Tofu Takes Time

March 1, 2022
A young girl helps her grandma cook dinner. "Making tofu takes time," NaiNai tells her curious granddaughter before the two proceed to make bean curd from scratch. Illustrations of their kitchen work--rinsing, blending, straining, heating, and pressing soybeans--alternate with images of the unnamed girl transported to fanciful landscapes comprised of giant crockery and soybean plants of Brobdingnagian proportions. Young readers will relate to the child's eager anticipation: "Is it done? Is it done? Is it done?" The feeling of time passing too slowly may be relatable to anyone hankering for a particular viand. NaiNai's reminder that "good things take time" extols the virtue of patience and encourages delayed gratification. While waiting, the first-person child narrator enjoys books and stories and bonding time with her grandmother. Finally, after Mama and Papa come home from work, the family shares a delicious meal featuring fresh tofu. This picture book is sentimental and quaint despite its prosaic narrative and lackluster artwork. The backmatter promotes bean curd as a sustainable, plant-based protein source; it also makes the oversimplified and questionable assertion that people outside of Asia were "introduced to tofu in the 1970s." The author's note summarizes various tofu dishes from different cultures, from tofu tacos to Indian butter tofu. (This book was reviewed digitally.) A culinary lesson in patience. (Picture book. 4-6)

COPYRIGHT(2022) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

April 15, 2022
Grades K-2 Lin is excited to eat the homemade tofu she's making with her nainai, but every time she asks if it's ready, Nainai reminds her to be patient: "Tofu takes time." While Lin waits after each step, she thinks about all the elements that need to come together to make tofu, like sun to grow the soybeans, heat to cook them on the stove, and the weight of a stone to slowly press it into shape. Jarema's warm illustrations of the homey atmosphere where Nainai and Lin work diligently in the kitchen are punctuated by scenes of Lin's imaginative flights of fancy--riding a soybean boat down a river, napping on the stone atop the tofu-pressing box--which make for clever visual pauses that echo Nainai's reminders to wait. The story of making a delicious homemade meal with a grandparent makes this a strong pick for food-themed displays or story times, but the emphasis on waiting for good things and cultivating patience gives this picture book a strong theme of emotional intelligence as well.

COPYRIGHT(2022) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Starred review from May 1, 2022

PreS-Gr 1-In this child-friendly, intergenerational story, Lin and NaiNai carefully execute each step necessary for making tofu. "Tofu takes time" is the refrain, but in addition to teaching patience, the grandmother imparts a wealth of knowledge about the source of each ingredient in the wider world. Water, sunlight, metal, fabric and wood all play significant roles in the production of a delicious essential food. Wu incorporates sound words throughout such as "Click, Click, Whirrrr," "Bubble, Bobble, Popple," and "Fizzle, Sizzle, Hiss." These are a delight to the ear and make this book one that promises successful read-alouds. The playful tone works in beautiful partnership with Jarema's joyful illustrations as granddaughter and grandmother work together. Back matter provides information on the history of tofu and explains its recent popularity. While the author's personal tofu experience relates to her own Chinese traditions, she also references tofu practices from other Asian countries. VERDICT A standout story about a healthy food that some readers will embrace as a reflection of their own culture or diet and others will be inspired to try making.-Gloria Koster

Copyright 2022 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.