(2) K-3 Illustrated by Melissa Iwai. Take a compelling story of an indomitable chef, add heaps of immersive sensory details, stir in a warm palette, then devour this tasty introduction to Cecilia Chiang (1920-2020). Born in an old Beijing palace, young Cecilia loved the kitchen best, with its enticing aromas and iconic clamor of cleavers and sizzling wok oil. Her family enjoyed these delicious meals and savored each unique bite. When the arrival of Japanese troops in China in 1937 caused the family to scatter for safety, Cecilia and her sister fled to the countryside, where Cecilia discovered new cuisines. This education would inform her future, as she moved to Tokyo in 1949 to escape the Chinese civil war and later opened a Chinese restaurant to share flavors of home. After moving to San Francisco, she became determined to change Americans' perception of Chinese food as "cheap and greasy." Her second restaurant, the Mandarin, featured a fine-dining, two-hundred-item menu that would "showcase the best flavors from China's many regions." Excellent reviews and celebrity clientele brought fame, but what mattered most were sharing the tastes of her childhood and bringing customers joy. Leung's straightforward and thoughtful prose never glosses over Chiang's difficult life but lingers instead on the poetry of cooking, which is expertly paired with Iwai's watercolors that offer heartwarming and mouthwatering details on every spread. An author's note provides photos of Chiang and additional information in this story steeped in foodways and family.

Reviewer: J. Elizabeth Mills | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2025

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Julie Kwon. As a child, Hazel Ying Lee (1912–1944) pushed limits to be the best at everything--the fastest at footraces, the hardest hitter in handball, and, she hoped, one day the first Chinese American woman pilot. The sky called to her, and during her first airplane trips, she let the gender and racial discrimination she experienced on the ground fall away. The text chronicles her flying career: working as an elevator operator to pay for lessons; earning her license in less than a year; when WWII began, joining the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) program, testing planes before they went to military pilots. A tragic crash ended Lee's career (and life) at a young age, though her legacy lives on. Leung's poetic text vividly conveys Lee's fascination with and passion for flying and breaking boundaries without fear, as well as her perseverance and optimism for a better world. Kwon's clear, earth-toned, full-bleed illustrations expand on the story, illuminating Lee's unique experiences and capturing her adventurous spirit. Striking perspectives offer bird's-eye views of the patchwork landscapes over which Lee flew. Back matter includes an extensive author's note as well as additional multimedia resources. An excellent portrayal of a fearless flyer.

Reviewer: J. Elizabeth Mills | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2021

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Chris Sasaki. This picture-book biography focuses on two pivotal experiences in Wong's life--his 1920 emigration from China to the U.S. at age nine (the well-paced text describes Wong's journey as a "paper son," a child carrying forged immigration papers) and his work as an animator at Disney Studios (his ideas inspire the scenic design for the 1942 film Bambi). Sasaki's digital illustrations are striking. Back matter includes photos, an author's note offering more detail about Wong's life (he died in 2016 at age 106!), and information about the Chinese Exclusion Act.

Reviewer: Laura Koenig | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2019

(3) 4-6 Mice of the Round Table series. In this third entry, Calib, a mouse of Camelot aspiring toward knighthood, and his human friend, Galahad, are lured into Morgan's underwater lair. There they build allies and discover magical secrets. In a bittersweet ending, the magic of the famous sword, grail, and mirror all come together--but Camelot falls; Arthur and Galahad depart for Avalon; and Calib, rewardingly, is left to help lead the new era.

Reviewer: Megan Lynn Isaac

(3) 4-6 Mice of the Round Table series. Illustrated by Lindsay Carr. Still recovering from a Saxon attack (A Tail of Camelot), Camelot suddenly falls to a mysterious illness. As young mice Calib and Cecily set out on a voyage to find help, Lancelot's son Galahad seeks a cure within the fortress. Working together, the mice and their "two-legged" partners again triumph. Leung's lively retellings of Arthurian lore feature earnestly cheerful animals and children.

Reviewer: Megan Lynn Isaac

(3) 4-6 Mice of the Round Table series. Calib, a small mouse with aspirations for knighthood, and Galahad, Lancelot's son, heal old rifts, build new alliances, and reveal secret conspiracies in order to unite the forces of Camelot (both four-legged and two-legged) against Saxon invaders. Characters (especially mice) are well drawn, and the many political relationships complex. Leung weaves Arthurian legend with elements of Jacques's Redwall books in this winning series-starter.

Reviewer: Megan Lynn Isaac