Given that my son exclusively picks up non-fiction books at the library, I couldn’t have been happier when he chose to borrow “The Perfect Sushi”, marking his first foray into the world of fiction. Goes to show how cultural affinity influences our book choices. He not only loves eating tamago sushi, but also has a sushi train to boot.

“The Perfect Sushi” is a delightful immersion in Japanese culture. The protagonist, Miko, learns an invaluable lifelong lesson about imperfections as she embarks on making sushi for her granny’s birthday. The Japanese are known to be meticulous and exacting in their ways, and I resonated seamlessly with this emphasis on being kanpeki 完璧 because of my better half. As a result of her endeavour, Miko realises however that anything that we devote our kokoro 心to will be imbued with immeasurable value and tug at the heartstrings of those we love. Didn’t the phrase “perfect imperfections” come up in John Legend’s song? This book is a testament to this profound truth.

Just because this book explores a profound truth doesn’t mean that it is hard to read. I enjoyed soaking in the carefully selected words, in which similes and alliteration were used to great effect. Fun to read too. I’m half-considering getting my weak students to learn “We steam up like a rice cooker” by heart. Such were the delightful vibes that @emilyseowrites evokes in her book.