The Runaway Wok

The well-paced, repetitive text reads aloud well, but young listeners will want to crowd in close to enjoy the details of holiday bustle in the appealingly packed acrylic paintings. 

Inspired by the Danish folktale "The Talking Pot," Compestine cleverly swops in a wok-a traditional symbol of sharing. 

Inspired by the Danish folktale, The Talking Pot, Compestine's (Boy Dumplings) jaunty story takes place long ago in Beijing, which Serra (A Pirate's Night Before Christmas) portrays as a bustling, cheerful village. On Chinese New Year's Eve, a poor couple send their son to market to trade their last eggs for rice so they can make a meal for their neighbors. Instead, Ming swaps the eggs for a smiling, singing wok that boasts, "I am more than what you see!" The wok hops off to the home of a stingy rich family whose servants fill it with food, then delivers the feast to the needy family, chanting, "Skippity-hoppity-ho!/ To the poor man's house I go." After the sneaky wok brings them the greedy rich son's toys and gold the man has cheated others out of, Ming's family shares their bounty with poor villagers. The sight of the insouciant wok carrying away the miserly familystuck inside headfirst, legs waving in the airwill make kids snicker. They'll also chime in, since the wok's refrain begs for audience participation. Ages 6 - 8. (Jan.)

Copyright 2010 Publishers Weekly Used with permission.

K-Gr 4--Part "Jack and the Beanstalk" and part "Robin Hood," Compestine's satisfying tale of a poor family's good fortune is actually a retelling of a Danish tale, "The Talking Pot." Ming is sent to trade his family's last eggs for rice to make stir-fried rice to share with neighbors on Chinese New Year. When he encounters an old man selling a rusty old wok with the magical power of singing, he trades their food for this apparently worthless object. Ming's parents are distressed until the wok sings to them. After they polish it to a shine, the pot runs off to the family's wealthy employers, the Zhangs. One after another, the wok tricks members of the greedy family, returning to Ming's household filled with delicious food, toys, and money to share with their neighbors. Compestine's well-paced and engaging narrative will hold children's attention to the end, during which the poor family finds lasting success while the Zhangs are spirited away forever. Vibrant paintings bring a stylized Beijing of once-upon-a-time to life. The illustrations are rich with colorful traditional clothing, patterned ceramics, Chinese architecture, and delectable-looking food, and readers will welcome the chance to explore Serra's cheery cartoon-style illustrations. Chinese New Year traditions are woven throughout the story and an author's note describes them in further detail, noting the symbolism of New Year foods and of the wok itself. A recipe for stir-fried rice is included. This tale will have broad appeal beyond Chinese New Year units.--Jayne Damron, Farmington Community Library, MI