Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 07/01/2016 Gr 2–5—Yosemite's Sing Peak honors Nevada-born backcountry chef Tie Sing. Chosen to be the chef for the Mather Mountain Party in 1915, Sing had to feed 30 men, some of whom were being wooed to back a plan for a national park service. Pimentel sets the stage by introducing readers to the inequality Chinese immigrants and Chinese Americans faced at the hands of white Americans. She fictionalizes, but modestly. This title stresses both Sing's foresight and his resourcefulness—resilience being necessary in this era of legal anti-Chinese discrimination. Final pages provide extra historical information with period black-and-white photos. The illustrations are well suited for a read-aloud: lively, expansive (usually spreads), and with a bright magenta vest identifying the hero. Considering the overtly positive nature of the work, adult readers might stress that while Sing overcame the immediate setback of accidents, he could not be expected to defeat the systemic prejudice that deprived him—and other Chinese Americans and Chinese immigrants—of countless opportunities, no matter how big his dreams. Only two or three mules are depicted (not possibly enough for the job). Overall, this pencil and watercolor illustrated and eloquently written account of a Chinese American will satisfy every taste. VERDICT For any library wishing to enhance its diversity and inclusion collection.—Patricia D. Lothrop, formerly at St. George's School, Newport, RI - Copyright 2016 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Bulletin for the Center... - 09/01/2016 When millionaire Stephen Mather decided, early in the twentieth century, that America’s national parks needed a government service office to coordinate their upkeep, he invited a party of movers and shakers on a camping tour to view, appreciate, and hopefully advocate for the parks’ glories. Mather was savvy enough to know that nature might be more palatable to his privileged guests if they could count on familiar luxuries, so he hired Tie Sing, an American-born Chinese cook, to supply gourmet meals en route. This was not Tie Sing’s first gig, and he pulled out all the stops, arranging for loads of carefully packed and preserved victuals to be carried by mule train, while he and his assistant cooked, washed dishes and linens, and kept the guests amazed at their gustatory good fortune. Mules and nature are not always reliable partners in any venture, and more than once Tie Sing was forced to improvise when ingredients were lost. However, the guests were happy, the National Park Service was established, and the rest is history. This is a lively account of a piece of history most youngsters won’t have considered. Lo’s watercolor illustrations convey the pampered roughing it Mather’s party enjoyed, and sensitive viewers will also note the distance between Tie Sing and the guests, most of whom amiably appreciated his service, while keeping themselves apart from the Chinese hired help. Endpaper maps trace the route through the California parks, and a four-page Q&A section gives more particulars about Tie Sing, the Mather party, and American-Chinese relations in the early 1900s. Source notes and a selected bibliography are included. EB - Copyright 2016 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois.

Booklist - 07/01/2016 This picture-book biography features a little-known Chinese American whose ingenious meal planning was instrumental in the ultimate success of the National Parks Service. During a time when Asians in America had few or no rights, Tie Sing aims high. He takes “a job cooking for mapmakers as they tramped through the mountains, naming peaks,” and his reputation for excellent cooking gets the attention of millionaire Stephen Mather, who hires Tie Sing to cook high-class, restaurant-style meals for 30 men on a backcountry tour of what is now Yosemite National Park, in an effort to secure political support for a federal parks program. Tie Sing’s creative solutions to the problems of cooking on the trail are fascinating, and stories of minor disasters on the Yosemite tour highlight his ingenuity and resourcefulness. Paragraphs of straightforward text are more advanced than typical picture books, but the soft, expressive watercolor illustrations, some of which are based on historical photos, are a pleasing accompaniment. Ideal for the classroom, particularly this year, when the NPS celebrates its centennial. - Copyright 2016 Booklist.

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