Independent shop The Book Stall (811 Elm Street in Winnetka) is excited to welcome children's author Francie Dekker! She will be in the store on Saturday, October 29 from 10:00 am to 12:00 Noon to meet fans and sign copies of her new book, Our World of Dumplings! This delicious story celebrates the many different types of dumplings and how food brings people and cultures together!

More About Our World of Dumplings: My nose leads me from my room, through the kitchen, and out of our apartment. Scents swirl in the stairwell of our building. I can smell garlic sautéing. Ginger simmering. Tomatoes stewing on a stovetop. 

An apartment complex is having a dumpling festival, and all the kids are excited to watch and help their families cook different versions of the delicious treats. From kreplach to khinkali and Johnny cakes to jiao zi, each household has its own way of making dumplings, uniquely hand-crafted and based upon their culture. As the children wrap, cook, and eat all the different types of dumplings, they learn how dumplings are the ultimate labor of love! Underscoring the power of food to both bring us together and help us celebrate our differences, Our World of Dumplings is a rich story that shows the tender relationship between food and company, and its natural ability to create a sense of community. It will leave you hungry for more!
 
More About the Author: Francie Dekker is a youth gardening and nutrition educator in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She was a contributing writer for Edible Milwaukee, where she wrote a quarterly "Kids Table" column that explored how gardening, food, culture, and youth intersect. In 2016, she received a Food Writing Fellowship from the Culinary Trust. Our World of Dumplings is her debut picture book.