Dim Sum, Here We Come!

Sharing, caring, and cultural traditions mark a Chinese American family’s weekly meal together in author-illustrator Lam’s delectable picture book. “Every Sunday, our whole family meets to share dim sum,” begins this title’s unnamed young narrator, referencing an event that brings together grandparents, aunties, uncles, cousins—a dozen in all. While they wait for a table, “Uncle Irvin takes us around the restaurant,” noting the cat statue that stands for good luck, and fish tanks whose “dancing fish” mean “good feng shui.” The book’s plot doubles as a dim sum primer for those not in the know, showing the family ordering via a card, sharing from steamer baskets rotated around the table, and, via a revealing bird’s-eye view of the table, respectfully taking turns. The only tension is the narrator’s impatience—“Will it ever be my turn?”—as Lam’s yummy watercolor and colored pencil art depicts char siu buns, pork dumplings, and spring rolls that are surely worth the wait. Ages 4–8. (Jan.)