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“A family of Korean descent creates memories centered on a birthday tradition. …Kim’s deft use of bright blended colors and textures creates joyful scenes of Maia preparing the ingredients with her family. …After reveling in the legacy and flavors of the soup, Maia decides to serve it to her friends at her party. A celebratory tale embracing culture, identity, and of course food.”

– Kirkus Reviews

Birthday Soup

Written by Grace Seo Chang
Illustrated by Jamie Kim
Published by Viking Books for Young Readers

A debut picture book that celebrates birthdays, family, and a time-honored Korean tradition, featuring art by New York Times bestselling illustrator Jaime Kim and 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 and New York Times bestselling illustrator Jaime Kim team up to create 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.

Primary ISBN: 9780593621615
Publication Date: September 2024
Available As: Hardcover, Audiobook, eBook
Picture Book, Age 04 or older

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Setting: Unspecified

Character's Place in the Immigration Journey: Unknown Arrival

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

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