Auntie Yang’s Great Soybean Picnic

* "More warm family memories from the Chinese-American creators of Mahjong All Day Long (2005), with cheery illustrations painted on ceramic plates.... The pleasure of finding unexpected links between a new country and the old suffuses this autobiographical outing."

* "Historical fiction, at its best, makes the specific universal. Here that happens in the story of two sisters, Jinyi and Pei, who live in a small Indiana town in the 1950s. . . This heartfelt story (based on the authors' childhoods) is absolutely delicious. Readers will feel a kinship with the young cousins. . . The winsome pictures, drawn with a childlike charm, capture the warmth of family, friendship, and food."

* "Adding fullness to the narrative, wonderfully appropriate to the content, and paying homage to China's rich art history, Beth Lo's series of hand-painted porcelain plates serve as the book's illustrations. The soft, rounded compositions and earthy shades create feelings of easy comfort and warmth, and are a joy to behold.... This is a stellar title."

"Lo echoes the message about the importance of personal heritage with her engrossing domestic scenes, painted on glazed porcelain plates. Each expressive composition stands alone, but together they provide an intimate chronicle of a multigenerational family."