With the 2008 Summer Olympics being held in China, many people are interested in learning more about that country's culture and traditions. For young readers, there is To Grandmother's House: A Visit to Old-Town Beijing with story and photos by Douglas Keister. This charming story, illustrated with photos taken in Beijing, follows the young Zhang Yue and her cousin as they set off on a journey to visit their waipo , or maternal grandmother. To get to grandmother's house, the children wind their way through the bustling hutongs (ancient lanes and narrow streets) of Beijing. The hutongs display many aspects of traditional Chinese life, including markets, shops, courtyard residences, and children and adults playing games in the streets. When the children arrive at their waipo 's house, she has a surprise for them: they will learn to make traditional Chinese dumplings!

To Grandmother's House is a bilingual story, written in English and standardized Chinese characters. The book includes a Chinese pronunciation key and a map of Beijing. Vivid photographs portray life in Beijing. Once young readers have been inspired by Zhang Yue's story, they can make dumplings of their own by following the included recipe.