Book Review of Bread by the Sea: A Tale from the Mediterranean Seas to Our Homes
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The Children’s Book Review
Bread by the Sea: A Tale from the Mediterranean Seas to Our Homes
Written by Loucia Youssef Isaac
Illustrated by Mane Sholinyan
Ages: 4-10 | 40 Pages
Publisher: () | ISBN: 978-9939-0-5349-3
What to expect: Traditional stories, food history, Mediterranean cuisine.
In Bread by the Sea: A Tale from the Mediterranean Seas to Our Homes, author Loucia Youssef Isaac (Seropian) introduces readers to the joys of intergenerational storytelling, Mediterranean staple bread, and the importance of learning from and about other cultures.
The story begins with young Youssef watching the clouds drift by and letting his imagination wander. The perfect stage is set for the beginning of a historical journey to learn about the origins of Manouche—a delicious bread that is a staple of Mediterranean homes and has its roots in the times of the ancient Phoenicians.
Youssef is entranced by his grandfather’s story which entwines the creation of the bread with the joys of discovering new lands and new friends. As he explains, Manouche was originally created in a small Lebanese village. It was a simple flat disc that was hearty but not very flavorful. One day a shipwrecked sailor introduced a baker to yeast and the baker was adventurous enough to try adding the yeast to the bread. As the popularity of the now puffy and soft bread disc began to spread, fellow bakers began to add different spices. Manouche was born and it remains a staple of Lebanese culture to this day.
Readers will enjoy learning about the history of Manouche through Youssef’s curiosity and enthusiasm. The author also cleverly adds in details of life in ancient Lebanon and the joys of adventure and discovery through the lens of exploration. As traders passed through different villages they brought Manouche with them and the bread adapted and improved, incorporating elements from many other regions and villages.
This heartwarming story is a great way to introduce children to new traditions in distant lands and Middle Eastern flavors. Illustrator Mane Sholinyan’s artwork conveys the warmth of the story while incorporating definitions of terms and maps of different areas.
About the Author
Loucia Youssef Isaac began her Public Relations career in 1999 as the Public Relations Director of Haigazian University in Beirut, Lebanon. In 2004, Loucia moved to Doha, Qatar, where she worked on the launch of two Pan-Arab children’s TV channels: Barem TV Channel and Al Jazeera Children’s Channel, now known as Jeem TV.
Loucia was also responsible for Qatar Debate’s PR and communication plan for the World School Debating Championship 2010 (WSDC 2010) as the Strategic Communications manager. WSDC is the world’s largest debating tournament and one of the largest annual international student events. It is a parliamentary debating event held using a variant of the British Parliamentary Debate format. Loucia’s expertise in youth and media communication extended to working on the national information communication technology e-campaign with ICTQatar (Ministry of Communications and Information Technology) as well as the state-of-the-art hospitality initiatives integrated within the Qatar National Convention Center.
In her most recent role in Doha, Loucia served as the communication consultant for Qatar Primary Material Company (QPMC), the arm responsible for maintaining a strategic stockpile of raw materials in the country. Today, Loucia has been an active contributor to children’s literature. Loucia Isaac Seropian is best known for The Legacy of The Running Lavash, Areni And The Man With The Right Shoe, To The One-in-a-Million Festival and Back, and Friends in Wonderland.
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