Hiromi's Hands

By Lynne Barasch
Published in 2007

Why we chose this book:
I am always keeping my eyes open for books featuring diverse cultures, and this book caught my attention because one of my best friends from grade school is named Hiromi. Reading the synopsis, I found that it sounded right up our alley. The publisher, Lee and Low, provided a review copy when I requested.

Mom's Review

Hiromi achieves her dream of becoming a sushi chef in this true story.

Hiromi introduces the reader to her father, describing his path to becoming a sushi chef in Japan. Some time after immigrating to the United States, he marries and his wife gives birth to Hiromi. The reader gets to know a young Hiromi who follows her dream of becoming a sushi chef. Although the profession is traditionally male, Hiromi's father encourages her and guides her to become an impressive chef.

T and I both enjoyed reading this. Two things really stood out to me. First, Hiromi's perseverance. She is intrigued by sushi from a young age. When she first asks to accompany her father to the fish market, he refuses. She repeats her request until he agrees, albeit reluctantly and conditionally. The condition is that she not speak, as he has business to conduct. At the fish market, Hiromi asks many questions. Her father does not respond at first, but soon comes to see the depth of her interest and does answer all of her questions. This leads into the second aspect of the story that stood out to me: her father's support. Although he was hesitant to give in to a child's whim, once he realized that it was no whim, he threw his full support behind her. He taught her everything he knew and ultimately took her on as an apprentice. Hiromi's persistence in achieving her goal, and her father's support, made this a very satisfying read.

Son's Review
(age 3)
Sometimes we read and chat about a book several times before I ask T his "official" review questions. This was one of those books, and I was interested to see how some of his thoughts changed over time, particularly with his attitude toward eating sushi.

During our first reading:
Mom: Would you want to try sushi? Where would you want to get some?

Son: Yeah. At a sushi shop.

T informed me that we were going to "read and review" this with lunch yesterday. So, here's his official review:

Mom: What did you think of the book? Did you have a favorite part?

Son: I like it. Where she got her own yanagi.

Mom: And how did it make you feel?

Son: Happy because she got her own yanagi. It means sushi chef. Yanagi means cut and sushi chefs cut.

Mom: What is something new you learned?

Son: That she had a yanagi.

T's dad walked in and joined us at this point.
Mom: What would you tell Daddy is the most important thing to know about this book?

Son: That she has her own yanagi. It's a knife.

Mom: Can you tell Daddy any more about the book?

Son: That it was true. I thought it was good, Daddy.

Mom: Would you want to meet Hiromi? What would you say to her?

Son: Yeah.  "I like your sushi. You make really good sushi." That is what I would say to Hiromi.

Mom: And does this book make you want to do anything?

Son: Cook sushi! Why did her dad say kids can't do sushi?

Mom: Well, kids don't really make sushi. She didn't make sushi until she was almost a grown-up.

Mom: Who should read this book?

Son: Someone who I know. Grandma. Or Grammy. Probably Grammy.

Mom: Can you tell Daddy anything else about the book or what you learned?

Son: She made sushi.

Dad: What is sushi?

Son: It is raw fish.

Dad: Would you eat that?

Son: No because I like cooked fish!