Fortune Cookies for Everyone: The surprising story of the tasty treat we love to eat Book Review for Read Your World Day 2026

Fortune Cookies for Everyone: The surprising story of the tasty treat we love to eat
Written by Mia Wenjen
Illustrated by Colleen Kong Savage
Published by Red Comet Press/Smithsoonian 2025
Review written by Eve Panzer, The Barefoot Librarian, for Read Your World Day 2026
The fortune cookie, a widely recognized dessert served at Chinese restaurants across America, has a surprising history. We all know we will get a fortune cookie for dessert with our bill or in our Chinese take-out food bag. And, admit it, we are all eager to see what our fortune will say. But have you ever been curious about the origins of the fortune cookie? Well, if you have this book, Fortune Cookies for Everyone, will help satisfy your curiosity.
The book begins with an illustration of a cracked-open fortune cookie containing the fortune: “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” And so the story of the fortune cookie’s journey begins, using a Japanese American family and their history as the vehicle to tell its surprising tale. As the Japanese family sits down to a Chinese takeout meal, the grandmother shares her childhood memories to explain how the fortune cookie started in the United States.
The first myth-buster revealed is that fortune cookies are not even Chinese in origin! They were originally snacks, not desserts, popular in Japanese culture. They became associated with Chinese culture when served in Chinese restaurants in the United States. But guess what, Japanese owners ran these Chinese restaurants. The Japanese felt some of their cuisine, such as sushi, would be too different for American tastes, while Chinese food would be more appealing to Americans. Hard to believe today when sushi is so popular in America!
In a child-appropriate way, the author also references an often-hidden dark chapter in American history when Japanese Americans were detained in concentration camps during WWII. Despite many Japanese restaurant owners being imprisoned, the author explains how the fortune cookie persisted and gained the popularity it has today as Chinese Americans opened their own Chinese restaurants. And the reader even learns how one California city proved it was the birthplace of the fortune cookie in America.
The illustrator did an outstanding job of evoking Japanese cultural motifs throughout the book. The artwork contains details but is not too busy. The characters are drawn in a childlike style, making them appealing and engaging to children. In every spread, the children and their grandmother are featured. This becomes a powerful tool in illustrations depicting historical events, where the family is shown as being witness to them.
This book is packed with interesting tidbits, interspersed with the intriguing intergenerational tale of a Japanese American family’s journey. Using personal family histories in literature is a proven recipe for teaching about diverse cultures. With interesting ingredients, Mia Wenjen does an outstanding job cooking up a winning story. A beautiful ode to immigrants, their struggles, and the richness in culture they have brought to our diverse country. An essential book for the present day! Highly recommended!
Thanks to Mia Wenjen for the personally autographed review copy of Fortune Cookies for Everyone: The surprising story of the tasty treat we love to eat.