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“[A] tender, time-spanning narrative… Soft, signature-style illustrations from Yum (Toto) build to a moving spread of a whale and generations of haenyeo swimming in the bowl of soup, lovingly linking mothers across species and decades.”

—Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

“Visible pencil marks and soft splashes of color give Yum’s illustrations a tender intimacy and a coziness befitting her gently told tribute to the ties that bind… A tale of familial warmth and strength, steeped in generations of tradition.”

—Kirkus Reviews

A Spoonful of the Sea

Written by Hyewon Yum
Illustrated by Hyewon Yum
Published by Norton Young Readers

On her birthday, a girl is presented with a bowl of miyeokguk, seaweed soup—instead of the cake she wants. As she stirs her soup, her mother tells her how mothers eat it after giving birth and how it is served on birthdays to honor them; about haenyeo, women who dive into the ocean’s depths to harvest shellfish and seaweed; and how, many mothers ago, a pregnant haenyeo saw a whale eating seaweed after giving birth and tried it after having her own baby—creating a tradition that would continue for generations of daughters to come.

Award-winning picture book creator Hyewon Yum has crafted a luminous and heartfelt celebration of motherhood, heritage, and the deep-rooted connection between women and nature.

Primary ISBN: 9781324053699
Publication Date: September 2025
Available As: Hardcover, eBook
Picture Book, Age 04 or older

Community Represented:

Themes: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Setting: Unspecified (Western Country), Korea

Character's Place in the Immigration Journey: 1st Generation

Book Creator(s) Connection to the Community Represented: Own Voices/Lived Experience

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