The Ugly Dumpling

January 11, 2016
Everyone loves the dumplings at the Golden Swan Chinese Restaurant, but no one wants the ugly dumpling of the title: it doesn’t look like anything like the other pot stickers in the bamboo steamer, not even when it tries to wrinkle its brow or wear pleated pants (one of several excellent foodie jokes from debut author Campisi). “Uneaten and ignored,” it’s befriended by a cockroach, who promises, “I will show you the beauty of the world.” Together they traverse mountains of flour and gaze at fortune cookie pyramids, and the ugly dumpling discovers a new gastronomic identity as a steamed bun (“It puffed with importance and yeast”). However, another dilemma arises: cockroaches are anathema to restaurants. From the wordplay of the premise to Kober’s (The Flying Hand of Marco B.) crisp pictures and Campisi’s easygoing sense of humor, it’s a story with plenty of promise. But the global tour has little bearing on the dumpling’s epiphany, and the ending, which finds the friends leaving the restaurant to live in a Dumpster, is something of a letdown. Ages 2–8. Author’s agent: Stacey Glick, Dystel & Goderich Literary Management. Illustrator’s agent: Justin Rucker, Shannon Associates.

Starred review from February 15, 2016
A bright, multicultural twist on a classic tale. At a local dim sum restaurant, a tiny dumpling sits, sad and alone. Although it is quite an adorable little ball of dough, it does not look like any of the other dumplings. It tries everything it can think of to fit in, even wearing pleated pants to mimic the others' wrinkly exteriors, but nothing works. It is always pushed to the side--until a cockroach sees it and falls in love. The cockroach takes the dumpling on an incredible adventure through the restaurant, scaling tall mountains of flour, surfing down a splash of tea, and gazing at the blazing sunset (or fire from a wok). The dumpling learns of beauty and acceptance. But then the dumpling sees something else. Other dumplings! That look exactly like it! They are not, in fact, dumplings at all, but steamed buns. The dumpling finally finds its place in the world. But how will the cockroach fit in? Specifically told without gendered pronouns, this is simply a story about love. Kober's illustrations are characterized by delicious changes in perspective, and Campisi's sly, humorous asides ensure that the message of identity is not heavy-handed: "The ugly dumpling was overjoyed. / It puffed with meaning. / It puffed with importance / and yeast." Quirky retellings often lean on clever titles alone, but this surpasses and delights. (Picture book. 4-8)

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April 1, 2016

K-Gr 2-A unique take on the classic tale "The Ugly Duckling," this is a humorous story of friendship and self-acceptance, set in a dim sum restaurant. It follows a dumpling who doesn't look at all like the other dumplings in the restaurant. This dumpling (in actuality a steamed bun) is therefore "in a lonely only category. Of one. Uneaten and ignored." The dumpling meets a cockroach who looks past the dumpling's unusual appearance. They go on adventures throughout the restaurant, and the dumpling begins to feel accepted as it notices the beauty around it for the first time. The tables are turned when the diners spot the cockroach and the ugly dumpling comes to its friend's rescue. The minimal text meshes well with the illustrations and at times becomes a part of the action. For example, in a busy kitchen scene, the letters in "hiss" curl like steam from a wok and the letters in "thwak" seem to jump from the cleaver. This narrative moves quickly, and the cheerful visuals do as much to tell the story as the text does. VERDICT An amusing and fun addition for most collections.-Kimberly Tolson, Medfield Public Library, MA

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February 1, 2016
Grades K-2 The Ugly Duckling gets a makeover in this wacky tale about a misfit. But our hero is not an animalhe is a dumpling. An ugly dumpling. ( But all dumplings are ugly, you say! Which is a very good point. But this was not just any ugly dumpling. ) He spends night after lonely night in the dim sum restaurant, until one day a cockroach comes along and offers to show him the world. The two travel around the restaurant, discovering amazing things among the diverse group of dinersincluding a bowl full of steamed buns that look just like the ugly dumpling! But even though he may have found a place where he belongs, the friendly cockroach is now having problems of his own. The use of anthropomorphic food takes some getting used to, but the ultimate end, about accepting people because of their differences, adds an extra moral to this timeless tale. The bright illustrations are detailed and full of energynever has food been so expressive!and the concept is just odd enough to succeed.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)