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Book Reviews, Picture book · January 8, 2021

Picture Book Friday: Ten Little Dumplings

ten little dumplings review

Summary: Ten Little Dumplings

Larissa Fan’s Ten Little Dumplings is based on a true account of the life of a family member. It follows a family with 10 sons in the village of Fengfu. In Taiwanese culture, male children are prized over females, and so as Fan writes, the family is viewed as special. They’re “special because they had ten sons. To have one son was considered lucky. To have ten was great luck indeed.” As we see the 10 boys grow through life, a beautiful surprise awaits readers in the middle of the story.

The Good

I definitely wondered where this story was going, and I’d hate to spoil it for anyone, but I’m guessing the synopsis on online marketplaces might already have done that for some readers. The illustrations in this book are cute, and the boys do look as cute as dumplings while they are young. This is one of those picture books that would be more suited for older kids, say age 6 and up who can grasp its important message.

Readers discover that throughout the boys’ lives and the pages of the story was one invisible member of their family who is also deserving of a story. I especially loved the meaningful Author’s Note at the end of the story, and it was heartwarming to read about the inspiration behind this book.

Overall: Ten Little Dumplings

Don’t be fooled by the cute cover! While it’s definitely about 10 brothers in Taiwan, Ten Little Dumplings is more than just a cute picture book. This vital story highlights the bond of brotherhood, but also shows that even when society places you in the background, whether for your race or gender or any other identity, your life can still be yours — and worth a whole lot too. If you enjoyed books like Seven Silly Eaters, you will enjoy the cute scenes of all 10 boys doing everything together. This is such a sweet and surprising picture book, I absolutely loved it and would recommend.

Buy This Book

ten little dumplings

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

Have you read this picture book or any other children’s books featuring large families? I’d love your recommendations.

More Picture Book Reviews

  • Luna’s Yum Yum Dim Sum by Natasha Yim
  • Sunday Funday in Koreatown by Aram Kim
  • Zoo-Mate Wanted by Korrie Leer

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Posted In: Book Reviews, Picture book · Tagged: asian culture, big families, siblings, smart girls

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✨a suspenseful middle grade book✨ ✨chapter books worth reading!✨ Welcoming a second baby? Here’s a delightful picture book with tips for big kids. Although there’s more text in this one than I’d like for a typical picture book, I love that the information is factual and can be very helpful for parents tackling these specific questions with their big kids ❤️ ❓What happened to Rachel Riley❓ As much as I love new releases, I like to make room in my reading plans for books released a couple (or more) years before. Here’s my current backlist stack for 2023. ✨life’s easier when you can be yourself ✨
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