'Many mothers ago, a haenyeo with a big belly saw a mother whale eating seaweed after she gave birth.'

This was such a lovely little read that explains the meaning and history behind making and serving miyeok-guk (seaweed soup) every year for a birthday meal. I love the idea of expectant mothers diving to get seaweed for soup to keep themselves and their babies healthy because whales do the same thing. The animal lover in me just adores that.

The illustrations are just precious and I loved the watercolour style! Definitely a great book for kids, especially if you want to emphasise the importance of family, nature, learning from animals, history and tradition.

On her birthday, a young girl is served a bowl of miyeokguk, or seaweed soup, instead of the cake she hoped for. As her mother gently shares the story behind the tradition, inspired by Korea’s haenyeo women and generations of mothers before them, the girl discovers a deeper connection to her heritage, the ocean, and the women who came before her.

This is a tender and heartfelt story with calming, peaceful illustrations that make it perfect for a quiet and meaningful story time with little ones. At first, the birthday girl is less than thrilled with her unusual meal, but through her mother’s storytelling, she uncovers the beautiful cultural roots behind the soup. The book is rich with Korean family traditions, glimpses of sea life, and the powerful connection between motherhood and nature. It’s a lovely reminder that even the simplest rituals can hold generations of love and meaning. Beautifully done.

A heartwarming story about the powerful bond between a mother and daughter. Full of love, strength, and independence—it's a beautiful reminder for little girls that family is where our true power begins.

What an amazing story, and the illustrations are unlike any I have seen in children's books. I would love to see this get recognition as a Caldecott nominee!! I recently learned of Haenyeo, women divers in Korea who carry on a tradition that goes back many generations. The history of seaweed soup is fascinating, and I love the mother-daughter connections.

I highly recommend this book for schools, libraries, mothers and daughters. This was one of my favorite picture books of the year!

What a beautiful celebration of mothers, daughters, history, and Korean tradition.

Our story starts with a little girl's fifth birthday. Instead of a cake or cupcakes, her mother brings her a bowl of briny seaweed soup; what a disappointment! But her mother soon explains the centuries-old tradition of miyeok-guk (seaweed soup) given to mothers to celebrate birth, and how the tradition started after one of the haenyeo (sea women who ventured deep into the ocean to collect things like shells, clams, octopus, and seaweed) came across a new mother whale eating seaweed.

This is a heartfelt story with gorgeous illustrations - the art of the whale and grandmothers in her bowl of miyeok-guk is now a new favorite! Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of A Spoonful of the Sea.

This is a wonderful book about a five-year-old girl excited to celebrate her fifth birthday.

To her dismay, her mother serves her miyeokguk, seaweed soup—instead of the cake she wants.

As she wonders why she's eating soup instead of delicious cake, her mom tells her a beautiful origin story about how the tradition of eating seaweed soup came to be.

This is a heartwarming tale about the bond between mothers and daughters and a reminder of one's cultural heritage and to honor those who came before you.

A Spoonful of the Sea (Hardcover)
by Hyewon Yum
A multicultural book. This book shows that sometimes our cultural practices in our family has a hidden meaning. The young daughter is sad she has to eat homemade seaweed soup for her birthday. Until her mother shares the wonderful family story that connects the family to the sea. A great way to show children that learning the history of their family makes the things they do special.
The water color artwork is phenomenal and adds to the cultural aspect to the story. Showing children things were not always as they are now.