"The world is peaceful only when everyone has enough to eat."
Ages: 5 - 8
Grade Level: Preschool - 3
Location: Osaka, Japan
Pages: 40
Time Period: 1946 - 1958
The long line of tired people snaked its way around the corner. What are they waiting for? wondered Momofuko Ando, shoving his hands deeper in his pockets to protect them from the biting cold. It was after World War II and Osaka lay in ruins. People scrounged to find what they could to eat. When Ando discovered what was at the end of the line, it saddened him - A black market stall serving small bowls of overpriced ramen. As Ando walked away, the image of those people burned in his mind and he vowed that "food would be his life's work." Ten years later, Ando decided to create a dish, one that would be "quick to make, nutritious, and tasty in order to feed the hungry." Wonderful art, a compassionate food inventor, and a tale of perseverance await readers of Magic Ramen: The Story of Momofuko Ando by Andrea Wang.
The back content is as entertaining as the rest of the book. There is an "Author's Note" speaking of a Japanese tradition, a "Pronunciation Guide," and an "Afterward" that has more details about this inventor plus the "afterward" of the creation of this dish.
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Content Warnings
Content that some individuals may find controversial or objectionable. Attention was given to include content which may offend people of a particular culture, race or religion and details which the sensitive child may find unsettling or troublesome.
"No Spoilers" offers a summary of content issues while avoiding spoilers. "With Spoilers" lists the potential content issues in detail.
In Summary (No Spoilers):
References to starvation.
In Detail (Spoilers):
+Other
The book explains how "the poor ate grass and bark to survive" and that "orphans scrounged through garbage for something to eat."
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