Hana brings her family together with a fusion meal -- Kimchi Gumbo. Hana has grandparents from Korea and from the South and is excited when she learns they will both be together at her house. She wants to serve them a special meal from her heart. She thinks hard about what to make and creates a meal including foods from both cultures -- rice, cornbread, and the star of the meal a Kimchi gumbo. At the end of the book is a recipe to make it yourself.

I enjoyed this book, the message it sends of creativity, acceptance, and acknowledging that multiracial families face different family dynamics. I hope to pick up a copies to share with friends that have different but similar family dynamics. Thank you for a wonderful book.

A Delightful Story
I really enjoyed this story. Except for the Korean terms, which are all explained at end, this is an easy story for children to read. The story itself is full of heart and love for family. The illustrations are perfect for the story. It made me laugh and smile when Hana takes turns singing and dancing with her family while she waits on her dish to finish cooking as I’ve seen my grandkids do the same. Our family includes biracial family, as well as a family member who lives in Korea, so this was particularly fun read for me. And I loved the recipe included at the end.

‘Seoul Food’ by Erin Danielle Russell is a delightful story that combines a heartwarming narrative with beautiful cultural elements. As someone who loves exploring different cultures and cuisines, this book was an absolute joy to read.

Plot: ★★★★★
The plot is utterly adorable. It’s a sweet and engaging story that beautifully blends the themes of family, culture, and food. The narrative flows smoothly and keeps readers hooked from beginning to end. It’s a perfect blend of humour, warmth, and cultural richness that will resonate with children and adults alike.

Character: ★★★★☆
The characters are wonderfully crafted and very sweet. It’s lovely to see the dynamics between them, and their interactions feel genuine and heartfelt. The protagonist’s journey is relatable and endearing, making it easy for readers to connect with them. The characters bring the story to life and add depth to the overall narrative.

Illustrations: ★★★★★
The illustrations are absolutely stunning. They perfectly complement the story, adding vibrant and colourful visuals that enhance the reader’s experience. The detailed and expressive artwork captures the essence of the characters and settings, making the story even more engaging and enjoyable.

Engagement: ★★★★☆
The engagement factor is excellent. The story is very relatable, especially for those who have an interest in different cultures or enjoy cooking. It captures the reader’s attention and maintains it throughout the book. The cultural elements and the inclusion of a recipe at the end add an extra layer of interest and interactivity.

Readability: ★★★★☆
The readability is great, with a wonderful read-aloud factor. The language is clear and accessible, making it an excellent choice for storytime with children. The narrative pace is just right, allowing readers to fully immerse themselves in the story without feeling rushed.

Enjoyment: ★★★★★
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The story is heartwarming and fun, and I loved seeing where it went. The combination of a delightful narrative, well-developed characters, and stunning illustrations made it a very enjoyable read. The inclusion of a recipe at the end is a fantastic touch, adding a practical element that readers can try out and enjoy.

‘Seoul Food’ by Erin Danielle Russell is a charming and delightful book that beautifully combines storytelling with cultural exploration. With its adorable plot, sweet characters, stunning illustrations, high engagement, great readability, and overall enjoyment, it’s a must-read. I love that the recipe is included at the end, and I will definitely have to test it out sometime. This book is a wonderful addition to any child’s library and a fantastic choice for anyone who enjoys heartwarming stories and cultural experiences. Highly recommended!

I would like to thank the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this eBook.

Seoul Food by Erin Danielle Russell is a cute book that celebrates food from two different cultures and how they could peacefully co-exist without any appropriation. The illustrations are adorable and kids will love it!

She doesn't get to visit with her grandparents very often because half of them live in South Korea where Asian Food is the way of things, and the other half live in South Carolina where Soul Food is king. It's fun being from two cultures, but what do you cook when both sets are coming for dinner?! Mom and dad have ideas but they just won't do, so something new is cooked and the recipe plus English interpretation of ingredients is included!
The illustrations by Tamisha Anthony are fun, evocative, appropriately colorful, and delightful.
Well suited for reading WITH someone of any age including ESL, and great for gifting to anyone, but especially to a school or your local public library!
I requested and received a free temporary e-book on Adobe Digital Editions from Erin Russell | Viking Books for Young Readers via NetGalley. Thank you!

What a fantastic picture book! "Seoul Food" captured my heart from the moment I read the synopsis. It follows Hana (a young girl who is half Korean and half Black) who is trying to figure out what to cook for when her Korean and Black grandparents come to visit her and her family for dinner. It's an amazing story about embracing one's biracial and bicultural identity and celebrating culture and bringing people together through yummy food.

I absolutely adored the illustrations and pictures in throughout the picture book. Lively and colourful, they will surely capture and engage whoever reads this.

The author also treats us at the end by sharing 'Hana's Recipe for Kimchi Gumbo'. She also includes a word pronunciation and definition guide at the end, a fantastic resource for readers who may be unfamiliar with the Korean or Southern food terms mentioned.

I'd definitely recommend "Seoul Food" to young readers out there, especially children who come from multicultural backgrounds and to teachers to have in their classroom!

pI really loved the art style, it was gorgeous. I imagine it in a physical copy and it must be beautiful. The story was entertaining, easy to read for a kid, with diversity and a nice message after you read.

I love finding fun, new, realistic picture books to read to my little children. They are a very appreciative audience, and picture books are meant to be shared. One that I found last week was Seoul Food. What an interesting play on the Southern expression of “soul food!” Because my little girls are interested in cooking, they loved this story.

Seoul Food is a delightful story about family and love, and how food can bind people together. I love the pictures of Hana’s family enjoying each other, singing and dancing together as they go about their preparations for the grandparents visiting. I’m not sure what I think about the recipe that Hana created, though. It looks quite different to anything I have ever made or eaten. Her grandparents’ comments are what matters, though. If you want a story about family and food, this is a great choice.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley, and these are my honest thoughts about it.

I really love the illustrations in this book, it shows culture thought out the book and fits with the text really well. I love the message in this book about cooking with love, makes food special. Hana wants to make a special meal for her grandparents who are from 2 differnt place in the world. In this book, she tries to find a meal that is perfect to fit her grandparents tastes. She makes her own dish which brings both sides of culture in her family into one. I love the last line in the book which is another heartwarming message, "love is the ingredient that brings us all together". At the end of the book there is a page about the words and how they are pronounced, what they are and where they come from, which i think is interesting to read about. There is also a recipe at the back which i like as it makes me want to make Hana's dish! This book will help children understand culture as well as the importance of food and how it brings people together, no matter how far away they are.

Thank you so much for letting me read this book, i think the message is really important for people to hear, and the illustrations are beautifully made.

A sweet little story about multicultural backgrounds and the ways that delicious food can bring us all together.

Delicious food and different cultures are fused together in this story about family.

Two sets of grandparents from two parts of the world are visiting. How can Hana make a dish they will all enjoy? Her parents try to help and give her lots of ideas but none of them feel right in her heart.

Hana takes her grandparents favorite foods and combines them into a kimchi gumbo. They all enjoy it and it’s a sweet moment of them all growing closer together.

A very cute picture books about diversity! I’m a big fan of Korean food, so i absolutely adore this book. Hana has grandparents with a different background, one from Korea and the other one from America. When all the families plan to have a dinner together, Hana has to think about what kind of foods will delight her grandparents!
Full of cute illustrations and will definitely recommend to children to learn about diversity.

A nice and sweet children's book with fun illustrations. It briefly shows of different cultures with food, which could be a good way to make children of those cultures feel seen but also a nice introduction for children outside of those cultures. It even contains a korean/soul food fusion recipe at the end that kids could make with their adults. Hence the name, Seoul Food.

This is a wonderful little story about Hana who has to decide what to make when her 4 grandparents come to dinner at the same time. Seems easy, but Hana wants to find a way to celebrate both cultures in a delicious way. Her mom tells her to follow her heart and do what makes her happy. She remembers her grandparents from the South and their gumbo, she remembers her grandparents from Seoul and the stew she ate with them. Follow her in this wonderful story that celebrates family, cultures and traditions. Discover the recipe she creates to make for her family. We loved the story and heart behind this adventure. The wonderful illustrations add to the warm and heartfelt feeling this story gives. Your family will treasure this story too.

This is such a beautiful book! A pure celebration of family, culture, diversity, food, and love!
Also, the art is gorgeous.
And at the end, there is a fusion-type Kimchi recipe. I’m really tempted to try recreating it in my kitchen.

An absolute winner; a winner of hearts, souls and tummy.
This is a cute book about family, richness of diversity, how food, especially, special food cooked from the heart gathers people, and it is inclusive.
Adorable pictures too. Heartwarming, timely, and fresh.

This book was really cute. It's a great depiction of growing up in a blend of cultures, which is the case for many, many kids in the US. I know for some kids, growing up split between two very different cultures (in this case Black and Korean) can be overwhelming or confusing, so I liked how this story celebrates it.

And kimchi gumbo? That kind of sounds like it would slap. Just saying.

The illustrations are delightful and dynamic as well, so kudos to the illustrator!

Seoul Food tells the story of Hana who has grandparents from South Carolina and South Korea. All her grandparents are coming for dinner, and Hana wants to make something everyone will like. However, her grandparents from South Carolina like gumbo while her grandparents from South Korea like kimchi-jjigae, and she has a hard time picking dinner. She then makes Seoul food - a kimchi gumbo, and everyone loves it. The book has beautiful illustrations and great messages about not giving up and love bringing a family together. The story ends with a guide on how to pronounce different words used in the book and their meaning as well as a recipe for Hana's Kimchi Gumbo, which are nice additions. Seoul Food is a great book for children with family from different cultures or children who like learning about other cultures.

I am just IN LOVE with this whole book! As a mixed race child, I had dishes (and family members) from different parts of the world with different cuisines. We would make Korean kimchee-jigae, Samoan pani popo, and Hawaiian kalua pork, among others. Every dish was special because it connected to culture. Hana's sweet gesture to make a dish combining everything she loves about American soul food and Korean food made my heart SING. As family gathers around food, what a beautiful way to show love for family by showing love for food.

The illustrations were so adorable and colorful!

Omg this book was adorable! These illustrations were so cute, I found myself smiling though every page I was reading! I love the story <3