Synopses & Reviews
It's not easy being the ugliest dumpling in a dim sum restaurant. Uneaten and ignored, the ugly dumpling is down in the dumps. But when an encouraging cockroach sees the dumpling and its inner beauty, this unlikely duo embarks on an eye-opening adventure, leading the ugly dumpling to discover its true identity and realize that being different is beautiful after all.
A modern fairy tale retelling with a timeless moral: There's a little ugly dumpling in all of us.
Review
"The Ugly Duckling gets a makeover in this wacky tale about a misfit. ... the ultimate end, about accepting people because of their differences, adds an extra moral to this timeless tale. The bright illustrations are detailed and full of energy—never has food been so expressive!—and the concept is just odd enough to succeed." Booklist
Review
"A bright, multicultural twist on a classic tale....Specifically told without gendered pronouns, this is simply a story about love. Kober’s illustrations are characterized by delicious changes in perspective, and Campisi’s sly, humorous asides ensure that the message of identity is not heavy-handed...Quirky retellings often lean on clever titles alone, but this surpasses and delights." Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review
Review
"A whimsical story about being different, and the power of love." Wendy Orr, author of Nim's Island and The Princess and Her Panther
Synopsis
A whimsical story about being different, and the power of love.--Wendy Orr, author of
Nim's Island and
The Princess and Her Panther It's not easy being the ugliest dumpling in a dim sum restaurant. Uneaten and ignored, the ugly dumpling is down in the dumps. But when an encouraging cockroach sees the dumpling's inner beauty, this unlikely duo embarks on an eye-opening adventure, leading the ugly dumpling to discover its true identity and realize that being different is beautiful after all.
A modern fairytale retelling with a timeless moral: There's a little ugly dumpling in all of us.
About the Author
Stephanie Campisi is an Australian-born, Portland-based author and dumpling aficionado. She has combined her passion for food and love of wordplay into her debut picture book,
The Ugly Dumpling.
Shahar Kober is an award-winning illustrator of over thirty children's books. He lives in a small town in northern Israel with his wife, two boys, a dog, and a cat. Shahar graduated with a degree in illustration from the College of Design in 2005. Currently, he is a freelance illustrator and teaches illustration for animation at The Neri Bloomfield Academy of Design in Israel. His work has been published in the USA, the UK, France, Germany, South Korea, Singapore, and Israel. In addition to The Ugly Dumpling, Shahar has also illustrated Chicken in Space (HarperCollins 2016) and The Cricket and the Ant (Lerner Publishing 2016).