Published by Tundra Books

Summary:  A special family lives in the village of Fengfu.  What makes them special?  They have ten sons.  Their parents call them their ten little dumplings because they are round like dumplings, and because dumplings, like boys, are auspicious.  The ten little dumplings grow up into ten fine young men.  But wait!  The person telling the story is actually their little sister.  You may not have noticed her in the pictures, but she was there!  She too grows up and discovers her own talent, becomes a successful artist and one day has a dumpling of her own.  An author’s note explains the inspiration for this book comes from her father’s family of ten boys and one girl…who was often left out of the stories.  48 pages; 4-8.

Pros:  A fun story with an unusual structure that will definitely send readers back to the beginning to look for the little sister.  The author’s note in which she wonders who has been left out of stories and why provides a good discussion starter for older readers.

Cons:  I couldn’t find the sister in all the illustrations, but that might just have been my lack of observational skills.