Summary
Hot Pot Night! is a debut book for author and illustrator Vincent Chen. This book shares the story of a Taiwanese American child who gets his family and friends to come together to make hot pot (a Chinese soup). The goal is to bring people together and encourage sharing. The illustrations show several diverse families working together to achieve the common goal of making a communal meal together. This book celebrates community and culture.
Theme(s):
Friendship, Community, Sharing
Personal Response
This book is short and simple with fun, bright illustrations. The end of the book contains a description of hot pot and its significance in addition to how to make it. I did not know what it was nor the significance behind it, so I felt that part was useful for me as a teacher to know so I can teach my students. This book shows great diversity in characters and shows you do not have to be Taiwanese to eat hot pot or participate in a communal meal.
Teaching Ideas
This book could be useful in teaching young children about cultural differences, especially with cuisine. It could also fit into an older grade’s social studies lesson when learning about different countries. Since this book contains a recipe for hot pot, a teacher could make the recipe and allow students to try it. Students could also work with their families and bring in a recipe card to share with a recipe that is unique to their family, like the hot pot was to the boy in the story.
Recommended Reading Level
Birth-PreK, Grade 01, Grade 02, Grade 03, Grade 04, Grade 05
