Title: Seoul Food
Author: Erin Danielle Russell
Major Themes: Korea, Southern USA, Food, Family
Synopsis: Hana wants to create a recipe that will draw her grandparents, from two very different cultures, together.
I love finding fun, new, realistic picture books to read to my little children. They are a very appreciative audience, and picture books are meant to be shared. One that I found last week was Seoul Food. What an interesting play on the Southern expression of “soul food!” Because my little girls are interested in cooking, they loved this story.
Publisher’s description:
Hana is faced with a conundrum: what scrumptious dinner should she make for her four grandparents who are all coming for a visit? This dish isn’t yummy enough, that one isn’t special enough…What’s an aspiring chef to do? Her mother tells her to cook what makes her heart happy, so Hana thinks hard.
She remembers the savory gumbo that she made with Grandma and Grandpa Williams when she visited them in the South. Then she reminisces about the sweet and spicy stew she made with Halmoni and Harabeoji during her trip to Seoul. Feeling inspired, Hana creates a dish that brings together the best flavors of her two cultures in a mouthwatering new way, and her grandparents couldn’t be prouder!
My thoughts:
Seoul Food is a delightful story about family and love, and how food can bind people together. I love the pictures of Hana’s family enjoying each other, singing and dancing together as they go about their preparations for the grandparent’s visit. I’m not sure what I think about the recipe that Hana created. It looks quite different to anything I have ever made or eaten. Her grandparents’ comments are what matters, though. If you want a story about family and food, this is a great choice.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley, and these are my honest thoughts about it.
No warnings!
Age levels:
Listening Level—Ages 3 – 4, 5 – 8
Reading Independently—Ages 8 – 12
Links to buy this book:
Amazon: Kindle | Hardcover
AbeBooks: View Choices on AbeBooks.com
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