Little Tiger acquires Felicity Yeoh's picture book Yum Yum Dim Sum
Little Tiger has acquired Felicity Yeoh and illustrator Jasper Shaw’sYum Yum Dim Sum, a "magical and inspiring" picture book centred around family and Chinese culture.
Perry Emerson, commissioning editor at Little Tiger, bought world rights for the text from Hannah Sheppard at Hannah Sheppard Literary Agency. Illustration rights were acquired directly from Shaw.
Yum Yum Dim Sum, which will publish in January 2027, begins when Little Shu arrives for a dim sum lunch with all her relatives but is overwhelmed: "How will she fit into her busy, bustling family? But when her aunt whisks her away on a fantastical adventure, Little Shu makes a host of new friends who help her find her place."
Emerson called Yum Yum Dim Sum a "sumptuous book overflowing with warmth, laughter and adventure in which Felicity Yeoh weaves together themes of food, culture and family to tell the story of a little girl finding her place and celebrating her Chinese heritage. We were delighted to pair Felicity’s powerful story with illustrator Jasper Shaw, whose exquisite artwork transports readers into a magical world and captures the deliciousness of dim sum on every page. It truly is a book to touch the heart."
London-based Yeoh is a poet and writer whose debut picture book with illustrator Megan Snyders, The Kingdom of Tigers, will be published in July by HarperCollins Children’s. She said: "My family’s favourite thing is going out for dim sum with friends and visiting relatives, for special occasions or just ordinary weekends, so it’s a delight to invite readers across the world to join us. Yum Yum Dim Sum started off as a rhyme to help my children remember the names of their favourite dishes, but thanks to Perry and the brilliant team at Little Tiger, it became a magical adventure and a celebration of family and identity, brought to fantastical life by Jasper’s heartwarming and mouthwatering illustrations.
"Dim sum means ’to touch the heart’, and working on this book has brought such joy to mine. And dim sum is for sharing – I can’t wait to share this story with everyone."
Freelancer Shaw is based in Hangzhou, China and works across gaming, animation and books. His numerous publishing credits include illustrating Marie Chow’s A Place for Mulan and the cover art for Wesley Chu’s The Walking Dead spin-off Typhoon. He added: "Creating the world of Yum Yum Dim Sum has been a magical journey of discovery. As an illustrator, I have always been passionate about translating the rich, vibrant heritage of Chinese culture into a modern visual language."
