The Runaway Wok facts for kids
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| Author | Ying Chang Compestine |
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| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Children's books |
| Publisher | Dutton Books for Young Readers |
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Publication date
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January 6, 2011 |
| ISBN | 0525420681 |
The Runaway Wok is a fun picture book written by Ying Chang Compestine. Sebastia Serra drew all the pictures. The story is about a boy named Ming. He goes on exciting adventures with a magical talking wok. A wok is a round-bottomed cooking pan used in Chinese cooking. This special wok can even grant wishes!
What the Story Is About
The story starts as the poor Zhang family gets ready for Chinese New Year. This is a very important holiday in China. Ming, a young boy, goes to the market. His job is to trade eggs for rice. But at the market, an old man talks Ming into trading the eggs for a magical talking wok instead.
When Ming's mother sees the wok, she is not happy. She goes to tell him off. But the wok surprises her by asking to be polished. After she cleans it, the wok suddenly jumps away! It rolls down the road on its own.
The wok comes back three times. Each time, it brings amazing things. It brings food, toys, and money. But where did these things come from? The wok took them from a very greedy man named Mr. Li. The wok takes from the rich and gives to the poor people in the village. This helps everyone.
At the end of the story, Ming's family shares all the wok's gifts. They share them with everyone in their community. The book's story is based on an old Danish folktale. It is called The Talking Pot. It also reminds readers of The Gingerbread Man.
The book also has some cool extra parts. It includes a note from the author. There is also a recipe for "Festive Stir-Fried Rice". You can also learn about what the wok means in Chinese culture. Plus, it tells you about special foods eaten during Chinese New Year.
Main Characters
- Ming – He is the main character, a young boy from a poor family.
- Mama Zhang – Ming's mother.
- Poppa Zhang – Ming's father.
- Old Man – He was the wok's owner before Ming.
- Wok – The magical talking cooking pan.
- Mr. Li – The bad guy in the story. He is the richest man in Beijing.
- Mrs. Li – Mr. Li's wife.
- Lan Li – The son of Mr. and Mrs. Li.
Awards and Recognition
The Runaway Wok has won several awards and nominations:
- 2013-14 Iowa Goldfinch Award Nominee
- 2013 Washington Children's Choice Picture Book Award Nominee
- 2012 Storytelling World Resource Award
- 2011 Lasting Connections Top 30 Titles from Booklist
