Ina R. Friedman

There are two reasons that I liked the book “How My Parents Learned to Eat” by Ina R. Friedman. I liked that this multicultural story was told in first person from a young girls point of view because young readers may relate to her situation. “In our house, some days we eat with chopsticks and some days we eat with knives and forks. For me, it’s natural” This is a great way for readers to learn about interracial families and how they mix cultures. Along with the book being in first show more person, the characters are believable and well developed. Their feelings and thoughts match realistic present day people. The big idea in this story is diversity and the acceptance of mixing cultures. show less

This is an endearing story of how an American sailor and a Japanese schoolgirl learn to eat with the other's utensils. I enjoyed hearing how both of them, behind the other's back, sought advice so that they could share a meal together and make the other feel more comfortable. I enjoyed the illustrations too, and have become a fan of Allen Say's work.

Summary:
How My Parents Learned to Eat, is told from the perspective of a little girl, as she tells us how her parents met. She explains that in her house they often eat with a knife and fork, but also with chopsticks, because her dad was an American naval officer, and her mom was a Japanese school girl. Her parents started talking and meeting regularly, until one day her dad wanted to ask her mother to marry him. The only thing holding him back, was that they had never shared a meal show more together. Her dad was to ashamed, because he didn’t know how to eat with chopsticks, and her mother was ashamed because she didn’t know how to eat like an American. Eventually, her parents agreed to learn the customs of each other’s cultures, and were later married. The girl is diverse in both the customs of Japanese cuisine, as well as American, and she lets the reader into both worlds.

Personal Reaction:
When I was younger, I always loved watching Reading Rainbow in the classroom, and I remembered seeing and reading this book when I was younger. I thought the love story that the little girl was sharing about her parents, was a quirky and beautiful story, and a great representation of not only a relationship, but of multiculturism in literature. The hand drawn illustrations, pop on the white pages, and I think add a great tone to the story. Also, I love learning through food, because experiencing different cuisines from around the world, is a great way to learn about different cultures. I liked how the story brought two different worlds together, and entwined them for the reader to experience them together. This book appeals to the romantic and family girl in me, and is an overall great story.

Extension Ideas:
This book is a great book to use as a social studies lesson on either America or Japan. After reading the story to my class, one thing I would do, is to have the children explore eating their snacks using chop sticks, and then with a fork. The hands on experiment with the different tools, will help to develop their fine motor skills, but more importantly will help in the understanding of differences in the two cultures. Another fun activity that I would want to do with my class, is to create their own compare and contrast chart. On one side of a construction paper the children can illustrate how they eat in their home (the utensils, and food), then on the other side as a class we will illustrate the customs we learned from the book about Japan. show less

This is cute, sweet, story. John and Aiko love each other but are worried about embarrassing the other, because John doesn't know how to use chopsticks and Aiko doesn't know how to use a fork and knife. To see them attempt to learn to other person's ways is endearing and fun. I love the mix of culture and romance. Allen Say does an excellent job of illustrating the story - soft colors and lovely detail. I highly recommend this book for kids - with it's humor and good lesson, I think most show more kids will enjoy it. show less