Birthday Soup, Grace Seo Chang
Birthday Soup, Grace Seo Chang
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Birthday Soup

Author: Grace Seo Chang

Narrator: Grace Seo Chang

Unabridged: 14 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 09/10/2024

Categories: Children's Fiction


Synopsis

A debut book that celebrates birthdays, family, and a time-honored Korean tradition, featuring a recipe from renowned chef and TV personality David Chang.

Maia wakes up on her birthday to a delicious smell brewing in the kitchen. Her family is making Miyeok guk, one of her favorite foods! Miyeok guk is seaweed soup that new moms eat after giving birth to help replenish nutrients, and many Koreans eat this same soup on their birthdays to honor their mothers, who gave life to them. This year, Maia gets to help prepare Birthday Soup by chopping ingredients, drying the seaweed, and then adding everything to the sizzling pot.

Maia wants to share the miyeok guk that she made with all of her friends at her birthday party later in the day, but wonders if they'd rather have pizza and cupcakes instead. With a little encouragement from her umma, Maia blends the two cultures that she's a part of to create a new birthday tradition.

Debut author Grace Chang gives us a beautiful and vibrant story about how food and family recipes can connect us to our ancestral cultures, as well as ourselves. Birthday Soup includes a recipe for miyeok guk from Grace's husband, renowned restaurateur, chef, and television personality David Chang.

About The Author

Grace Seo Chang lives in Los Angeles with her two sons, husband, and dog named Seve. She has loved Korean food since she was a young girl and to this day loves her rice and kimchi. Birthday Soup is her first children’s book.Jamie Kim was born and raised in South Korea and now lives in North Carolina. Although she was a timid child who was afraid of just about everything, she discovered a sense of serenity in drawing. As a grown-up, Jaime finally stopped being afraid of everything, but kept on drawing and painting. She works with gouache, watercolors, and acrylics to create nostalgic and dreamlike illustrations, inspired by childhood memories of her family, as well as movies, art, and the outside world. Her favorite things are the sun, the moon, the sky, and stars--which is why they always creep into her artwork. Her debut illustrated picture book, Take Heart, My Child, was a #1 New York Times bestseller. Visit Jaime online at JaimeKim.com.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Carrie on September 29, 2024

4.5 stars From the moment Maia adorably bounds down the stairs on her birthday, this sweet little girl captured my affection. Not only do I love the illustrator’s endearing depiction of our main character but I also love her sincere heart, earnest enthusiasm, and precious bravery. As a former ESOL i......more

Goodreads review by Cherlynn | cherreading on December 24, 2024

Makes you hungry! Food is an integral part of Asian culture so I love how this book explores the meaning and symbolism behind it. Thumbs up to the inclusivity with both Asian and Western traditions being highlighted. Not only does the book introduce us to Miyeokguk, it also doesn't neglect the classi......more

Goodreads review by Bethany on September 01, 2024

Maia loves her birthday because that's when she knows she will get to eat the best food. It starts as soon as she wakes up as the scent of her mother's cooking tantalizes her to get her out of bed. Maia discovers that her mother is cooking Miyeok guk which is one of her favorites. Her mother explain......more

Goodreads review by SamSamSam on January 15, 2025

The text could have been a tad more succinct, and that would have improved the reading experience. I thought the plotline about sharing miyeok guk with friends from outside the family's culture was *excellent,* and I loved that the Maia got to have a positive experience.......more

Goodreads review by Bethany on December 09, 2024

What a beautiful story to share with us a beautiful Korean tradition. I loved learning more of this tradition. It was a wonderful surprising bonus to have recipes included.......more