Hiromi's Hands - Hardcover

Lynne Barasch

3.99

160 ratings by Goodreads

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1584302755 ISBN 13: 9781584302759

Publisher: Lee & Low Books, 2007

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Growing up in New York City, Hiromi Suzuki missed spending time with her father, a sushi chef who worked long hours in the family's Japanese restaurant. So one day when she was eight years old, Hiromi begged her father to take her to the Fulton Fish Market, where he bought fresh fish. Hiromi was fascinated by what she saw and learned; by the time she was thirteen, she was ready to take the next step. She asked her father to teach her to make sushi. Little did Hiromi realize that her request would lead her to the forefront of a minor culinary revolution, as women claimed their place in the once all-male world of sushi chefs.

Hiromi's Hands is the true story of a young girl's determination to follow her dream, and a tribute to the loving family who supported her. Readers will cheer for Hiromi's success, and maybe decide to taste some sushi, too!

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About the Author:

LYNNE BARASCH is the author and illustrator of several award-winning children_s books, most recently Radio Rescue, an ALA Notable Book and Texas Bluebonnet Award Masterlist selection, and The Reluctant Flower Girl, an Oppenheim Gold Award winner. Barasch_s initial inspiration for Knockin_ on Wood came many years ago when she learned about Peg Leg Bates from her daughter_s tap dance teacher. Barasch and her family live in New York City.

Review:

"Barasch frames this profile of Hiromi Suzuki, a childhood friend of her daughter's who grew up to be an itamae-san, or professional sushi chef, as both an American story and a first-person tale of a young woman's success in a trade traditionally dominated by men. Transferred in 1964 from Tokyo to the New York branch of his restaurant, Kamehachi, Hiromi's father Akira found his new home to be a place of 'big cars, big portions, big opportunities!' So he was receptive when, years later, his daughter expressed an eagerness to accompany him to the early-morning fish market on Fulton Street, and then to learn how to make perfect nigiri sushi (seafood over pressed rice) and maki sushi (sushi rolls) for the small restaurant he had opened. In delicately lined watercolors, Barasch not only warmly portrays her human cast, but also presents mouthwatering galleries of sushi and of the varieties of seafood from which it is made. A glossary and pronunciation guide, a portrait photo and a brief wrap-up close what will be for most young readers a fascinating family story." -"starred review" --Kirkus Reviews

From the lively double-page spread of the fish market to the small, delicious pictures of the many kinds of sushi Hiromi learns to make, this book celebrates the riches of cultural diversity. --Booklist

Barasch makes it as much a story about family values and love as it is about a woman breaking into traditional men's territory. The illustrations, in ink and watercolor, capture the bustle of two fish marketsone in Tokyo, the other the legendary Fulton Fish Market-but also neatly lays out how father and then daughter progressed from apprentice to experienced chef." -Book Buds

"Elementary school readers who want to know more about food-related careers will enjoy this account of one woman's success." -BOOK NOTES

"Shifting from the present to past and back again, Barasch creates a sophisticated narrative line. . . .Barasch's delicate water color illustrations document Hiromi's story in fresh, soft images of Japan and New York, of sushi makers, sushi eaters and sushi itself. New York City's wharves, markets, and people are lovingly rendered. . .Hiromi's Hands will be a treasured storybook for many children and an inspiration for young girls, whether they aspire to break cultural traditions or update them." -Papertigers.org
--Book Buds, Book Notes, Papertigers.org

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