- Overview
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This original children's book tells the story of a master soy sauce artisan and a pot full of thousand-year-old starter soy sauce that has been treasured for generations. By doing so, this book informs us of the value of tradition.
- Book Intro
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Honga's grandmother is an artisan soy sauce maker who refuses to tell anyone the secret to making her amazing soy sauce. On the other hand, Honga's father insists that they should share such valuable knowledge with more people, and hosts a group of Honga's classmates for a workshop where they can learn how to make fermented soybeans. On the day of the event, Honga heads into a secret forbidden zone in the house, together with her classmates. While there, someone ends up breaking a large jar containing starter soy sauce. Who broke the jar? Has the thousand-year-old soy sauce been lost forever?
This book tells the story of an artisan food maker and her family, and the imaginative storytelling crosses over between fantasy and reality to make for a fun read. The author, Lee Kyeong Soon, has insightfully developed her characters and tells a compelling story with richness and depth. The fantasy that Honga experiences in a bamboo forest are quite unique and mysterious, while at the same time urges the speed of the thousand-year-old history along. This book will allow young readers to learn more about the wisdom and spirit of our ancestors, as contained in our traditional sauces, and cherish the beauty of keeping traditions alive.
- About the Author
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Lee Kyeong Soon
Lee was born in the hillside village of Hamyang in Gyeongnam Province and studied creative writing and Korean literature at university. Her first work of fiction, Goguryeo's Ancient Tomb Murals, won the Samsung Literary Award in 1997 and launched her career as a children's book author. Her books include Strange Frost, Yellow Notes, and Ttolbok Is Back.
Kim Eon-Hee
Kim studied Western painting in university and attended HILLS where she studied illustration. Since then she has worked as a professional illustrator. Her illustrations can be found in Three Lies, Hunminjeongum: Record Culture of Hangeul, Help Yum Yum Chef!, and more.