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“Chen’s use of onomatopoeia (represented in both English and Mandarin characters) perfectly conveys Jenny’s frustrations, while Liem’s appealing cartoon illustrations capture Jenny’s experiments in chopstick re-engineering with slapstick humor and cleverness. Young chopstick users will find comfort in this story about a common rite of passage, but all readers will be delighted by Jenny’s problem-solving prowess….In an author’s note, Chen discusses how, when she was younger, her mother set up “chopstick challenges” for her and her sisters. Instructions for making chopsticks tongs conclude the work.”
-Kirkus Reviews

Tricky Chopsticks

Written by Sylvia Chen
Illustrated by Fanny Liem
Published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers

A young Chinese American girl uses creative STEAM-powered problem-solving to master chopsticks so she can pick up her dumplings and eat them, too, in this charming and laugh-out-loud picture book perfect for fans of the Amy Wu series.

Jenny Chow struggles with chopsticks–aiya, those slippery, oh-so-tricky chopsticks! But cousin Victor’s birthday party is just around the corner, along with her family’s annual chopsticks challenge. Jenny doesn’t want to be the only Chow who never learns how to use the utensils. She’ll do whatever it takes to prove she can hold her own in her family’s long-held tradition–no matter how many experiments she wobbles and fumbles through.

Primary ISBN: 9781665921497
Publication Date: March 2024
Available As: Hardcover, eBook
Picture Book, Age 04 or older

Community Represented: ,

Themes: , ,

Setting: United States

Character's Place in the Immigration Journey: New Generation

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

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