Big Jimmy's Kum Kau Chinese Take Out

by Ted Lewin

Even before Kum Kau Chinese Take Out opens, there's so much to do. The deliveryman arrives. The cooks clean the kitchen from top to bottom. Then chop, chop, chop, they slice and dice the fresh meat and vegetables. But when the customers arrive, Kum Kau really comes alive. Woks sizzle. Pots steam. The cooks whip up tantalizing dishes for hungry patrons. A young narrator shares a behind-the-scenes look at the hustle and bustle of a busy Chinese take-out restaurant. Then it's time for his favorite dinner. Delectable tastes and savory smells will make mouths water as Caldecott Honor artist Ted Lewin takes us to a favorite Chinese restaurant in his Brooklyn neighborhood.

Genres: Food, Picture Books, Childrens, China, Cultural

40 pages, Hardcover

First published December 24, 2001

Reviews

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read to 4.5 year old. She was skeptical because there were no ballerinas or princesses, but it kept her interest with it's colorful pictures of a world she's never gotten to see - the goings-on of a restaurant kitchen, from the perspective of a little boy. I like books like this that teach her about other cultures (Chinese), places (the city), and jobs (running a restaurant). Also I like how the chefs' hard work is colorful and rewarding!

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this topic - a typical day in a Chinese restaurant - for a children's book, although the text was a little heavy-handed to me and made me appreciate the elegance of my favorite children's literature. The illustrations were nicely detailed, though, and captured the kid very well.

[Linda]

What makes this a good book is that this is a very realistic look toward an urban Chinese take. The art of this book is quite realistic, and the colors highlight the ambience of an urban neighborhood. This is a good look at the children of working parents and small businesses.

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun book for sharing and exposing the class to diversity. The book is about a boy whose family owns a Chinese Take Out restaurant. The book has very active illustrations and the end pages are so fun. They use menus for the end pages, which I thought was so clever. I feel that this book is important as it shows the aspect of family helping out and working hard together, as well as what all goes on behind the scenes at a restaurant. However, my favorite part is how the entire book is about the Chinese food, and at the end the boy talks about his favorite food, pizza. I think this helps the students to make a connection here.
I would share the book with any primary grade, they do incorporate a large amount of vocabulary that could potentially be new, so it may work better with second through fifth grade.

[Erin Buhr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Continuing with the food theme, this book is about a real Chinese food restaurant in Brooklyn, New York. A Chinese American family owns the restaurant and the story is told through the eyes of their son. He wakes up excited to help out his parents in their restaurant on Saturday. The story follows him through the day watching the chefs prepare food, his mom and aunt take orders, customers both regular and new ordering, to the end of the day with a dinner surprise. The illustrations, based on photos taken of the real Kum Kau restaurant, are beautiful and capture the characters and place with authenticity. A simple recipe for Buddha's Delight is included at the back. 3+

[Kelsey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Age: Preschool to Kindergarten
Media: Watercolor
Style: Warm and red colors to emphasize cooking and foods used, open scenes when outside, cooking scenes are action-oriented

A boy describes a typical day at his dad's restaurant surrounded by family. Without outright descriptions of the characters' personalities, the boy narrator is seen as a hard worker, doing all he can to help out his family with enthusiasm. This would be an interesting book not only for Chinese and Chinese Americans but for kids who love Chinese food.

[May · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recommended to me by a colleague who knew that my parents ran a Chinese-Canadian restaurant, this book really hit home with me. What little Chinese kid of restaurant kid doesn't remember helping to fold napkins, hand out menus or putting soy sauce packages in the take-out bag? I laughed at how the kid got to eat his favorite food at the end of the day, which was pizza. Mind you, I don't remember eating a lot of pizza growing up but I will have to say that when my parents did go to a bigger city and had to eat Western food, they always ordered pizza. So a cute nod nonetheless.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lovely pictures and interesting text about a little boy and his day helping at his family's Chinese takeout. The illustrations were done from photographs, but softened with colors and shapes. I loved (and think most kids would love) seeing the "behind the scenes" of receiving deliveries and chopping giant piles of meats and veggies. There are lots of names of dishes in the text, and I think kids will have a fun time guessing and learning how they are pronounced and what is in each dish.

[Antonia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book.This book is based on a real restaurant in NYC. It has great food and great people, and the book offers a great way to introduce children to food from other cultures. The greatest part about this book is the menu of the restaurant is on the back, now how about that.. If your in Brooklyn, New York go find this place and eat great.

[Linda]

What makes this a good book is that this is a very realistic look toward an urban Chinese take. The art of this book is quite realistic, and the colors highlight the ambience of an urban neighborhood. This is a good look at the children of working parents and small businesses.

[Magila · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[CoCoBug · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the strangest picture book I've ever seen. It's basically a day in a Chinese take-out restaurant. It's just ... strange.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Any book that has a menu for a Chinese restaurant as the endpages is alright by me!

[Rani · Rating 4 out of 5]

When food is your lifeline, your perspective becomes different.