Jama Kim Rattigan

Hello and welcome! Here you will learn all about my picture books for children -- what inspired them, and how you might extend your enjoyment of the stories through various activities. Click on "My Books" to read detailed reviews of each book.

Then click on each individual book title for more: author remarks, suggestions for classroom application, relevant photos, and honors and awards.

Finally, go to "About Me" for a brief profile and more photos.

I hope your visit is fun and interesting. If you have any questions or comments about the books or my writing, please feel free to email me.

ENJOY!

My new blog, "Jama Rattigan's Alphabet Soup," is now open to visitors. There, I serve food for the BODY (bookish recipes), MIND (talk about books, reading and whatever), and SPIRIT (tasty poetry every Friday). Drop by whenever you're feeling a little peckish. No reservations required!

"This picture book set in Hawaii tells of seven-year-old Marisa's attempt to make dumplings for her extended family's New Year's Eve party . . . A lively celebration of setting, tradition, and the rich diversity of a loving family." -- ALA Booklist

"A thoroughly enjoyable celebration of family warmth and diverse traditions, illustrated with cheery watercolors." -- Ellen Fader, Hornbook

YANG FAMILY DUMPLING SOUP RECIPE

For the dumplings:

2 pounds lean ground beef
1 pound ground pork
4 packages bean sprouts
2 medium-sized won bok cabbages
1 pint kimchi (more if desired)
2 blocks tofu
3 stalks green onions, chopped
3 eggs
1 l/2 T sesame seed oil
3 T vegetable oil
1 tsp black pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 T grated ginger
3/4 c soy sauce
1 T sugar
4 packages wonton wrappers

For the soup:

2-4 quarts chicken broth
2 pounds white chicken breast meat, cooked and chopped into 1-inch pieces
green onions as desired for garnish


1. Saute ground beef and pork, lightly seasoning it with salt and pepper. Drain off excess oil.

2. Parboil bean sprouts, then chop them coarsely and squeeze out excess water.

3. Parboil won bok cabbages, then chop them finely and squeeze out excess water.

4. Drain kimchi, chop it finely, and squeeze out liquid.

5. Squeeze out excess water from tofu.

6. In a large bowl, combine all dumpling ingredients except wonton wrappers, and mix thoroughly. Let stand in refrigerator for 1-2 hours.

7. Wrap about 1 l/2 tablespoons filling in wonton wrapper. With fingertips, lightly wet edges with water. Firmly pinch edges. Repeat till all filling has been used.

8. Place dumplings in slightly salted boiling water, and cook gently for about 10 minutes. Drain,then run cold water over cooked dumplings to avoid sticking.

9. In a large soup pot, add cooked chicken meat to broth, and heat. Add dumplings. Garnish with chopped green onions.

Yield: about 100 dumplings