A Spoonful of the Sea

By Hyewon Yum

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.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1324053690
• ISBN13: 9781324053699
• Release Date: September 2025
• Publisher: Norton Young Readers
• Length: 32 Pages
• Weight: 0.94 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 9.3" x 10.3"
• Age Range: 4 to 8 years
• Grade Range: Preschool to Grade 3

Customer Reviews

A cultural tradition of Korea

The story tells of the birth and later birthdays ritual of the soup that is a product of the sea and ensures the health of first the mother and then the child. This is a tradition of Korea for many centuries. The illustrations by the author are simple, perfect in muted colors, and definitely evoke the smells of the sea and look of the soup. Well suited for reading WITH someone any age including ESL, and great for gifting to everyone, but especially to a school, waiting room, or your local public library. I requested and received a temporary uncorrected digital galley from W. W. Norton & Company | Norton Young Readers via NetGalley. Pub Date Sep 09, 2025 ***** #review #goodreads #bookbub #ASpoonfuloftheSea by Hyewon Yum @yumhyewon @astrapublishinghouse #NetGalley #storygraph @librarythingofficial #childrensbookillustration #kidlit #Parenting #family #cooking #grandmothers @childrensbookcouncil #BooksForKids #tastesofhome #ChildrensBooks #mother#Korea #family #love #tradition #miyeokguk #asianpacificheritage #birthdayrituals #haenyeo #jeju #daughter #hyewonyum #newpicturebook #tasting #bookshop_org #bookshop_org_uk