Tofu Quilt

by Ching Yeung Russell

Book Overview

Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature - Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA)

A collection of poems telling the story of Yeung Ying, a young girl in Hong Kong in the 1960s who, against the conventions of society and family members, aspires to become a writer

Growing up in Hong Kong in the 1960s, Yeung Ying is tired of hearing how important boys are. After all, she can write letters and recite poems as well...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1620143542
• ISBN13: 9781620143544
• Release Date: March 2017
• Publisher: Lee & Low Books
• Length: 136 Pages
• Weight: 0.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 5.7" x 8.0"
• Age Range: 8 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 3 to 7

Customer Reviews

Wonderful Read-Aloud, At Bedtime Or Anytime

As a mother who screens everything her 11-year-old daughter reads, I was truly intrigued by Ching Yeung Russell's "Tofu Quilt." I'd just finished "Girl In Translation" by Jean Kwok and was disappointed that it was just a bit too adult for said daughter, so when I came across "Tofu Quilt", I was delighted. The book takes on the form of free verse - and while I am a fan of traditional rhyming verse, I found that using free verse for this story was a stroke of genius on the part of the author: the book reads like it was translated from Cantonese, with the cadence taking on the rhythm of traditional Chinese poetry. As with great poetry, an incredible amount of depth and feeling are expressed in few words. It's really refreshing not to have to plow through 800 pages to be moved sometimes! As said daughter puts it: "The book, 'Tofu Quilt' by Ching Yeung Russell is a short and sweet autobiography about a girl in the 1960's with the ambition to be a writer even when most people in Hong Kong back then insisted that girls should only care about cooking and cleaning for their husbands. "Yeung Ying had always been better at reciting poems and writing letters than her boy cousins and when she is rewarded with dan lai, a Chinese dessert, she makes up her mind to become a writer so that she can eat dan lai forever. Her dream is also helped by the fact that Yeung Ying's mother uses what little money the family has to send her to private school where Yueng Ying faces life's boulders and rewards. "I thought that the book was short enough to read to kids for a bedtime story: it is filled with enough of everything to be loved by people of any background. I would recommend the book to every person in the world! "My favorite part in the book was when Yeung Ying talked about how the first Saturday of each month, her mom would take her and her siblings to Mr. Wong's Wonton Stand and Mr. Wong would wait for them and call out "Fresh wontons!" till they came, and he would always give them the biggest wontons with the most shrimp inside which he would make just for them. "I would give the book five stars."

Tofu Quilt - Unique Title, Unique Book

If the title Tofu Quilt does not grab your attention (What on earth is a Tofu Quilt???) the story surely will. Tofu Quilt is a story about striving, achieving more than mere mediocrity. The story itself embodies this fact. Sure, this story could simply be about a girl breaking societal norms, achieving her dreams in the face of obstacles, something that is inspiring, yes, but by no means original. Instead, the author inserts bits and pieces of the "little things in life" into the story: The first sip of coffee, eating delicious wontons, the canceling of school due to a typhoon, etc. These tidbits add a personal and refreshing touch to this wonderful recollection of a young author growing up. Add in a unique method of storytelling in the form of free-verse poetry and you have a never-before-seen, must-read book. Five stars!

Tofu Quilt Review

Beautifully written. I am not usually a reader of poetry but this book of poems really kept my interest. I appreciate the author giving us a peak into her childhood. I would recommend to anyone.

Unusual and fascinating

I've never seen a book quite like Tofu Quilt. It is a collection of 38 free-verse poems about the author's childhood in Hong Kong during the 1950s and 1960s, and her desire to become a writer, despite the fact that she is a girl and is not expected to have a career. At the age of five, Yeung is rewarded with a special dessert called "dan lai" for being able to recite Chinese poetry from memory. The reward awakens in her a desire to become educated and have enough money to buy more dan lai. Her mother sends her to a private school, despite the fact that the family is poor. At the age of eight, Yeung writes letters for her illiterate grandmother, and at the age of 10, she does piecework for factories in order to earn money to buy books. At 12, she sells a story to a local newspaper, and this is the beginning of her writing career. The poems are simple, story-like, and heartfelt. Some are humorous. I have reprinted one poem on my web site, Gender Equality Bookstore.

Rutgers University Project on Economics and Children

Young girls in Hong Kong during the 1960s lived in a society that favored boys in a multitude of ways that Yeung Ying felt and heard every day. As the first-born girl, Yeung Ying caused some disappointment to her father's family, to the point that her father dressed her baby sister in boys' clothes in the hopes of producing a boy the third time around. Fortunately, Yeung Ying was blessed with a strong-minded mother who valued education and insisted that Yeung Ying attend private school, even though this decision caused financial hardship for the family. Yeung Ying loved school and did well, especially in writing. She dreamed of becoming a writer some day, inspired by a sweet dessert to which she was treated by a kind uncle after she recited many classical Chinese poems from memory. Although most girls did not attain more than a primary school education and they certainly did not earn an income from writing, Yeung Ying pursued her dream to attend college and publish her work. This beautifully-crafted collection of poems will leave a lasting impression about the power of determination, encouragement, and creativity in the face of pervasive oppression. Just as the author herself was inspired by a sweet treat, she has written a delectable book that wraps a number of economics ideas into a unique collection of free-verse poetry. Readers will find interesting little stories with big lessons in every bite.