Home › Books for Ages 4–8 › Magic Ramen: The Story of Momofuku Ando (a Mouth-Watering Picture Book Biography about the Invention of Instant Ramen for Kids Ages 4-8)
  • Magic Ramen: The Story of Momofuku Ando (a Mouth-Watering Picture Book Biography about the Invention of Instant Ramen for Kids Ages 4-8) by Andrea Wang book cover
  • Magic Ramen: The Story of Momofuku Ando (a Mouth-Watering Picture Book Biography about the Invention of Instant Ramen for Kids Ages 4-8) by Andrea Wang book cover
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Magic Ramen: The Story of Momofuku Ando (a Mouth-Watering Picture Book Biography about the Invention of Instant Ramen for Kids Ages 4-8)

by Andrea Wang

The story behind instant ramen

$17.09 USD
$28.49 USD $17.09 USD
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AlbakiReads Editorial

The story behind instant ramen

Set in postwar Japan, this picture-book biography connects the scarcity of ramen with Momofuku Ando’s efforts to create a quicker, more convenient noodle soup. The narrative centers on his repeated experiments in a backyard shed and the persistence involved in developing the food that became instant ramen. Andrea Wang presents the invention as both a practical response to hunger and a story about how an idea takes shape through trial and error. The book offers young readers a historical account of a familiar food, pairing the subject of invention with the circumstances that inspired Ando’s work.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • Children ages 4–8 interested in food and its history
  • Young readers curious about inventions and how they are developed
  • Families or educators seeking a picture-book biography set in postwar Japan

Themes

InventionPersistence and experimentationFood and hungerPostwar Japan

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

World War II was over, but in Japan, lines for a simple bowl of ramen noodles wound down the sidewalk. What Momofuku Ando did next would change food forever. Andrea Wang, author of Watercress (a Newberry honor book and winner of the Caldecott Medal), tells the true story behind the creation of one of the world's most popular foods.

"An inspiring story of persistence and an ideal purchase for any collection." School Library Journal, STARRED review

2021 Nutmeg Book Awards Nominee

Winner of the 2020 Sakura Award

Read Across America Book of the Month, May 2021

Center for Multicultural Children's Literature Best Book of 2019 List

Smithsonian Magazine '10 Best Children's Books of 2019′ List

Every day, Momofuku Ando would retire to his lab--a little shed in his backyard. For years, he'd dreamed about making a new kind of ramen noodle soup that was quick, convenient, and tasty for the hungry people he'd seen in line for a bowl on the black market following World War II. Peace follows from a full stomach, he believed.

Day after day, Ando experimented. Night after night, he failed. But Ando kept experimenting.

With persistence, creativity, and a little inspiration, Ando succeeded. This is the true story behind one of the world's most popular foods.
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