Hot pot night!

PreS-Gr 1--Chen deploys an autumnal palette in a board book that has more in common with Stone Soup variants than any cultural or historical lesson. A child in an apartment window invites the other residents to hot pot night, contributing the pot and assigning broth to one woman with deep brown skin and long black hair, and commenting on the gray-haired pink-skinned woman bringing meat and the brawny Black man juggling fresh veggies. It's a vibrant gathering with an array of items that are hot-pot suitable, and a festive atmosphere from end to end. VERDICT Classroom hot pot, anyone? A book that will leave readers and listeners hungry, but the whole family will want to institute hot pot nights.

Neighbors pool ingredients for a spontaneous potluck meal. As the day ends in this urban building, residents in four separate apartments ask: "What's for dinner?" An olive-skinned child suggests hot pot, and the action kicks into high gear. The olive-skinned, brown-haired host produces an electric tabletop cooker as a brown-skinned pair shows up with the broth, followed by a fair-skinned, white-haired woman who brings meat and a brown-skinned, brown-haired man with vegetables he has grown. Together, everyone cheerfully preps the meal; even the dog is excited about this communal activity. The animated spreads have a cartoony energy while the short, energetic sentences invite reading out loud. The illustrations offer little depth or dimension, however, and the assorted ingredients (vegetables, tofu, lotus root, seafood, etc.) scattered across the front and back endpapers resemble artificial food models stocking a toy kitchen. Although the main story names no specific racial or ethnic details, readers knowledgeable about Chinese culture will recognize the quintessential roundness of hot pot--as a vessel shape, as a way to eat, and as a symbol of harmonious reunions. The meal leaves the diners wanting more, and the story concludes with the promise of future hot-pot nights. (This book was reviewed digitally with 9.5-by-19-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.) Flat, unsubtle artwork dilutes a potent concept and weakens the taste for this picture book promoting community and sharing. (author's note, recipe) (Picture book. 2-5) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.