Mami King

How Ma Mon Luk Found Love, Riches, and the Perfect Bowl of Soup

  • Interest Level: Grade 2 - Grade 5
  • Reading Level: Grade 3

Rejected by the parents of the girl he loves for being poor, Ma Mon Luk strikes out from China and boards a steamship headed for the Philippines in 1918.

He vows to make a fortune and return for his beloved. Ma creates a chicken noddle soup he calls mami—"ma" for his name and “mi” for noodles—and peddles it as a street vendor. He eventually earns enough to open his own restaurant and wins the approval of the parents of his true love. Joyful illustrations from award-winning illustrator Kristin Sorra and heartwarming text from debut picture book author Jacqueline Chio-Lauri blend together to create a delicious story about creativity, perseverance, and the perfect bowl of soup. Satisfy your hunger with this Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection!

“A savory success story.”—Booklist

“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.

Format Your Price Add
978-1-7284-9235-3
$14.99
979-8-7656-1914-8
$24.99
979-8-7656-4911-4
$34.99
979-8-7656-4913-8
$6.99
Available at all major wholesalers and distributors. Save 25% off list price on hardcovers and ebooks when you buy direct! Digital purchases will be accessed on Lerner Digital Bookshelf. An account will be created for you after purchase.
Interest Level Grade 2 - Grade 5
Reading Level Grade 3
Genre Picture Books, Social Studies
Category 5 Kinds of Nonfiction, 5KN: Narrative Nonfiction, Biography, Diverse Books: Immigration & Refugees, Diverse Books: #OwnVoices, Diverse Books: Race & Ethnicity, Diverse Books: Social Class, Diverse Books: Social Justice, Diversity, SEL: C Social Awareness, SEL: D Relationship Skills, SEL: E Responsible Decision-Making, Social Emotional Learning
Copyright 2024
Publisher Lerner Publishing Group
Imprint Millbrook Press ™
Language English
Number of Pages 32
Publication Date 2024-04-02
Text Type Narrative Nonfiction
BISACS JNF007050, JNF014000, JNF038020
Dewey 647.95092 [B]
Dimensions 9.25 x 11
Guided Reading Level Q
Features Author/Illustrator biography, Author/Illustrator note, Bibliography/further reading, Original artwork, Reviewed, Teaching Guides, and eSource

Reviews

School Library Journal

“A captivating story of love, determination, and the power of following one’s passion . . . this book exemplifies the human spirit and is perfect for readers from first grade up.”—School Library Journal

Children's Literature Comprehensive Database (CLCD)

“Sorra’s digitally rendered illustrations have a cinematic feel, full of details and expression. . . This is an excellent addition to picture book biography collections. Reviewer Rating: 4”—Children’s Literature

Kirkus Reviews

“As heartwarming and satisfying as a bowl of noodle soup.”—Kirkus Reviews

Ambeth R. Ocampo

“History at its core must tell a good story and using the senses is one way to make the narrative and imagination move forward. Fortunately, there are stories of our history that are told in delicious ways. Mami King is one of them.”—Ambeth R. Ocampo, Horacio de la Costa Professor in History & the Humanities, Ateneo de Manila University

Publishers Weekly

“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

Emma Pearl

“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.

Booklist

“A savory success story.”—Booklist