• Age: 4 to 9
• Grade: p to 4

"A sweet story that reminds readers to always put their hearts into whatever they do" -- Kirkus Reviews

Miko likes things to be perfect. She folds her clothes like origami. She always paints inside the lines and writes each character neatly and carefully. When Miko decides to make sushi for her grandmother's birthday, it comes out looking lopsided and just not right. It's so frustrating! So, she decides to replace it with perfectly formed sushi created by a restaurant robot. But when she delivers her gift, Miko discovers that kokoro (heart) - not perfection - is the key ingredient to a perfect present.

• A do-it-yourself sushi recipe included at the back
• Sprinkled with engaging onomatopeia
• A read-aloud for kids who want to do everything perfectly all the time

Emily Satoko Seo's profile page

Mique Moriuchi's profile page

Emily Satoko Seo, a Japanese Canadian chemist turned children’s book author, writes about food, culture, science and nature. She currently lives in Vancouver, Canada with her husband and two young children and enjoys making homemade sushi with her family. Emily has also written The Science of Boys and Our World: Japan.

Mique Moriuchi spent her most memorable childhood years in Japan between the ages of seven and ten. Mique currently works as a primary school librarian, children’s book illustrator and occasional lopsided sushi maker with her partner and their two children in Bedford, UK. Her illustrations are created by hand, using collage and acrylic paint.

“A sweet story that reminds readers to always put their hearts into whatever they do” – Kirkus Reviews

“A Japanese child’s desire to get things just right for her grandmother’s birthday becomes a lesson in what truly matters in Seo’s quietly heartfelt story” – Publishers Weekly

“The message of family and food and the importance of doing something from the heart is loud and clear, and the illustrations are so lovely” – School Library Journal