Dim Sum Palace

A child eager for dim sum takes a surreal nighttime journey in Fang’s solo debut, reminiscent of Maurice Sendak’s In the Night Kitchen. Liddy is so excited to visit the Dim Sum Palace that she finds it hard to fall asleep. After her mother wishes “Good night, my little dumpling,” clouds bearing “a delicious smell” beckon, and Liddy walks through a palace’s garden and down a hall, where two giant-size chefs prepare a meal: “There were baos, buns and bowls of congee!” When diminutive Liddy climbs bamboo steamers for a taste and falls into a bowl, she’s made into a dumpling that “looked good enough to eat!” Saving herself from becoming the palace Empress’s first bite, Liddy joins the feast before falling asleep on a warm bun—and waking ready to experience Dim Sum Palace. Retaining hand-worked textures, digitally colored graphite illustrations combine an expressive heroine with a mildly menacing scenario to winningly whimsical effect. Protagonists cue as East Asian. Ages 3–7. (Sept.)