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“Readers start with a birthday, Max’s sister’s, and end with a birthday, Max’s, and in between witness an array of sensory descriptions of fabulous food, laid out in hyper-flattened, digital illustrations that are as charming as the small, blue bowls his grandparents brought to this country from Hong Kong. …Table after table groans with fragrant dishes as Max’s yearning swings from family-style traditional dishes to some of his non-Asian favorite foods…Leung creates a welcoming world where all dishes are delicious, all the relatives smile over abundant food, and a small boy is only too aware of the difficulties of navigating tastes and cultures.”

– School Library Journal

The Blue Bowl

Written by Flo Leung
Illustrated by Flo Leung
Published by Owlkids

Max loves his family’s Cantonese meals, like steamed rice and gai lan greens with oyster sauce, homemade dumplings, and scallion bread. But sometimes he can’t help thinking about French fries, tacos, and ice cream with rainbow sprinkles.

For his birthday dinner, Max is really hoping for spaghetti and meatballs, but instead he and his family are headed to Maa Maa and Ye Ye’s house for a celebration dinner—and Max is pretty sure that spaghetti won’t be served in the familiar blue bowls that came all the way from Hong Kong with his grandparents. But Max is delighted to discover that his understanding family has discovered a way to bring two cultures together with delicious dishes that are a combination of all the foods he loves.

Based on the author’s own experiences growing up, The Blue Bowl will speak to many children and adults alike with similar experiences and bring a new perspective to those who do not share in this experience.

Primary ISBN: 9781771474634
Publication Date: March 2024
Available As: Hardcover
Picture Book, Age 04 or older

Community Represented:

Themes: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Setting: Canada

Character's Place in the Immigration Journey: 2nd Generation

Book Creator(s) Connection to the Community Represented: Own Voices/Lived Experience

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Engagement Projects & Resources:

Share your favorite resources for this book with info@imyourneighborbooks.org.

Engagement Materials:

A Recipe for Max’s Magical Mango Cake 

Source: OwlKids