongSheng Xuan. When they fool around instead of following their mother's instructions on making dumplings for the village cooking contest, they inadvertently invent a new food. A recipe for sauce and author's note on the history of noodles close the volume.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 3-The Kang family hopes to win the emperor's annual cooking contest with Mama's special dumplings, but when a pig turns up missing, the three boys are left in charge of rolling out the dough while their parents hunt for the stray. The brothers jump on the grinder to flatten the dough and-"BOOM!"-the table breaks. When Mama returns, she is horrified to discover strips of dough dangling everywhere. Ever inventive, though, the boys come up with novel ways to consume them-"eating a drumstick" (rolling large portions around chopsticks), "sucking a worm" (slurping individual strands), and "cutting the grass" (biting off short pieces). Their creation turns out to be the hit of the competition. Xuan's lively, paper-cut illustrations, bordered by heavily textured cream paper, reveal interesting details of Chinese life. Heavy, stylized black outlines give them the appearance of stained glass and make them suitable for group sharing. Although the ending is a bit too good to be true, this tale of the origin of noodles in China will be a welcome addition to multicultural units. A recipe for "Long-Life Noodles" and an author's note are included.
Laurie Edwards, West Shore School District, Camp Hill, PA
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Holiday House; 1st edition (September 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0823416003
• ISBN-13: 978-0823416004
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 8.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,291,419 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:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Kang brothers are at it again, March 24, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The Story of Noodles (Hardcover)

This is the second of the Boulder-based author's planned trilogy on the origins of three Chinese inventions: chopsticks, noodles, and (I believe) paper. The stories all feature the Kang brothers, three boisterous young boys who live in ancient China and have a penchant for accidentally coming up with new technologies. In this story, the brothers manage to make a mess of the dumpling dough their mother has left them to shape. The dough ends up torn into strips, but they discover that the strips make a tasty dish when they are cooked. This mian tiao (flour strips) dish ends up winning the annual cooking contest.

Children will enjoy the description of the different ways of eating noodles: rolled on the chopsticks is "eating a drumstick"; slurping the noodle is "sucking a worm"; and biting the noodles is "cutting the grass." Young readers will also undoubtedly enjoy the author's note that people in China customarily make big slurping noises while eating noodles.

The illustrations-papercuts which have bold lines and colors reminiscent of stained glass-complement the boisterous, happy tone of the book. As an added bonus, Compestine includes a recipe for "Long-Life Noodles" and a note about the history and customs of noodles.

5.0 out of 5 stars I love dumplings AND noodles!, August 30, 2011

By 

Christina Liu (Lake Mary, FL United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Story of Noodles (Hardcover)

Perhaps there needs to be more of a cultural connection to the foods in this book, but I loved this book from the moment we first read it to our girls, then 3 and 5. The antics of the Kang brothers are amusing but also ingenious. Their ability to turn an otherwise troublesome situation into something positive--resulting in a major invention is a lesson for us all--to look at each situation as an opportunity and a way to solve a problem. I intend to use this book (as well as the others in this series) as part of an author study for the students in my Mandarin Chinese class.

2.0 out of 5 stars Another disappointment, February 23, 2006

By 

Susan Morris-Jackson "Chinafaere" (Lynbrook, New York United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Story of Noodles (Hardcover)

We bought this book because we loved The Runaway Rice Cake and it was Chinese New Year. Both my girls, 4 & 6, always ask me to reread favorite books. This one went on the shelf and is gathering dust.