Chicken Soup & Goji Berries 中药鸡汤
a bilingual comic about family, food, and magic
For the kids of the Yang family, who have spent most of their lives across the Pacific Ocean in Canada, Nainai’s arrival from China to move in with the family is a big change. From having to turn down the volume of their cartoons to being awakened by the soy milk machine at 7 AM, Jeannie, Ethan, and Cindy have much to get used to. But it’s not just the day-to-day routine that’s different now that Nainai is in their lives — there’s something different in the air, something magical.
Originally a webcomic created with the support of Project 40 Collective, Chicken Soup & Goji Berries 中药鸡汤 is now published by Cloudscape Comics Society.
Now available in print!
Ships internationally and across Canada from Cloudscape Comics. Alternatively, contact us directly for local pick-up in Toronto or Vancouver.
About
Chicken Soup & Goji Berries 中药鸡汤 is a bilingual, multimedia webcomic about a Chinese-Canadian family by Naomi Cui and Janice Liu. The project was originally conceived as a webcomic as part of a project incubator program facilitated by the Project 40 Collective.
Our story is meant to reflect the experiences of many immigrant families in Canada, where several languages and cultures often co-exist and intermix between different generations of one household. The character dialogue goes back and forth between English and Chinese just as many of our interactions with our families do in real life. At the same time, you don't have to understand both English and Chinese to enjoy the story; interactive translations are included for all dialogue. You can read it in English, you can read it in Chinese, or you can read it in both!
We hope our story can be many things for many people: a language-learning tool for Chinese diaspora trying to reconnect with their heritage language; a relatable story for children of immigrants; and also just a cute story about family, food, and the power of grandmas!
Naomi Cui (崔米娜)
Naomi is a coder, creator, and translator who can usually be found at the intersections of art, technology, language, and design. With a background in computer science and linguistics, she worked as a programmer for a while before a brief stint in Japan. Born and raised in Toronto, but her tastebuds remain in Shaanxi, China.
Naomi takes care of the writing and technological aspects of Chicken Soup & Goji Berries.
nowme.ca
Janice Liu (刘欣宜)
Janice is an illustrator, teaching artist, and kid-at-heart. She depicts sunny worlds and characters, and her art is often inspired by the child-like tendency to make-believe. She has had a home in many cities: Hong Kong, Guangzhou, and most recently, Toronto, where she attended the University of Toronto. She now lives in the beautiful Vancouver area.
Janice is the illustrator and artist for Chicken Soup & Goji Berries.
janiceliu.comBuy
... online
You can buy directly from our publishers from the Cloudscape Comics website. They ship internationally and across Canada.
... in person
The cheapest way to obtain a copy is to buy from us directly. Check below to see what events we may be selling copies of the book at. If you are in Toronto or Vancouver, you can also contact us and arrange to pick up from us locally.
Pick-up InquiryUpcoming Events
Currently no events!
... in stores/libraries
The following stores and libraries may have copies in stock. Stock may be limited so please contact the locations to inquire directly.
Toronto
315 Roncesvalles Ave
Toronto, ON M6R 2M6
319 College St
Toronto, ON M5T 1S2
Unit C15 (Basement, behind the stage),
Chinatown Centre, 222 Spadina Ave
Toronto, ON M5T 3B3
789 Yonge St
Toronto, ON M4W 2G8
Vancouver
6100 Willingdon Ave
Vancouver, BC V5H 4N5
Tokyo
1-30-12-302 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku
Tokyo, 160-0022 Japan
If your bookstore or library would like to stock Chicken Soup & Goji Berries, please contact our publishers to inquire about obtaining copies at wholesale price.