Title: Ten Blocks to the Big Wok
Author and Illustrator: Ying-Hwa Hu
Publisher: University of Queensland Press – UQP
Publication date: 28 February 2023
Themes: Counting, Chinese culture, Mandarin, visual literacy, slowing down and family bonds.
Additional notable information: Teachers’ notes can be downloaded from the UQP website here.
In the joyful picture book, Ten Blocks to the Big Wok by author-illustrator Ying-Hwa Hu, young Mia and her Uncle Eddie immerse themselves in the vibrant sights, captivating scents and warm interactions as they walk from their home, through bustling Chinatown and ten blocks to their favourite restaurant, the Big Wok. The pair is very much in the moment, enjoying each other’s company, sans any devices and savouring all the goodness and Chinese culture their neighbourhood has to offer. Together they take the time to pause, observe and appreciate what captures their attention.
The double page spreads feature a streetscape scene from each of the ten blocks. Each block presents a new opportunity to count animals, objects or people, for example, on the first block Mia spots one giant panda, the second block, two stone lions, the third block, three tireless turtles and so forth; creating opportunities for both cardinal and ordinal counting. The numbers are included in English and in simplified Mandarin on each double spread. The astute reader will notice early on in their journey that Mia and her Uncle are not alone as they are joined by an unexpected companion.
After their adventurous walk they have worked up an appetite as they order scrumptious looking dishes, counting each dish backwards from ten, ten soup dumplings, nine fried wontons, eight shumai. This double page spread, with its realistic illustrations, is sure to tantalise your taste buds!
Mia’s enthusiasm, her sense of curiosity and wonder is infectious. This adventure with her Uncle proves to be a wonderful bonding experience as they create memories together and enjoy soaking up details that could otherwise be missed.
The bright illustrations add another rich layer and meaning to the text as they are brimming with details and elements of Chinese culture, such as foods, pastimes, animals, traditional arts and so much more, presenting a fascinating opportunity for children to consider which of these they may be familiar with, those they are not and which elements pique their interest for further inquiry, or discussion. The illustrations also convey Mia, Uncle Eddie’s and even their little companions emotions and thinking. This book has a wealth of visual literacy opportunities as children read the pictures and unpack the stories within them.
The author’s note includes information about each of the ten Chinese elements included in the story and following this is a page showing the numbers, one to ten in Mandarin characters and includes phonetic pronunciation as well as the English translation.
This story would be an invaluable addition to any collection and is versatile in its uses as it lends itself to many learning experiences. It is a wonderful story for Mandarin speakers to see themselves represented and also an opportunity for all readers to learn from the story. It would serve as a highly engaging mentor text for procedural writing and a visually driven story to learn about Chinese culture, myths and act as a springboard for further inquiry. Children could also write a recount from the perspective of any of the three characters (this includes their companion who unexpectedly joins them).