The Mochi Makers

by Sharon Fujimoto-Johnson, Sharon Fujimoto-Johnson (Illustrator)

Overview

A girl and her grandmother spend the day making mochi together in this gentle and joyous “storytelling treat” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) celebrating family, tradition, and the memories that matter most.

Emi and Obaachan are making mochi. It’s a recipe that’s been passed down for generations. Obaachan brought it with her when she first came to America from Japan and now, Emi is about to become her family’s newest mochi maker!

They mix and pound and twist and wrap. The Japanese rice cakes are sticky and chewy, colorful and tasty, and—most importantly—made with love. For Emi and Obaachan, making mochi becomes a way to remember those they’ve lost, make lots of new memories, and have a fun and family-filled day.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781665931540
Publisher:	Beach Lane Books
Publication date:	03/19/2024
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	620,017
Product dimensions:	10.00(w) x 11.20(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Sharon Fujimoto-Johnson is a Japanese American author-illustrator who grew up in both America and Japan. She now lives in California in a house filled with three generations of family, two languages, and countless books and art supplies. She’s the author-illustrator of The Mochi Makers and Shell Song. Visit her at SharonFJ.com.

Sharon Fujimoto-Johnson is a Japanese American author-illustrator who grew up in both America and Japan. She now lives in California in a house filled with three generations of family, two languages, and countless books and art supplies. She’s the author-illustrator of The Mochi Makers and Shell Song. Visit her at SharonFJ.com.

Editorial Reviews

"Each step of this tasty story glows with joy and kindness, punctuated by rich sensory language.... A storytelling treat to be savored among family."—Kirkus Reviews, *STARRED* review "2/1/2024"

From the Publisher

★ 2024-01-05
A Japanese American grandmother and child cook, pound, pat, and munch yummy mochi!

Endpapers hint at the treat that the child and Obaachan decide to make together, using a long-standing, matrilineal recipe. With Obaachan’s “strong, wrinkled hands” and the child’s “small, quick ones”—and their whole hearts—they prepare the rice (spilling only a few grains!). While it cooks, Obaachan tells the story of how she came to America, and the two play cards and sip green tea. Soon it’s time to put the rice in a mixer, “which pounds it into a sticky mound,” and pat rice balls into flat cakes. They fill some mochi with sweet red bean paste, coat others in soybean powder, fold strawberries into others, and then prepare boxes to share with friends and family. The child says that mochi is how this family shares love, traditions, and gratitude. Each step of this tasty story glows with joy and kindness, punctuated by rich sensory language. Digital collage illustrations, dominated by the same pastel pinks as the mochi, use mixed media (including cloth that Fujimoto-Johnson’s own grandmother embroidered) to immerse readers in a warm, cozy home environment. Obaachan and the child remember Ojiichan (Grandpa), who appears to be deceased, and his love of mochi. An author’s note describes the autobiographical aspects of the story and offers background on this Japanese treat and a recipe to make it at home.

A storytelling treat to be savored among family. (Picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews