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Book Reviews, Picture book · January 1, 2021

Picture Book Friday: Luna’s Yum Yum Dim Sum

luna's yum yum dim sum book review

Summary: Luna’s Yum Yum Dim Sum

In Luna’s Yum Yum Dim Sum, Luna and her family go out for dim sum on her birthday. When the mouthwatering meal arrives, the kids have six buns which they can share equally, but in her excitement, Luna drops one pork bun, leaving the three kids only five buns to share. As they negotiate using the Lunar calendar, common sense, and math skills, they find a surprising solution to their dilemma.

The Good

The quality of illustrations are really important to me, and can make or break a book, even when the story is engaging. This book has realistic, captivating illustrations both of the characters and the yummy dumplings that Luna and her brothers have to share. I also enjoy books about problem solving, such as Atinuke’s Catch That Chicken! This book integrates both problem solving and math skills as the kids figure out all the ways they can split one bun for a substantial equal share for all parties involved.

At the end of the day culture and sharing are big parts of this story. Each kid makes a case for why they should get the extra bun using everything from the Lunar calendar to their ages. I liked that the parents let the kids figure out the dilemma on their own — and it does make for a more entertaining story after all!

Overall: Luna’s Yum Yum Dim Sum

Luna’s Yum Yum Dim Sum is a clever picture book about food, culture, sibling dynamics, and of course, math! When a dinner outing takes a sad turn, Luna and her brothers have to engage their math and negotiation skills so that they can all get two pork buns each. If you enjoy funny picture books that provide ample opportunity to learn about culture, do some counting, simple addition, subtraction and division, this is an excellent choice!

Buy This Book

luna's yum yum dim sum

*I received an eARC of this picture book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

More Picture Book Reviews

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  • Bunheads by Misty Copeland
  • Zoo-mate Wanted by Korrie Leer

Have you read this book or any other fun, math-related picture books? Please share your favorites!

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Posted In: Book Reviews, Picture book · Tagged: asian culture, biracial protagonist, family, picture books about counting, picture books about food, siblings

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🐢 Lo and Behold is a clever middle grade graphic novel about virtual reality, grief, and parental addiction. Readers who enjoy VR will love this one, but as the Author's Note mentions, it will also be a fantastic introduction for those who, like me, aren't familiar with it. A fun summer read with hints of serious themes.

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Hi, new followers! It’s such a pleasure to have a few new faces around. I love finding new readers to follow on the gram. 

My name is Afoma and I run a book blog called Reading Middle Grade. I also run a Facebook Group and newsletter related to my blog. In my day job, I’m a freelance writer and editor, with a degree in medicine.

I’ve lived in three continents (born in Nigeria, med school in Ukraine and the Caribbean). I live in Nigeria now with my husband and many, many books 🤭 I love to cook and travel and run. This year, one of my goals is to become a better runner. I’m currently able to run 2K without stopping. 

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