Wish Soup

A Celebration of Seollal

Author: Junghwa Park

Hardcover

The North American author-illustrator picture book debut from Jungwha Park about the Korean celebration of Seollal, or Lunar New Year, and one eight-year-old's quest to eat enough bowls of rice cake soup to become a "big girl."

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Summary

Description

Celebrate Korean Lunar New Year and join one child's quest to eat enough bowls of soup to become a "big girl!"

Sohee's favorite part of Seollal is tteokguk-the special Korean rice cake soup traditionally only enjoyed on New Year's Day. Each bowl is said to make the person who eats it one year older. This year, Sohee wants to eat as many bowls as she can to finally be an eonni, or "big girl," to her younger siblings and cousins. Before Sohee can even get to her first bowl, though, she's interrupted by a series of holiday-related chores, leaving plenty of opportunity for her mischievous younger sister Somi to eat not only Sohee's tteokguk, but their whole family's! Despite this outrageously silly setback, Sohee eventually learns that being a big girl is more than just how many bowls of tteokguk you eat.

This funny story of a child's journey to discover what it really means to be a big girl explores the traditions of Korean Lunar New Year and the value of family and helpfulness.

Critic Reviews

Praise for Wish Soup:
A Book Riot Best New Children's Book of December 2023
"A fun story focusing on sibling holiday high jinks. Recommended for all holiday collections."--School Library Journal
"This charming book invites readers into Seollal traditions with a quirky plot, cute illustrations, and a recipe for tteokguk."

--Booklist

"Across expressive digitally finished watercolor, colored pencil, and oil pastel spreads, Park's solo debut guides readers through the celebration's traditions."--Publishers Weekly
"Park's textured lines and colors, as well as the characters' exaggerated expressions, marry perfectly with the simple narration, evoking a sense of childlike charm and innocence...A delectable and endearing celebration."--Kirkus

About the Author

Junghwa Park is a Korean-born American immigrant and artist living in Jersey City, New Jersey. She graduated with a BFA in Illustration from School of Visual Arts in 2014 and was the Grand Prize Winner of SCBWI's Winter 2020 Portfolio Showcase. She has collaborated with Pottery Barn, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, Poetry Foundation and more. Junghwa's published works include Pow! Kids's While Grandpa Naps by Naomi Danis, which went on to appear in the New York Times; Korean publisher Who's Got My Tail's Bunnybee; and Putnam's12 Days of Kindness by Irene Latham. Wish Soup is her North American author-illustrator debut. You can visit her at jungwhapark.com.