Nonfiction Review 4-Hiromi's Hands-Lynne Barasch

1.  BIBLIOGRAPHY
Barasch, Lynne. Hiromi's Hands.  Ill. Lynne Barasch.. New York : Lee & Low Books, c2007.
Age Range: 6-9 Lexile: 600

Children's Books of the Year
Bank Street College Children's Book Committee

"Starred Review"
School Library Journal

"Starred Review"
Kirkus Reviews

Celebrate with Books
Cleveland Public Library

Best Kid's Books of the Year
The Miami Herald


2. Summary

Growing up in New York,  Hiromi Suzuki really want to spend time with her dad, a sushi chef who worked long hours in the family's Japanese restaurant. So at age eight, she asked her dad to take to her the market where he bought fresh fish. He eventually trains her to be sushi chef and she becomes one of the first female sushi chefs of New York.

3. My Review

This is a very good book that teaches girls to follow their dreams and that their parents will support them. I love that this is told from Hiromi's voice ( and that the author knew her when she was little, as we learn toward the end of the book.) Through her eyes, we get to learn about Japanese culture and words ( with a pronunciation key and glossary) and one whole page featuring all the different types of sushi. It always make me want to try sushi!

For anyone that has big dreams, they should check out Hiromi's Hands and continue to dream big.

4. Classroom Connections

• Learn about the different festivals and holidays in Japan. Celebrate Girls Day ( March 3) and Children's Day ( or Boy's Day, May 5.) What other holidays does Japan celebrate.
• Ask children to write or draw what they want to be when they grow up. For older grades ( 2nd grade and up), ask them to research their profession. Or plan a What I Want To Be Day and have kids dress up. 
• Invite parents to come in and talk about their job.

• Not a fan of sushi? Here is a recipe for Gluten Free Fruit Sushi  ( plus a picture of what it looks like),

Yummy!!

5. Websites to Check out ( plus a Video)
Make Sushi at Home- Food activity that ties in to book, available on Lee and Low's website

Sushi and Sashimi Glossary- Presented by the Nibble, a complete glossary of what goes in sushi and sashimi.

She Has A Knife and She Knows how to Use it- New York Times artitle on Hiromi Suzuki and her journey to sushi chef. 

Here is a short film on Suziki-Sherachi and Manhattan Rolls (Directed & Edited by Francesca Balaguer-Mercado and 2005 Best Documentary: 5th UP Film and Video Festival)

5. Books to Check Out ( plus keywords)

For more books on chefs ( including some famous female chefs), here are some recommendations:

•  Gourley,  Robbin. Bring Me some Apples and I'll Make You a Pie: A Story about Edna Lewis. New York : Clarion Books, c2009.
• Harland, Jessie. Bon Appetit!: the Delicious Life of Julia Child. New York : Schwartz & Wade Books, c2012. 
• Liebman, Dan.  I Want to Be A Chef. Buffalo, N.Y. : Firefly Books, 2012.
• Reich, Susanna. Minette's Feast: the Delicious Story of Julia Child and her Cat. New York : Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2012. 

For books on Japanese cooking for children, here are some recommendations: 

• Beatty, Theresa . Food and Recipes of Japan. New York : Rosen/PowerKids Press, 1999.
• Ridgwell, Jenny. A Taste of Japan. New York : Thomson Learning, 1993.
• Sheen, Barbara. Foods of Japan.  Detroit : Thomson/Gale, 2006.
• Weston, Reiko. Cooking the Japanese Way. Minneapolis, Minn. : Lerner Publications Co., 2002.

Looking for more ideas? Here are some key words to try on your library catalog:
Cooks-Juvenile literature
Woman cooks-United States-Biography-Juvenile literature
Cookery-Juvenile literature
Cookery, Japanese-Juvenile literature
Food habits-Japan-Juvenile literature