When a crew of Chinese fishermen forget to bring cooking utensils with them, they find creative ways to make do with what they have and what they can find.

A young emperor, whose advisors have taken advantage of him, enlists the help of honest tailors to reveal their misdeeds in this retelling of the classic fairy tale. Includes historical notes and instructions for making a robe.

A retelling of the classic story, Little Red lives in a village near the Great Wall, trains in kung fu, and must save her grandmother and village from a mighty dragon. Inclues an author's note discusses how this reimagining is influenced by Chinese mythology, symbolism, traditional medicine, and other elements of Compestine's heritage.

When Ming Da's Chinese grandpa comes to visit, he overcomes his initial embarrassment at his grandfather's traditions and begins to appreciate him.

After the Kang brothers get in trouble at school, they devise a way to make paper, which will make things easier for both their teacher and themselves. Includes a historical note and a recipe for home-made paper.

Left alone to prepare their family's prize-winning dumplings for the annual cooking contest, the young Kang boys accidentally invent a new dish, "mian tiao," or noodles. Includes a cultural note and a recipe for long life noodles.

On Chinese New Year's Eve, a poor man who works for the richest businessman in Beijing sends his son to market to trade their last few eggs for a bag of rice, but instead he brings home an empty--but magic--wok that changes their fortunes forever. Includes information about Chinese New Year and a recipe for fried rice.

"The story of Rapunzel where she's being locked in a tower by a witch is a good one--but it's not totally the truth. The real story is about a young princess in China named Ra Pu Zel who doesn't want to talk to princes or look proper. What Pu Zel wants is to cook and eat in peace, her long hair neatly braided to keep it out of her food. And when she gets tired of everyone telling her what to do, she locks herself in a tower with her dog Bao. Although...