FICTION

Hot Pot Night!

by Vincent Chen (text) & illus. by Vincent Chen
Charlesbridge. Sept. 2025. 22p. Board $8.99. ISBN 9781623546663. PreS-Gr 1
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PreS-Gr 1–Chen deploys an autumnal palette in a board book that has more in common with Stone Soup variants than any cultural or historical lesson. A child in an apartment window invites the other residents to hot pot night, contributing the pot and assigning broth to one woman with deep brown skin and long black hair, and commenting on the gray-haired pink-skinned woman bringing meat and the brawny Black man juggling fresh veggies. It’s a charming gathering, with an array of items that are hot-pot suitable, and a festive atmosphere from end to end.
VERDICT Classroom hot pot, anyone? A book that will leave readers and listeners hungry, but the whole family will want to institute hot pot nights.
Reviewed by Kimberly Olson Fakih , Oct 01, 2025

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