Happy Birthday Book, Two-List Thanksgiving by Christine Whan!

It's time for another book birthday! Today's read already nods toward the upcoming, holiday season and shoots into Thanksgiving. It might seem a bit early, but I'm taking this one as an inspiration for possible feats...because sometimes, planning starts early. I'm not sure how this one will flow, but it does involve two cultural meals for one holiday. Telling by the little girl on the cover, it means a lot of delicious food...and I'm always in for that.

So, let's take a look!

TWO-LIST THANKSGIVING

by Christine Whan

Illustrated Sienna Youngsun Kim

Beaming Books

Picture Book   /   Holiday

40 pages

A Korean American Thanksgiving story.

What does Thanksgiving dinner look like when both sides of the family come together? When it's time to shop for ingredients, a girl makes two lists--one for the local market and one for the Korean market! Carrots for japchae and turkey stuffing. Whipped cream for the pumpkin pie. Shrimp for pajeon, short ribs for galbi, and cinnamon for the yams. And don't forget the kimchi! Thanksgiving is going to be delicious!

Thanksgiving Day is full of food and family, football and conversation, and of course, giving thanks. By the end of the meal, she has a newfound love for her family's two distinct cultures.

Two-List Thanksgiving celebrates the beauty of blending traditions of all family backgrounds to create a truly multicultural holiday celebration.

GOODREADS    /    PUBLISHER

MY TIDBITS

Thanksgiving takes a bi-cultural twist with an enjoyable family and plenty of yummy foods.

A little girl sits down with her mother to create the Thanksgiving shopping list, but instead, of one list, she needs to write two. Half of her family settled into the United States many generations before, while the other half are fresher and hold close Korean roots. That means two sets of markets or stores, and tons of yummy possibilities. The results create an amazing Thanksgiving together.

My favorite aspect of this read is the illustrative work. Each page radiates love and family togetherness, while bringing across the cultural goodness in a visual way. The details make it enjoyable to gaze through each scene, and the emotions come across wonderfully. 

The tale flows well and begins, right away, with the meal planning. It happens naturally, and this comes across especially well as the various family members cook and prepare the meal together. The vocabulary works nicely for the intended age group and is kept short enough to work for more reluctant listeners. 

The ending wraps everything up with a wholesome atmosphere and demonstrates the warmth that Thanksgiving can bring. After this, there are two recipes, one from each half of the dinner, which listeners/readers can prepare with a bit of help and enjoy, too.

And here they are...

Christine Whan is a children's book author and former English teacher. She was born in Seoul, South Korea, and grew up in Ohio. She now lives in Los Angeles with her husband and three book-loving children. Two-List Thanksgiving is her debut picture book. Her favorite Thanksgiving food is kimchi.

Sienna Youngsun Kim is an illustrator and designer living in Los Angeles with her husband, daughter, and a small dog. She grew up in South Korea and has fond memories of family gatherings during Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving) and making Songpyeon (rice cakes that resemble the moon) with her family.