A fascinating (and hunger-inducing!) brief history of the fortune cookie -- from its origins in San Francisco and its rise to popularity during WWII to its enduring legacy as a lucky after-dinner event. Despite this being a book about a yummy treat, it doesn't shy away from America's history of Japanese internment camps and how those horrific events even affected something like the history of the fortune cookie.

The illustrations are dynamic and engaging, and I love the little cultural details. Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

It never occurred to me to wonder where fortune cookies come from, but it's an interesting and surprising story. There was a lot of history, actually, but it's all presented in such an easy, understandable way and the framing story with the family having dinner is so sweet.

Fortune Cookies for Everyone by Mia Wenjen and illustrated by Colleen Kong-Savage

This is the story of the origin of the fortune cookie. I was surprised to learn that the original recipe called for miso not the sweet fortune cookies of today.
The illustrations in the book are colorful and pleasing. The story will hold the interest of older children. I like the story is told by the grandmother to her grandchildren.
The addition of the illustrators notes in the back are a fun and informative read, as is the glossary.
I love passing on different true stories to my granddaughter about different customs and how things are made from all countries so she can understand and respect them.
This is a must have at school libraries.

This was such a fascinating, heartwarming, and beautiful story of the origin of fortune cookies. Readers may be surprised to learn they were invented in China. However, the roots of the cracker wrapped around a fortune are Japanese, and the author has researched to find out more about the baker who first invented the cookie and changed the flavor to a vanilla/butter flavor.

I really enjoyed reading this book, especially because it doesn't shy away from difficult topics like the Japanese concentration camps during WWII. This is such a thoughtful book with unique details that will be enjoyed by readers.

I highly recommend this book for schools and libraries.

After enjoying some Chinese takeout for dinner, Grandma Miyako sits down with her grandchildren, Kenji and Keiko, to share the origin story of the fortune cookie. Aided by her scrapbook, Grandma recounts her childhood memories of visiting the Japanese Tea Garden in San Francisco, and of Makoto Hagiwara, who first served fortune cookies alongside the tea. As the cookies grow in popularity, Hagiwara seeks help from a Japanese baker named Suyeichi Okamura, who sweetens the recipe and offers them for sale at the bakery as well. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, however, both Grandma's and Okamura's families were forced to leave their homes and relocate to internment camps; after the war, they returned home to find their bakery equipment missing, and fortune cookies at Chinese restaurants a big hit with American soldiers. Grandma goes on to detail a mock trial that took place years later in an attempt to clarify whether Los Angeles or San Francisco was home to the first fortune cookie, and she also tells Kenji and Keiko about a Japanese cookie called tsujiura senbe that may have inspired Hagiwara.

In exploring the unique origin story of the fortune cookie, Wenjen also explores the impact of Japanese internment and systemic racism on immigrant communities, as well as the lasting ways in which the cultures of immigrants to the United States make their way into American history and culture too. The result is a compelling tale that will engage young readers in a variety of ways and invite discussion and/or instruction on a variety of topics. Kong-Savage's mixed-media collage illustrations are spectacular, adding layered and richly textured visuals to Grandma's story and giving observant readers much to pore over. What's more, they are composed such that the protagonists actually enter into Grandma's memories and photographs, which invites the reader into the story in a wonderfully unexpected way. Back matter includes notes from both the author and illustrator, as well as a glossary of key terms important to the text.

This book talks about the founding of the fortune cookie. The grandma is telling her grandkids over a meal and we get a lot of history throughout the story. The illustrations are really beautiful too. Such a good book to share and to talk about history and food.

Thanks NetGalley for this review copy.

Fortune Cookies for Everyone!* by Mia Wenjen is a truly special picture book that blends a warm family story with an engaging historical mystery. The illustrations by Colleen Kong-Savage are vibrant, using a beautiful mix of media and Japanese design motifs that enrich the narrative.

The story is told by Grandma Miyako, who shares the surprising origins of the fortune cookie with her grandchildren over a takeout meal. The book does a wonderful job of celebrating immigrant history, creativity, and the pursuit of the American dream. It even touches upon the challenging history of Japanese American concentration camps during WWII, handling complex topics with grace for young readers.

My 5 year old loved the mystery of who invented the cookie first, and I loved the powerful message of resilience and community. It's more than just a food history book; it's a heartfelt tribute to family, tradition, and shared stories. This is a five-star read that we'll cherish!

I love it when I read a children's book and I learn new information. The author's note and the glossary were nice touches, but where is the fortune cookie recipe that kids can try? This book would be good for a classroom lesson on history and food origins. I would recommend it.

I love books that combine food and history, especially a picture book that can be read aloud in a short time to my students. This is a great text to read during my immigration unit.

I received an electronic ARC from Publisher Spotlight | Red Comet Press through NetGalley.
Two grandchildren listen as their grandmother relates the history of fortune cookies. She knew the family who originally baked them for the creator. Readers journey through history from that time through the internment camps during World War II and on to the court case to decide whether San Francisco or Los Angeles could claim they were invented in their city.
I appreciate the illustrator's style as she drew the family watching the history unfold on each page spread. A fun and informative read.

I was immediately drawn to this book by its title. I went in knowing nothing about the origins of the fortune cookie, and I loved how it explores so many interesting topics—from the friendly rivalry over where the cookie was created (Los Angeles vs. San Francisco) to the Japanese internment camps during WWII. This is a must-read for curious children who enjoy learning about history, and it’s told in such a fun and engaging way. Even as an adult, I learned so much from this picture book!

This is a fascinating history book about where the fortune cookie came from. Spoiler, the answer is it is a variation on the Japanese cookies that one would get at temples, and had a savory, rather than sweet taste, called tsujiura senbei. I have always heard that the cookie was invented in San Francisco, but I hadn’t heard that it was by Japanese immigrants, rather than Chinese.


And the reason that we often don’t connect it with the Japanese is probably because the inventor, along with all the Japanese on the west coast of the United States were sent off to internment camps during WWII, and when they returned everything they had before had been sold or stolen, and was no longer around, including the press that the original inventor used to make the cookies.


There is a section at the end of the book, with a glossary, notes about how the pictures of the book were made, and how the author wanted to find out the true history of the cookie.


Wonderful book that I’m sure children will enjoy. Good to have a history book that is fun.


Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review. This book came out in October.