Review by Kirkus Book Review
Learn to love yourself for who you are. A bright orange instant ramen package, with big round black eyes and a tiny red mouth, sits on a supermarket shelf with fellow ramen packages. Ramen announces they would much rather be spaghetti--after all, the spaghetti aisle is much bigger, and there are so many people shopping for it. The other ramen packages try to change our hero's mind by saying how cool they are--to no avail. After being purchased and driven home, Ramen hopes their new owners will prepare them with meatballs and tomato sauce. However, upon arriving in the kitchen, Ramen discovers their true destiny as well as accompanying treats that make ramen a tasty, unique dinner. Wright-Ruiz's first-person narrative combines jaunty dialogue with rich vocabulary, like penne and fettuccine as well as nori and narutomaki. Her message that children should embrace what makes them different comes through clearly. Lam's vibrant illustrations have a striking mangalike feel, with large round eyes, exaggerated expressions, and paneled vignettes that evoke humor and energy. Her vivid palette of yellows, oranges, and browns is mesmerizing, with pop art--style endpapers that feature ingredients from the story. An author's note provides a short history of ramen. (This book was reviewed digitally.) Use your noodle and add this saucy tale to your collection! (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
