Reading The Forlorn Rice Cooker by Nina Daza Puyat felt like I was listening to a story by one of my relatives in LA. My relatives in California have rich imaginations, and this is right up their alley. And they do have rice cookers which take up pride of place in their respective kitchens. This story was not just entertaining, but also relatable to someone who spent half of her life going back and forth between the US and the Philippines. There is nothing more Filipino than a family rice cooker and some good old fried rice. And for many families, the rice cooker has already become synonymous with nourishment and sustenance.
I have become a Nina Daza Puyat fan with her first book, Ang Alamat ng Lumpiang Shanghai. This author is a fellow Knoller and a true creative. She is proud of her culinary ancestry by including recipes in her children’s books. I think that she is doing the right thing by writing books for children. We need to influence the next generation by enriching their imaginations and using everyday objects such as the rice cooker in order to teach valuable lessons.
I appreciate how this book teaches children about purpose. Sure, some gadgets such as the frying pan can do amazing things. But the rice cooker, with its sturdy built and dependable character, is the only one that can whip up everyone’s trust staple, which is white rice. Purpose is something that is found in the character of the individual. One does not need to be flashy or ornate. It just has to fulfill its purpose in order to become useful. And kids these days need to remember that purpose is already found in them, and not by being visible on social media or wearing expensive clothes.
The Forlorn Rice Cooker by Nina Daza Puyat is now available!