Grandma Panda's China Storybook. Mingmei Yip

is puzzled. “But it only fills my stomach.”

      “Yes,” Grandma says, “but after your stomach is filled, your heart feels happy. That’s how dim sum touches your heart.”

      “Wah! We want our hearts to be touched all the time!” Lingling cries.

      Dim sum is made up of lots of different little dishes served together. In earlier times, people would enjoy just a few of these dishes, along with some tea, as a little “touch” or snack.

      Grandma laughs. “As long as you’re with me, you’ll always have plenty of dim sum. Now listen—this is the story of how it was invented.”

      Once a long, long time ago, General Caocao and his army fought hard and won many battles. To celebrate his soldiers‘ loyalty and fearlessness, Caocao declared there would be a big feast.

      The general ordered delicious dishes from every soldier’s hometown to be sent to the battlefield.

      The soldiers felt pleased beyond words.

      “Wah, this pork dumpling tastes exactly like what my wife fixes back home!” one exclaimed.

      Another one laughed as if the sun were shining right over his head. “This beef noodle is definitely my grandma’s cooking!”

      General Caocao smiled warmly at his men. “Please soldiers, eat more! If this pleases you, from now on every day I’ll offer you a little of my heart!”

      And so these little plates of comforting food became “Dim Sum.” For dim means “a little,” and sum means “heart.”

      Grandma Panda Teaches Us Chinese Writing

      That night Baobao and Lingling sleep soundly, dreaming of endless plates of steaming dim sum. The next morning, they are full of energy and ready to play. But Grandma Panda has other ideas. She is busy fussing with writing tools—brushes, ink, ink stone, and big, clean sheets of rice paper.

      “Grandma, what’s that for?” the children ask.

      “Today is a good day to stay home and study Chinese,” Grandma replies.