A Banquet for Cecilia: How Cecilia Chiang Revolutionized Chinese Food in America

by Julie Leung, Melissa Iwai (Illustrator)

Overview

Relish in the savory, tangy, and sometimes spicy dishes of Cecilia Chiang, a revolutionary who changed the way Americans viewed Chinese food.

From an early age, Cecilia Chiang could be found delighting in the sounds and smells from her favorite room in her home—the kitchen. Little did Cecilia know that she would one day have to escape war and travel to a faraway country, destined to change Chinese cuisine in the United States forever.

Experience the dishes Cecilia Chiang enjoyed throughout her life as the seventh daughter in a large family to the owner of the famous Mandarin restaurant in San Francisco.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780759557413
Publisher:	Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	04/29/2025
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 11.00(h) x (d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Julie Leung is the author of numerous books for children including the Caldecott honoreeThe Truth About Dragons; APALA award-winning Paper Son: The Inspiring Story of Tyrus Wong, Immigrant and Artist, illustrated by Chris Sasaki; and The Fearless Flights of Hazel Ying Lee. She invites you to visit her online at jleungbooks.com.

Melissa Iwai is an author/illustrator of over thirty picture books, including Let's Party!: A DIY Illustrated Guide to 10 Fantastic Birthday Parties, Soup Day, Pizza Day, Dumplings for Lili, and Gigi and Ojiji, a Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor-winning series. When she is not creating, she can be found cooking and doing crossword puzzles with her husband, author Denis Markell, in Brooklyn. She invites to you visit her online at melissaiwai.com, on Instagram @melissaiwai1, and on X @meliwai 

Editorial Reviews

"Words and illustrations provide an excellent introduction to how one woman brought her love of fine Chinese food to the United States."—School Library Journal

Praise for The Fearless Flights of Hazel Ying Lee:

* "Through clear and concise text aimed at younger fluent readers, author Leung conveys Lee’s verve and passion for both flying and life while also conveying the full import of Lee’s accomplishments to both America and Americans of color.... The crisp lines and bright colors of Kwon’s illustrations simply and gracefully depict a bygone era.... Another welcome biography of an Asian American contributor to U.S. history." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"[An] unsung hero from Chinese American history....  A moving tribute to this groundbreaking aviation pioneer." —Booklist

"A little-known Chinese American pilot is brought to life in this picture book biography.... Illustrations vibrantly complement the text.... A must-have." —School Library Connection

"Kwon’s illustrations emphasize Lee’s sparkle and determination." —BCCB

"Leung's poetic text vividly conveys Lee’s fascination with and passion for flying and breaking boundaries without fear as well as her perseverance and optimism for a better world. Kwon’s clear, earth-toned, full-bleed illustrations expand on the story....  An excellent portrayal of a fearless flyer." —Horn Book

"Inspiring.... Engaging.... An excellent picture book biography." —SLJ

From the Publisher

09/01/2024

Gr 1–5—As a young girl growing up in a wealthy family in Beijing, Cecilia Chiang (1920–2020) developed a strong interest in learning how the meals she was served were prepared. She ultimately became a successful restaurateur in the U.S., where she served authentic Chinese cuisine that reflected the food of many different provinces and changed people's understanding of it. Covered is Chiang'searly interest in observing the two chefs in her family's kitchen and listening to her father's description of what made each dish perfectly prepared. Her life changed drastically when Japan invaded Beijing, and she and a sister traveled on foot to the new Chinese capital, a distance of more than a thousand miles. During their six-month trip, Chiang saw the different regions of China and tasted many different cooking styles. After the war, she joined one of her sisters in San Francisco. Chiang was disappointed in what restaurants there offered as "Chinese food," so she opened her own restaurant, offering a wide variety of over 200 dishes from the different regions of China. The restaurant was a huge success. Detailed descriptive writing brings this story to life. The food being prepared in her family's kitchen, for example, is described: "Hot steam whistled out of bamboo baskets." The illustrations provide additional information that supports the text: a map of the route Chiang walked with her sister shows the different regions they passed through, and the accompanying illustrations show the food in that region being prepared. VERDICT Words and illustrations provide an excellent introduction to how one woman brought her love of fine Chinese food to the United States.—Myra Zarnowski

School Library Journal