Families who loved Wish Soup A Celebration of Seollal by Junghwa Park often look for books with a similar feel. These 20 recommendations were selected for their similarity in style, theme, and reading level.
Reach for this book when your child is fixated on being a big kid or feels frustrated by the limits of their current age. It is a perfect selection for families celebrating Seollal or for any parent looking to introduce the concept of the Lunar New Year through the lens of a universal childhood desire: growing up. The story follows Sohee, who believes that eating tteokguk (rice cake soup) is the magical key to finally becoming a big girl. Through her journey, the book explores themes of patience, family tradition, and the joyful anticipation of a holiday. Appropriate for children ages 4 to 8, this book uses the specific Korean tradition of gaining a year on New Year's Day to anchor a relatable emotional arc. It is an excellent choice for building cultural literacy and self-confidence. Parents will appreciate how it validates a child's ambition while celebrating the warmth of multigenerational family connections and the ritual of preparing a traditional meal together.
