Dim Sum Palace - by X Fang (Hardcover)

About the Book

"A picture book about a girl and her love of food, set in a restaurant."--

Book Synopsis

An American Library Association Notable Children's Book

A little girl's love of dim sum spills over into her dreams, taking her on a fantastical food-filled adventure, in this picture book love letter to Maurice Sendak's In the Night Kitchen. Beautifully illustrated with a gold foil cover, this is the perfect gift for foodies of all ages.

Liddy is so excited about going to the Dim Sum Palace tomorrow with her family that she can't sleep. So when a delicious smell wafts into her room, she hops out of bed, opens her door and steps into . . . an actual palace of dim sum! There are dumplings, baos, buns and more delicious treats than one girl can possibly eat. Liddy just has to take a bite, but she slips and falls . . . into a bowl of dumpling filling. The chefs are so busy rolling, folding and pinching dough that they don't notice they've prepared a most unusual dumpling for the Empress -- a Liddy dumpling! Worst of all, she looks good enough to eat . . .

This deliciously humorous debut picture book, inspired by X. Fang's memories as a child of epic dim sum feasts, is a dreamworld adventure that is at once a glorious celebration of the sensory world of childhood and a loving helping of food, family and culture.

Review Quotes

WINNER of the 2023 Society of Illustrators' Dilys Evans Founder's Award
An American Library Association Notable Children's Book
A Charlotte Zolotow Award Highly Commended title
One of Chicago Public Library's Best Board & Picture Books of 2023
One of Brightly's Best Picture Books of 2023
Selected in the 2024 BRAW Amazing Bookshelf
One of The Times 21 Best Children's Books of 2024
One of Readings Best Picture Books of 2024

PRAISE FOR Dim Sum Palace

"In this sumptuous homage to Maurice Sendak's In the Night Kitchen by a Taiwanese American author-illustrator, a dreaming young girl follows a 'delicious smell' out of her bedroom to a palace kitchen, falls into a bowl of dumpling filling and narrowly escapes being fed to an empress." --New York Times

"Fang's delightful story about a nighttime kitchen adventure has shades of Maurice Sendak . . . but Liddy is a force unto herself. Full of finelined crosshatching and a saturated color palette, Fang's artwork is deliciously off-kilter, with flattened and blocky figure designs and a fanciful sense of scale underscoring the charming imagination of Liddy's dream. Food-loving kids eagerly anticipating a special treat will easily recognize Liddy's wide-eyed excitement -- and probably end up asking for a snack." --STARRED REVIEW, Booklist

"A real (delicious) trip." --Kirkus Reviews

"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. . . . Winningly whimsical." --Publishers Weekly

"A delightful celebration of food, culture, and family traditions." --The Horn Book

"A fantastical celebration of eating." --The Guardian

"Fang's debut solo picture book is a treat for all the senses." --Portland Press Herald

"A savory delight for young readers who enjoy dreaming about food as much as eating it." --School Library Journal

"[A] dreamworld adventure that is at once a glorious celebration of the sensory world of childhood and a loving helping of food, family and culture." --Vancouver Writers Fest

"Every page emanates exuberant energy via Fang's stylized graphite and digitally colored illustrations." --Shelf Awareness

"Fang's mix of ingredients from traditional Chinese techniques to Sendak's edgy humor, give the book a distinctive appeal. . . . Fang also captures a child's apprehensions, but adds some tenderness to the mix." --Imaginary Elevators

About the Author

X. FANG, who also goes by Susan, is a visual artist and maker of books for young readers. She exhibits her art throughout the U.S. and internationally and has worked professionally as a graphic designer and art director for film and television studios. Born in Taichung, Taiwan, raised in Atlanta, Georgia, she now lives in rural Maine with her husband and their dog, Pamela. Dim Sum Palace is X. Fang's first picture book.