(2) PS Lili's Nai Nai is out of cabbage for the baos she is making and sends her granddaughter off to see if Babcia, up on the sixth floor of her apartment building, has any. Yes, Babcia does, but she is out of potatoes for her pierogi and sends Lili to ask Granma down on the second floor. Granma has potatoes but needs garlic for her Jamaican beef patties. So off Lili goes to Abuela on the fourth floor for garlic. The pattern continues with Nonna (making ravioli) and Teta (making Lebanese fatayer). Lili finally returns to Nai Nai, tells her of her adventures, and helps finish the baos by lining the steamer basket with the (finally) procured cabbage leaves. When all the grandmothers arrive for an outdoor party, they are each carrying their various dumpling treasures. But where have Lili's mama and papa been all this time? Surprise! They come home with her new baby brother, "another little dumpling treasure!" Iwai employs a bright palette and effectively plays with perspective (as in Lili's dizzying glance down the building's stairwell). Especially entertaining are the scenes of Lili making baos with Nai Nai and the chart of Lili's journey, like a game board showing all the moves she has made. In their generosity and joy of cooking, Nai Nai and her friends are kindred spirits to the title character in Oge Mora's Thank You, Omu! (rev. 11/18). A detailed recipe for making baos is appended.

Reviewer: Dean Schneider | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2021

(3) PS On "pizza day," the child narrator of this agreeable story spends the day with Daddy, making pizza from scratch: they harvest vegetables and herbs from their garden, mix the dough, cook the sauce, and put it all together. Bright illustrations show each step, sometimes zooming in on the enthusiastic narrator. Iwai's pleasing descriptions may well inspire readers to try the recipe at the end.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(3) PS A young girl gives a step-by-step description of making "Snowy Day Vegetable Soup" (recipe appended) with Mommy, from buying the vegetables to sprinkling the parsley on top. Her low-key narrative creates a cozy atmosphere and includes some vivid descriptive touches; the parsley, for example, "looks like green snow." Bright collage illustrations are eye-catching, with a variety of textures and patterns.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert