Mountain Chef

I liked this little picture book biography of an ordinary Chinese American man who cooked for a group of people who were working to set up the National Park system. It's a story of problem solving and creativity because things did NOT go smoothly on this trip. The water color pictures add a lot to this one.

Too few books are done about the marginalized. We learn about the great white men that built the world, but ignore those in the background, those who supported them, or do great things in their own right.

This book is put together with what information is available, thoroughly researched, and a breath of fresh air in historic picture books. Highly recommend it.

Tie Sing was considered to be the best trail cook in California in the early 1900s, and this wonderful book is a sweet and factual introduction to his life and legacy.

The story is skillfully told, and the illustrations match the theme of the time and the story. Included after the story are pages of biographical information about Tie Sing and some of the people that he cooked for, who helped persuade congress to create the National Park Service.

The only issue at present is the small, slightly illegible font used in the book, though since this is an advanced copy, that may change before publication. Highly recommended for all ages, although it is intended for children.

Ok, I don’t want to summarize what the story is about. After all, you have read the presentation, true? I want to report my sensations when reading this book and browsing its beautiful illustrations. It was like when you explore an old house attic, your grandparents home, for example. You rummage through furniture, drawers and trunks and then… bam! You hit a little treasure – a toy, a book, a doll, a manuscript, a family album…
See, reading this book was like that: hitting a little jewel encrusted with bravery, courage and willfulness.
Read it (no matter if young or old): you’ll be happier and a little wiser!

Just in time for the upcoming 100th anniversary of the National Park Service, this book celebrates the creative, quick-thinking Chinese American chef who managed to feed guests camping in the Sierras despite losing most of his supplies. This trail cook was hired to cook for guests of Stephen Mather when Mather organized the trip to persuade wealthy and famous people to support the creation of the National Park Service. While the illustrations bring the setting to life, it is the back matter consisting of photographs of this trip and questions and answers that provide additional material about the trip that add enormously to the book's appeal. A fitting story to share during the upcoming anniversary of the National Park Service.

What an interesting story! And the watercolor and charcoal artwork is lovely.

This is a picture book biography about Tie Sing, a Chinese American man who was the best trail cook in California. He was hired to cooke for an expedition that was meant to develop support for the National Park system. Of course being out on the trails, things are bound to go wrong and they did for Tie Sing, but he never gave up and always made the most of it. It's a story of inventiveness and problem solving. The water colour illustrations are wonderful. The back of the book includes mini biographies of the characters in the story and answers other questions the reader may have about Tie Sing and this expedition.

Mountain Chef tells the story of Tie Sing, who in 1916, was hired as a cook for the Mather Mountain Party. This camping party was crucial to the formation of the National Park Service, which celebrates its centenary this year. Tie Sing is credited with helping convince those in the Mather Mountain Party that a park service was necessary to the survival of America’s wild places.
Mountain Chef is well written and beautifully illustrated. The discrimination faced by men like Tie Sing was explained well; young readers should have no trouble understanding life in early twentieth century America. For those looking to add diversity to their library collection, Mountain Chef would be an excellent addition. With the centennial of the National Park Service approaching, there may be an increased interest in how it got started, and Mountain Chef is the perfect fit for young readers.
I always enjoy learning about little known happenings in history, so reading Tie Sing was very interesting. Sing Peak in Yosemite was named after him, which speaks to his importance to the Park Service and the regard in which those he worked with held him. Mountain Chef will help to spread awareness of his contributions. The “What You May Be Wondering” section was interesting and would be helpful for young readers who may have questions after finishing the book, and it may also pique their curiosity to learn more about America’s National Parks and those who helped create them.

4.5★
What a delightful picture book to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the U.S. National Park Service!

The illustrations are beautiful line drawings with watercolour wash which show kids what’s happening, while the words provide the details. Without Tie Sing and his skill and adaptability, America may never have had its famous National Park Service.

America has benefited from Chinese culture for a long time, especially during the Gold Rush days and the building of the Trans-continental railway in the mid-1800s. But by 1915 “America was a tough place to be Chinese. Bosses paid Chinese workers less than white workers. Townsfolk spat out Chinese names like they’d swallowed river gravel. Most people with Chinese names ended up cooking in restaurants or washing clothes in laundries.”

I had heard before of Stephen Mather’s campaign for the U.S. government to properly manage the national parks. He gathered a large contingent of influential men and took them camping . . . yes, camping . . . in national parks, to introduce them to the spectacular natural beauty being conserved.

But Mather said, “Give a man a poor breakfast after he’s had a bad night’s sleep, and he will not care how fine your scenery is.”

So he found Tie Sing, an experienced trail cook for mapmakers. “With sky for his ceiling and sequoias for his wall . . in his sheet-metal oven, he baked sourdough rolls as light as the clouds drifting above the peaks.”

The campers went hiking and riding all day and returned to camp to find Tie Sing had “assembled sardine hors d’oeuvres, sliced juicy cantaloupe, and squeezed lemons to make tart-sweet lemonade. He grilled steaks and venison, fried fish and chicken, and baked sourdough rolls. He served up gourmet meals as fine as any you’d find in a San Francisco Restaurant.”

A mule disappeared (so did the supplies), another mule fell down a ravine and returned (but without supplies), and poor Tie Sing had to make do. With the help of only one offsider, Eugene, he kept everyone better fed than most of us dear readers, and to top it off, on the last night he made fortune cookies with his own fortunes inside about the wonders of the mountains: “Where but in the mountains would such a man become a spirit with the mountains? "

It worked. Congress was duly lobbied and on August 25, 1916, the National Park Service was founded.

The book says you can hike to Sing Peak in Yosemite National Park. There is a section with further facts and photographs of the real people at the end of the book. There’s also a fair bit about banning Chinese from being citizens, pretty topical for 100 years later with the current refugee situation.

A wonderful resource for teachers all over the world. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, Charlesbridge, for my advanced review copy (from which I’ve quoted – possibly subject to change).

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

This was an incredibly interesting story. I loved learning about this American! He made a significant contribution to our country. His story, though not well known, is just as remarkable as any other. I hope to see more stories like this in the future. America has a colorful tapestry of people; it's about time that we get to learn about the contribution and influence of other groups of people. Bravo!

Rating: 5/5 Recommend: Yes Audience: All Status: NF, H, B

Glamping! Back in the day!

Have you ever been curious about how the National Park Service in the United States began? No? Even if you weren't, this delightful picture book will help you understand it! And, even if you aren't the slightest bit interested in the National Park Service, the story is absolutely wonderful.
You see, Stephen Mather, a millionaire, wanted to begin the National Park Service, but first he had to convince people that it was needed. So, in 1915, he invited 30 important people to go on a camping trip in the Sierras in California. Of course, he knew that if they slept poorly or ate badly, they would not be interested in his ideas at all, so he made sure to provide good beds and delicious food. And who better to cook the delicious food than Tie Sing? Tie Sing was a Chinese man who had been born in America, and he was a great cook, the best trail cook in California! Tie Sing knew how to plan; he purchased groceries for gourmet meals for 30 guests for 10 days, and had everything packed into the wilderness on mules. Every morning he got up early and prepared breakfast, packed lunch for everyone, packed up, moved on to the next campsite, and cooked another gourmet meal. Then one day, disaster struck when a fully-loaded mule wandered off, never to be seen again...and then another fully-loaded mule fell off a cliff. Now what was Tie Sing to do, without his gourmet ingredients?
I loved the story of this man's ingenuity, as well as the beautiful water-color pictures illustrating the story. The author has included several pages of more information at the end of the book as well, which are very interesting. My children greatly enjoyed this story.

I liked this story - the layout was good and the images helped greatly to illustrate the true story the book tells. Its a nice way to commemorate the anniversary of the National Park Service, has enough detail to be interesting, but not too much that younger people will lose attention. I like the combination of the story and the historical aspect.