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TOFU TAKES TIME

Name: TOFU TAKES TIME
Author: Helen H. Wu
ISBN: 978-1-5064-8035-0

by Helen H. Wu ; illustrated by Julie Jarema ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 19, 2022

A culinary lesson in patience.

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A young girl helps her grandma cook dinner.

“Making tofu takes time,” NaiNai tells her curious granddaughter before the two proceed to make bean curd from scratch. Illustrations of their kitchen work—rinsing, blending, straining, heating, and pressing soybeans—alternate with images of the unnamed girl transported to fanciful landscapes comprised of giant crockery and soybean plants of Brobdingnagian proportions. Young readers will relate to the child’s eager anticipation: “Is it done? Is it done? Is it done?” The feeling of time passing too slowly may be relatable to anyone hankering for a particular viand. NaiNai’s reminder that “good things take time” extols the virtue of patience and encourages delayed gratification. While waiting, the first-person child narrator enjoys books and stories and bonding time with her grandmother. Finally, after Mama and Papa come home from work, the family shares a delicious meal featuring fresh tofu. This picture book is sentimental and quaint despite its prosaic narrative and lackluster artwork. The backmatter promotes bean curd as a sustainable, plant-based protein source; it also makes the oversimplified and questionable assertion that people outside of Asia were “introduced to tofu in the 1970s.” The author’s note summarizes various tofu dishes from different cultures, from tofu tacos to Indian butter tofu. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A culinary lesson in patience. (Picture book. 4-6)

Pub Date: April 19, 2022

ISBN: 978-1-5064-8035-0

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Beaming Books

Review Posted Online: Feb. 8, 2022

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2022

Categories:

CHILDREN'S FAMILY | CHILDREN'S HEALTH & DAILY LIVING

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WOOSHI WITCH GROWS A GARDEN
by Dai Yun ; illustrated by Gui Tuzi ; translated by Helen H. Wu

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LONG GOES TO DRAGON SCHOOL
by Helen H. Wu ; illustrated by Mae Besom

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LUCKY CAT
by Melody Cheng , Helen H. Wu & Janet Wang ; illustrated by Eunice Chen

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THERE'S A ROCK CONCERT IN MY BEDROOM

by Kevin Jonas & Danielle Jonas ; illustrated by Courtney Dawson ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 29, 2022

Nice enough but not worth repeat reads.

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Emma deals with jitters before playing the guitar in the school talent show.

Pop musician Kevin Jonas and his wife, Danielle, put performance at the center of their picture-book debut. When Emma is intimidated by her very talented friends, the encouragement of her younger sister, Bella, and the support of her family help her to shine her own light. The story is straightforward and the moral familiar: Draw strength from your family and within to overcome your fears. Employing the performance-anxiety trope that’s been written many times over, the book plods along predictably—there’s nothing really new or surprising here. Dawson’s full-color digital illustrations center a White-presenting family along with Emma’s three friends of color: Jamila has tanned skin and wears a hijab; Wendy has dark brown skin and Afro puffs; and Luis has medium brown skin. Emma’s expressive eyes and face are the real draw of the artwork—from worry to embarrassment to joy, it’s clear what she’s feeling. A standout double-page spread depicts Emma’s talent show performance, with a rainbow swirl of music erupting from an amp and Emma rocking a glam outfit and electric guitar. Overall, the book reads pretty plainly, buoyed largely by the artwork. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Nice enough but not worth repeat reads. (Picture book. 4-6)

Pub Date: March 29, 2022

ISBN: 978-0-593-35207-6

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Razorbill/Penguin

Review Posted Online: Feb. 8, 2022

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2022

Categories:

CHILDREN'S FAMILY | CHILDREN'S ENTERTAINMENT & SPORTS

- BOOK REVIEW
THERE'S A BEACH IN MY BEDROOM
by Kevin Jonas & Danielle Jonas ; illustrated by Courtney Dawson

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PIRATES DON'T TAKE BATHS

by John Segal and illustrated by John Segal ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 1, 2011

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Echoes of Runaway Bunny color this exchange between a bath-averse piglet and his patient mother. Using a strategy that would probably be a nonstarter in real life, the mother deflects her stubborn offspring’s string of bath-free occupational conceits with appeals to reason: “Pirates NEVER EVER take baths!” “Pirates don’t get seasick either. But you do.” “Yeesh. I’m an astronaut, okay?” “Well, it is hard to bathe in zero gravity. It’s hard to poop and pee in zero gravity too!” And so on, until Mom’s enticing promise of treasure in the deep sea persuades her little Treasure Hunter to take a dive. Chunky figures surrounded by lots of bright white space in Segal’s minimally detailed watercolors keep the visuals as simple as the plotline. The language isn’t quite as basic, though, and as it rendered entirely in dialogue—Mother Pig’s lines are italicized—adult readers will have to work hard at their vocal characterizations for it to make any sense. Moreover, younger audiences (any audiences, come to that) may wonder what the piggy’s watery closing “EUREKA!!!” is all about too. Not particularly persuasive, but this might coax a few young porkers to get their trotters into the tub. (Picture book. 4-6)