Amy Wu and the Perfect Bao

by Kat Zhang, Charlene Chua (Illustrator)

Overview

A Kirkus Reviews Best Picture Book of 2019

Meet the funny, fierce, and fearless Amy Wu, who is determined to make a perfect bao bun today. Can she rise to the occasion?

Amy loves to make bao with her family. But it takes skill to make the bao taste and look delicious. And her bao keep coming out all wrong.

Then she has an idea that may give her a second chance…Will Amy ever make the perfect bao?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781534411340
Publisher:	Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers
Publication date:	10/01/2019
Series:	Amy Wu
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	eBook
Pages:	40
Lexile:	AD490L (what's this?)
File size:	35 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Kat Zhang loves traveling to places both real and fictional—the former have better souvenirs, but the latter allow for dragons, so it’s a tough choice. A writer of books for teens and children, she spends her free time scribbling poetry, taking photographs, and climbing atop things she shouldn’t. You can learn more about her at KatZhang.com. 

Charlene Chua (she/they) is the illustrator of multiple picture books, including Colorado Blue Spruce Award nominee Going Up!, the Amy Wu picture book series, and Stonewall Award winner Love, Violet. She is also the author-illustrator of Hug?. When they are not making art, they enjoy cooking, reading, and playing with their cats. Charlene lives with her husband (and cats!) in Hamilton, Ontario.

Editorial Reviews

…a book to get creative juices flowing.

The New York Times Book Review - Maria Russo

A Kirkus Best Book of 2019
TODAY.com’s 31 Best Gifts for 5-Year-Olds 2019

“Upbeat...This is a book to get creative juices flowing.” —The New York Times
“This sweet book both encourages cooking together as a family and rewards creative problem-solving.” —Food Network Blog
“An extra-tasty book for bao lovers everywhere.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review
“Winning.” —Publishers Weekly
“Children will relate to this readaloud if they’ve ever faced a situation when emulating adults failed, but Amy’s triumph is sure to inspire them to try again.” —BCCB

From the Publisher

★ 2019-06-16
A little girl wants to make perfect bao, just like the ones her mom, dad, and grandma make.

Making bao is a multigenerational affair in the Wu family. Amy's mom, dad, and grandma make perfect bao that come out "soft and fluffy, and so, so delicious." Amy "could eat them all day." However, the bao that Amy makes are always too small or too big, and sometimes they "fall apart before they reach her mouth." One day, Amy is determined "to make the world's most perfect bao." (The typeface is determined too.) First, Amy's dad mixes flour, water, and yeast to make dough for the bread (yay for dads in the kitchen!). Then "Amy's mom seasons meat for the filling." Finally, everyone gathers around the table to work. Everyone makes perfect bao…everyone except Amy. Amy is about to give up when she thinks of the perfect "Amy-size" plan and gets to work! Zhang's buoyant, bubbly text is complemented by Chua's charming, animated characters, who include an equally expressive kitty as sidekick. In one scene, Amy slumps on the floor with flour-covered face and clothes, cradling a misshapen bao. Her forlorn face exemplifies despair, while kitty mirrors her. Step-by-step illustrations, combined with the author's family recipe, provide readers with a guide to making bao. The Wus all appear to be East Asian.

An extra-tasty book for bao lovers everywhere. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews