diverse picture books

nine cool things on a tuesday

~ jama ~ 11 Comments

1. April Come She Will: Nothing lifts the spirit and fills the heart with hope like Spring. Flower buds on trees, daffodils abloom, enchanting greening of the land.

Enjoy some of UK artist Lucy Grossmith’s lovely paintings which showcase the delicate beauty of nature in exquisite detail.

Lucy grew up in the Lincolnshire countryside and now lives and works in Suffolk, England. She’s always been surrounded and inspired by nature and enjoys walking outdoors, where she sketches and makes mental notes of flora, fauna, colors, textures, and weather conditions – all ingredients for her work.

She paints with acrylics on canvas or textured paper, focusing on gardens, wildlife, countryside, and coastal landscapes. I like the soft, feminine feel to her pictures and immersing myself in her idyllic scenes which seem to say, relax and stay awhile. 🙂

For more, visit Lucy’s Official Website, “Heart to Art,” where you can purchase original paintings and prints. Greeting cards are also available online via several different sites, including Orchard Cards and House of Cards. Keep current with her Instagram.

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[happy review] Let’s Celebrate Korean New Year! by Michelle W. Park and Hyewon Yum

~ jama ~ 7 Comments

Tomorrow, millions of people around the world will be celebrating Lunar New Year. Although it’s commonly called Chinese New Year, there are other Asian communities who also observe this important holiday with their own set of traditions.

Since there are only a handful of picture books about Korean Lunar New Year in particular, I was especially happy to see this new title by Michelle W. Park and Hyewon Yum.

In Let’s Celebrate Korean New Year! (Random House BFYR, 2024), we meet Madeleine and Eloise, two sisters getting ready for their Lunar New Year party. As the big sister, Madeleine takes the lead in briefing Eloise about party attire, food, and games.

The story opens with Madeleine trying to rouse Eloise at dawn. Sleepy Eloise groans in protest, but Madeleine is raring to go. “First, we need hanboks!” She explains they need to wear traditional Korean clothing for the party, then helps Eloise put on her chima (skirt) and colorful jeogori (jacket).

Next, they race downstairs, where they see that their mom has already laid the charae-sang (ceremonial table) with delicious foods such as apples, oranges and persimmons as an offering to their ancestors. Before Eloise can grab an orange, Madeleine pulls her into the kitchen to help wrap dumplings.

Madeleine demonstrates how to fill a dumpling wrapper with a mixture of pork, glass noodles, garlic, scallions and soy sauce before carefully folding it. Unfortunately, Eloise’s earnest attempts aren’t very successful, with a ripped wrapper and too much filling. Impatient Madeleine takes over, assuring a disappointed Eloise that she can help next time.

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[chewy review] The Mochi Makers by Sharon Fujimoto-Johnson

~ jama ~ 11 Comments

Soft, chewy, stretchy — pink, white, or green — I love mochi!

Whenever I bite into a Japanese rice cake, it takes me back to my childhood in Hawaiʻi. While we often enjoyed store-bought mochi as an everyday treat, it was most delicious when the extended family gathered on New Year’s Day to make a homemade batch.

My uncle (whose wife was Japanese) was in charge of cooking and pounding the rice with a wooden mallet. At first he did this by hand, but in later years he acquired a mochi machine that largely did the work for him. When the mochi dough was ready, my aunts coated their hands with potato starch and twisted off pieces to form small round cakes. Each family took home a good share. How I loved fresh, oh-so-soft mochi dipped in a little honey!

You can see why I was excited to read Sharon Fujimoto-Johnson’s debut picture book, The Mochi Makers (Beach Lane Books, 2024). In this gentle, heartwarming story, a little girl makes mochi with her grandmother, learns about her family’s heirloom recipe, and then shares trays of mochi with family, friends and neighbors.

Told from Emi’s point of view, the story outlines the steps she and Obaachan follow to make this special treat.

First, Emi and Obaachan wash sweet mochi rice — “Obaachan with her strong, wrinkled hands and me with my small, quick ones.” It doesn’t matter if Emi spills a few grains; Obaachan reminds her “we only need clean hands and whole hearts to make mochi.”

While the rice is cooking, Obaachan tells Emi that the recipe originated from Emi’s great-great grandmother. When Obaachan emigrated to America to marry Emi’s grandfather (Ojiichan), she brought the mochi recipe with her “in her heart and hands.”

When the rice is done, Emi and Obaachan transfer the steaming mass into a stand mixer, where it’s pounded into a sticky mound. Next, they coat their hands with potato starch, twist off pieces and make small round cakes.

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[tasty talk + giveaway] Yangsook Choi on Slippery, Spicy, Tingly: A Kimchi Mystery

~ jama ~ 12 Comments

Did you know that November 22 is Kimchi Day? A national holiday in Korea, this chosen date is significant because there are 11 main ingredients in this traditional side dish and 22 health benefits, including vitamins, calcium, probiotics, and a boost to bodily immunity.

What better way to celebrate than by welcoming author-illustrator Yangsook Choi to talk about her latest picture book, Slippery, Spicy, Tingly: A Kimchi Mystery (Carolrhoda Books, 2024)! 🙂

In this tantalizing tale, Keo’s grandmother pays his family a surprise visit. Although she’s supposedly there to make some SPECIAL kimchi and to spend more time with Keo, he suspects Halmoni is up to something else.

It’s easy to see why. It’s not every day one’s grandmother (even a well preserved one) singlehandedly buries a humongous clay jar in the back yard. Keo is sure she must be hiding a secret treasure. After Halmoni recruits Keo and his parents to help turn a hundred heads of cabbage into spicy kimchi, she disappears as suddenly as she had arrived.

Keo waits and waits. When will Halmoni return for her treasure? Finally, she calls to tell them “it’s time” to lift the lid off the jar. Who or what is Halmoni’s true treasure?

This heartwarming, tastebud-tempting intergenerational story is flavored with good measures of humor, suspense, love, and the joy of families working together. Mouths will water at every slippery, spicy, tingly detail, as kids learn about the virtues of patience, living in harmony with nature, and honoring one’s cultural heritage.

Big thanks to Yangsook for dropping by to tell us more about making this book, the “super senior” who inspired it, and the fine art of savoring well seasoned, fiery-hot, naturally fermented kimchi. Hungry yet? 🙂

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nine cool things on a tuesday

~ jama ~ 4 Comments

“I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.” ~ Lucy Maud Montgomery (Anne of Green Gables)

1. Hello, October, you are the prettiest month! To celebrate, we’re featuring the art of Minnesota illustrator Laura Irene (Chimney Smoke Art).

Laura is all about the warm and cozy, and is inspired by nature, home life and the changing seasons. Love how she captures the beautiful autumnal colors and a slower pace of life. Whether strolling down the lane or baking an apple pie, the people in her pictures seem to thrive on simple pleasures.

Creating her illustrations in a studio right off the kitchen means she’s never far away from the tea kettle. Is that chili and cornbread on the table? You can purchase prints and postcards at her Website Shop or Etsy. For the latest updates, check out her Instagram.

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