How My Parents Learned to Eat
Written by: Ina R. Friedman
Illustrated by: Allen Say
Grade Level: 1st – 6th
Have you ever wondered how other cultures learn to adapt to a culture not their own? Is it possible that eating traditions and utensils that are used are differently in the homes of your peers and around the world? This story is about a Japanese woman who only knows Japanese eating traditions and eating with chopsticks and an American man who only knows American eating traditions and eating with a fork, knife, and a spoon. They hang out often but they never go out to eat with each other because they don’t know each other’s eating culture.
The following picture book depicts two different cultures eating customs. It shows American and Chinese customs. An American sailor courts a young Japanese woman and each tries, in secret, to learn the other's way of eating. They struggled to understand each other’s ways yet till fall in lobe and later marry. This book brings American and Japanese food cultures to life bringing diversity to the classroom and expanding diverse cultural knowledge to students. It's a wonderful depiction of diversity, showing children that superficial differences in cultures don't really mean much and shouldn't get in the way of people appreciating each other.
Throughout the book it seems that the cultural aspects are portrayed accurately. Also Diversity exists among the member of each cultural group portrayed. Each member of an ethnic group has slightly different facial features. Groups of people do not appear to have identical faces in illustrations; they look like individuals. This story has a well-developed plot, setting, and characters. There is distinctive use of composition, color, and perspective in the illustrations.
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