The Runaway Wok

Starred review from November 29, 2010
Inspired by the Danish folktale, The Talking Pot, Compestine's (Boy Dumplings) jaunty story takes place long ago in Beijing, which Serra (A Pirate's Night Before Christmas) portrays as a bustling, cheerful village. On Chinese New Year's Eve, a poor couple send their son to market to trade their last eggs for rice so they can make a meal for their neighbors. Instead, Ming swaps the eggs for a smiling, singing wok that boasts, "I am more than what you see!" The wok hops off to the home of a stingy rich family whose servants fill it with food, then delivers the feast to the needy family, chanting, "Skippity-hoppity-ho!/ To the poor man's house I go." After the sneaky wok brings them the greedy rich son's toys and gold the man has cheated others out of, Ming's family shares their bounty with poor villagers. The sight of the insouciant wok carrying away the miserly family—stuck inside headfirst, legs waving in the air—will make kids snicker. They'll also chime in, since the wok's refrain begs for audience participation. Ages 6–8.

December 15, 2010

Sent to the market to buy rice for his family's Chinese New Year celebration, little boy Ming comes home with an old, rusted wok instead. His parents are dismayed. But this wok is special: It can sing. As soon as Mama Zhang shines the wok, it jumps off the table with a "Skippity-hoppity-ho!" and rolls to the house of the richest man in Beijing. The wok tricks the wife into stuffing it with dumplings, rice cakes and more. Filled to the brim, it skips back to the Zhang family. Serra's bright, jam-packed visuals zip after the wok as it flits through cluttered markets and detailed Beijing streets. The wok makes two more trips, each time singing its catchy tune. In delight, Ming and his parents hold a grand New Year's Eve feast and share their fortune with all around. Inspired by the Danish folktale "The Talking Pot," Compestine cleverly swops in a wok—a traditional symbol of sharing. An endnote connects the spirit of the Chinese New Year to lessons of generosity learned in the tale. (recipe for festive stir-fried rice) (Picture book. 4-8)

(COPYRIGHT (2010) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

February 1, 2011

K-Gr 4-Part "Jack and the Beanstalk" and part "Robin Hood," Compestine's satisfying tale of a poor family's good fortune is actually a retelling of a Danish tale, "The Talking Pot." Ming is sent to trade his family's last eggs for rice to make stir-fried rice to share with neighbors on Chinese New Year. When he encounters an old man selling a rusty old wok with the magical power of singing, he trades their food for this apparently worthless object. Ming's parents are distressed until the wok sings to them. After they polish it to a shine, the pot runs off to the family's wealthy employers, the Zhangs. One after another, the wok tricks members of the greedy family, returning to Ming's household filled with delicious food, toys, and money to share with their neighbors. Compestine's well-paced and engaging narrative will hold children's attention to the end, during which the poor family finds lasting success while the Zhangs are spirited away forever. Vibrant paintings bring a stylized Beijing of once-upon-a-time to life. The illustrations are rich with colorful traditional clothing, patterned ceramics, Chinese architecture, and delectable-looking food, and readers will welcome the chance to explore Serra's cheery cartoon-style illustrations. Chinese New Year traditions are woven throughout the story and an author's note describes them in further detail, noting the symbolism of New Year foods and of the wok itself. A recipe for stir-fried rice is included. This tale will have broad appeal beyond Chinese New Year units.-Jayne Damron, Farmington Community Library, MI

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2011
Preschool-G In this high-spirited original folktale set in yesteryear Beijing, a magical pan becomes a Robin Hood hero. On Chinese New Years Eve, the poor Zhangs send their son, Ming, to trade their last eggs for rice, which, unlike the rich, greedy Li family, they plan to share with their neighbors. Along the way, Ming encounters an old man, who offers Ming a wok that miraculously pleads its own case: Trade for me, / I am more than what you see! Astonished, Ming carries it home, where it continues to sing: Skippity-hoppity-ho! / To the rich mans wife I go! Off it bounces, and in several trips to the Lis and back, the wily wok collects food, toys, and money, which Ming and his parents joyfully distribute throughout their community. The well-paced, repetitive text reads aloud well, but young listeners will want to crowd in close to enjoy the details of holiday bustle in the appealingly packed acrylic paintings. An authors note about the tales inspiration and Chinese New Year, as well as a recipe for stir-fried rice, close this festive offering.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2011
Set in long-ago China, this story tells of Ming Zhang and his poor but deserving family. On New Year's Eve, Ming buys a magical wok, which promptly sets out to transfer riches from the greedy Li family to the Zhangs, who share it with others. The detailed, vigorous illustrations reflect the mischievous wok's energy. A recipe and Chinese New Year festival facts are appended.

(Copyright 2011 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

December 15, 2010

Sent to the market to buy rice for his family's Chinese New Year celebration, little boy Ming comes home with an old, rusted wok instead. His parents are dismayed. But this wok is special: It can sing. As soon as Mama Zhang shines the wok, it jumps off the table with a "Skippity-hoppity-ho!" and rolls to the house of the richest man in Beijing. The wok tricks the wife into stuffing it with dumplings, rice cakes and more. Filled to the brim, it skips back to the Zhang family. Serra's bright, jam-packed visuals zip after the wok as it flits through cluttered markets and detailed Beijing streets. The wok makes two more trips, each time singing its catchy tune. In delight, Ming and his parents hold a grand New Year's Eve feast and share their fortune with all around. Inspired by the Danish folktale "The Talking Pot," Compestine cleverly swops in a wok--a traditional symbol of sharing. An endnote connects the spirit of the Chinese New Year to lessons of generosity learned in the tale. (recipe for festive stir-fried rice) (Picture book. 4-8)

(COPYRIGHT (2010) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)