Ma Mon Luk left China and everything he knew behind to seek his fortune in the Philippines. Desperate to earn a living—and the approval of the parents of the woman he loved—he created a chicken noddle soup he called mami—”ma” for his name and “mi” for noodles. Peddling it as a street vendor, he earned enough money to open his own restaurant and returned to China to find his true love waiting. Mami King: How Ma Mon Luk Found Love, Riches, and the Perfect Bowl of Soup by Jacqueline Chio-Lauri and illustrated by Kristin Sorra tells his story.
Today illustrator Kristin Sorra joins us to share how she created such rich art for this picture book. Read on to find some initial sketches and to download the free activity guide!
What drew you to this manuscript?
I am Filipino-American, so I loved that it is an immigrant’s story set in the Philippines. I didn’t grow up with books like this and I know it would have made a difference if I did. Ma was also someone to be admired. He persevered for love despite obstacles and lived a life of gratitude and generosity. They certainly were values instilled in me by my own parents who immigrated to the U.S.
Where did you gather inspiration for this story?
Aside from the old photos, I loved seeing the clothing and dress worn. I gathered inspiration from objects, items, and clothing that existed at the time and tried to play up the line, shape, pattern, and textures of all these elements. I wanted the colors to have some patina to it, because it took place one hundred years ago. I looked at historical old paintings and charts and soaked it all up.
How did you choose the style for this book?
My style does tend to change a bit, but I had a promotional piece that my editor, Carol, was drawn to. It incorporated skewed perspectives, softer textures and toned down colors. Even though this is a story set in the 1920’s, I wanted to keep it feeling contemporary for readers. My main goal was to keep details accurate while feeling fresh and current.
What were some of the biggest challenges you faced while working on this manuscript?
I was most challenged in the research. I put the pressure on myself. I really scoured for photos that helped to show streets that Ma would have walked. I tried to capture the general style and feeling of the time. I even researched the style of ship he would have traveled on. I think researching the period details took about the same time for me, if not more, to sketch out the book.
What did you learn while illustrating this book?
So much. Both with the gathered historical information of the Philippines, and also personally. After researching all the places Ma Wen-lu walked, it opened my eyes to the architecture of the time, a lot of which I hadn’t seen during my own visits to Manila, since much of it was no longer around. I loved seeing the clothing of the time and I learned Manila was home to the oldest Chinatown in the world. It was fascinating to dive into this time period, and I’ve never really read a lot about its history until now, except in the context of American history. And personally speaking, I learned that Ma Mon Luk restaurant was a big part of my parent’s story. That was a giant revelation. I hadn’t known that when I first accepted the manuscript. My parents frequented the restaurant before immigrating to the US. When I learned that tidbit of information, I was already well-invested, but I was even more motivated to make the art that much more special.
Original Sketches
Kristin’s art went through many stages to reach the final, colorful spreads you see in the book. Take a look at some of the initial sketches and drafts below.
Praise for Mami King
“A savory success story.” — Booklist
“As heartwarming and satisfying as a bowl of noodle soup.” — Kirkus Reviews
“A resourceful young man employs his cooking skills to make his fortune and assist others in this lively biography of entrepreneur Ma Mon Luk.” — Publishers Weekly
“An absolutely wonderful and inspiring story, beautifully illustrated. So much depth, so many layers! But at its core, this is fundamentally a story about the enduring power of love and how that helped Ma Mon Luk to achieve the impossible…A valuable addition to any bookshelf.”—Emma Pearl, author of Mending the Moon and Saving the Sun
Educator Resources
Download this free activity guide to use in the classroom before and after reading!
Connect with Kristin
Kristin Sorra is an award-winning children’s book illustrator. Her parents immigrated from the Philippines to Baltimore, MD, where she was born. She earned her degree in Illustration from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY, graduating with highest honors, after which she co-owned a digital coloring house that catered to comic book publishers. She illustrated for magazines, online games, hang tags, posters, stationery, textiles, and even designed Halloween costumes. Kristin lives in New York’s Hudson Valley, with her family.
Find more amazing authors and illustrators on the Lerner blog!