Such a sweet story of connecting to roots! I can’t wait to share with my English Learners. Teaching that home can be many things, food and sights, memories from long ago, Richard Ho creates a beautiful story of connecting to one’s family.

A sweet story that explores the question young and old alike ask: "What is home?" Is it a place, is it something you remember, something someone else remembers, is it food, or music, culture, or traditions? Is it people?

It's a children's book, yes, that gently and sweetly explores a theme that is relevant for all. The narration is excellent, with music and sounds from various cultures that add to the feel that you're exploring the melting pot that is New York City.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillon Audio for the ARC of this audiobook for review. Opinions are my own.

An audiobook of a picture book seems counter intuitive. But Richard Ho's "A Taste of Home" is actually a thoughtful carefully worded short story that explores the meaning of home. When a young boy leaves to go to the neighborhood market, his mother yells to be sure to bring back "a taste of Home." He "wonders as he wanders" his diverse neighborhood and realizes that home isn't just where he has lived all his life, but also his mother's home country. The author's phrases are so descriptive that his words combine with the listener's imagination to provide their own illustrations. Fred Berman's narration is quiet and thoughtful. The production values are fantastic; each passage that examines a culture in the neighborhood is accompanied by appropriate instrumental music. Although the picturebook my he aimed at youngsters, this five minute short story can be appreciated by anyone. I requested a review copy of this audiobook when I couldn't locate an advanced copy of the print book. I am so glad that I did. I can honestly recommend this story to listeners of any age.

This audiobook was made available for me to listen to and review by Richard Ho, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley.

This is a lovely audiobook rendition of a picture book for younger children. This is a story about an unnamed child in a unnamed city who is heading out to do the shopping at a local neighborhood market. His mom yells to him out of the window to not forget 'a taste of home'. The child thinks about what a taste of home means to a child born in America. This explores what cultural tastes and traditions are cherished from the country a parent or grandparent migrated from.
This was lovely and reminded me of my Norwegian grandmother's Egg Pancakes 🥰 and my own taste of home as a child.

The narrator of this children's picture book is Fred Berman. His voice is warm and inviting.

Thank you to Richard Ho, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook. All opinion

A Taste Of Home, written by Richard Ho, begins with a little boy, a child of the city, leaving his house, and being told to bring back A Taste Of Home. At first he is not sure what this might mean, since he has always lived here. But his mother hasn’t, she grew up in a different land. His mother, and many others, bring their experiences and things they enjoy to their new home, to make it a home. Through this book the little boy goes to the market and brings back a taste of home, and also learns Home is not only where you are, it is where you came from.
This was a fairly quick listen for a little one, and I loved the themes in it, as well as the descriptions of the different things the little boy sees on his journey.
Thank you to NetGalley and to the author, narrator, and publisher of this book for an ALC in exchange for an honest review.

As a youth travels through the city, each morsel of food is a reminder of an ancestral home faraway. Taste of Home brings to life the reality that food connects people and places.

I received a copy of this audiobook from netGalley for a honest review.

A sweet story of home and the sounds and scents that make it home. Both near and far.

It's always hard to get a grasp of a picture book via only audio, but I liked how much care was taken with the background and sound effects to enhance the story. This book is a wonderful journey through a city with different cultures and neighborhoods and I can see it appealing to students from different cultural and linguistically diverse backgrounds. It makes me want to pick up a copy of the picture book too so I can see the illustrations that go with this story.

The audiobook was beautifully read. The author made careful word choices that were very impactful. Overall, the book was well written and I did really enjoy it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macamillan audio for the Audio ARC of this delightful book in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed listening to this and thing children will be engaged in the story.
Fred Berman was great as the narrator with his soothing and crisp voice. However I did wish that it was narrated by someone with a different culture since that’s what the book brings to life.

I liked listening to the journey that the boy takes and learns that “home” is way more than your simple house. It’s not really about food though which the subtitle highlights.

I recommend this book for classrooms to listen to as they explore the rich culture that “home” has to offer.
My rating system since GoodReads doesn’t have partial stars and I rarely round up.

⭐️ Hated it
⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, really not my cup of tea (potentially DNF’d or thought about it)
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Meh, it was an ok read but nothing special
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really enjoyed it! Would recommend to others
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! Will circle back and read again

This audiobook has a surprisingly high production value--bravo! Music and sound effects abound, accentuating a story that pays homage to many cultures and foods. I like that it covered many world cultures and did not make one seem superior to any other. If only we could all live in such a neighborhood!

I am always unsure about picture books as audiobooks, but this was lovely and descriptive.

Home is unique to each person, and this book describes how they feel about food and how they try to find a way to their own version of home.

The audio effects were perfect. It enhanced the audiobook perfectly!

Thank you to MacMillian Audio and Net Galley for the eARC!

The audiobook “A Taste of Home” by Richard Ho is a narrated short story following a child on his way through the city.

The narration by Fred Berman was really beautiful and supported by sounds and music that transported me to the different market stalls. It is really short but perfectly captures the feeling and different aspects of the familiar environment one calls home.
I believe this is suitable for every age group and I would recommend it!

This book is a delightful look at the different cultures that live side by side in a city. A great way to show differences in a positive light.

This was a beautiful presentation, although I think it would have improved if I could have seen the illustrations too. I enjoyed the music and the lively narration, and it went perfectly with the gorgeous prose. Food is just one part of what makes home "home," and this would make for some great discussions on what things people associate with their own concept of home. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me listen to this audiobook

A Taste of Home by Richard Ho, skillfully narrated by Fred Berman, offers a delightful exploration of the multifaceted concept of 'home,' vividly portraying how it varies from person to person. While the subtitle may suggest a focus on food, the story utilizes descriptions of sounds and scents to associate the word “home” with various settings. Berman's narration, accompanied by rich background sounds, adds depth and atmosphere to the story, immersing the listener in its world. Although the exploration of 'home' in this book may be more complex for younger audiences, it presents an excellent opportunity for engaging discussions with upper elementary students. To fully appreciate the depth of Ho's narrative, I recommend experiencing the audiobook in tandem with the print edition, allowing readers to appreciate the accompanying artwork that enriches the story's visual landscape. A Taste of Home offers a refreshing take on the notion of belonging, inviting readers of all ages to reflect on their own unique interpretations of 'home.'

I felt like the subtitle is doing a disservice to this piece because it's not really about food. It's a sweet, short kids' book about the meaning of the word, "home." "Home" is a word that is very important to many people; a word that sends adults searching in the dark for that elusive feeling of belonging. I love how the narrator leaves 'home' to get food, only to return to his own street discovering that it's been 'home' all along.

Based on the subject matter, I wished the main character appeared more diverse. The topic is about the diverse understanding of "home," thought out by a white-passing kid in NY. Seems like a good/easy opportunity to highlight a kid from a different background.

This book looks like it might be for younger kids, but I think the concept is higher-level than expected. The text on each page is small, so overall there's a disconnect (for me) between the look and the level.

I thought the narrator was quite good, but obviously this is intended to be read aloud from a book or digital book.

A Taste of Home is a bright, happy and engaging story. The narrator and the background music and sound effects really add to the imagery of the book. I received this advanced reader copy in audiobook form but really wish I had a copy of the print book as I think it would have added to the experience. This would be an amazing resource for teaching reading (visualization) and writing (word choice, imagery, etc.) I also appreciate how so many students will be able to see (or hear) themselves within this story. This will be a great addition to personal, school and public libraries upon its release on Aug. 20, 2024.

Thank you Net Galley, Richard Ho and MacMillian Audio for the opportunity to preview this audio book. The opinions shared are my own.