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The Mochi Makers, written and illustrated by Sharon Fujimoto-Johnson, portrays the author’s family mochi-making tradition.

What I liked:

• I really love it when I come across another nikkei author whose work feels so familiar. I felt this the most in the small details in Fujimoto-Johnson’s illustrations that were echoes of home to me, like the way the characters dress or how the kitchen looks.
• There was a lot of pink in this book! Does Fujimoto-Johnson like pink? I like pink. I don’t usually think of sakura mochi when I think of mochitsuki, but I definitely felt a quasi-hanami vibe from Fujimoto-Johnson’s palette. I also like ohagi, so yay for that reference!

What I learned:

• I’ve only ever made mochi with a machine (and I’ve seen it pounded by hand), so I hadn’t really thought about the logistics of making it in a rice cooker. It makes sense, though I wonder if a large batch can be made in a rice cooker. That said, maybe a smaller batch is better if there are only two people in the kitchen. We have a lot more people at our family mochitsuki – we need all the hands to roll the mochi before it gets hard. Come to think of it, I’ve never asked our family friends, who are nikkei (including multiracial nikkei), if they feel any sort of connection to Japanese culture from participating in mochitsuki every year. Same with some of my cousins (they are multiethnic nikkei and, I think, probably more familiar with their Chinese heritage) – I’ve never asked if they come to mochitsuki to retain a connection to their Japanese heritage.

Questions I had:

• Did Fujimoto-Johnson envision a particular audience for this book? It felt a bit like how a nikkei kid and their parent might explain mochitsuki to a classroom full of predominantly non-nikkei students. At the same time, I enjoyed the story as a nikkei reader who was already familiar with the content. I actually think this book would flow well in Japanese – has Fujimoto-Johnson considered writing a Japanese version?

Follow-up:

• I believe Fujimoto-Johnson has another picture book coming out, so I’ll be on the lookout!