Check out this video review of Yum-Yum Bento Box in Korean! The book can be purchased online here.

Thanks to Adventures in Bentomaking reader Joanne for sending us the link to Oprah’s Lifeclass website where Maki’s Walrus Bento was featured in a slideshow titled “9 Images Guaranteed to Make You Happy“. Woohoo!

Miss Octopus, Fluffy Lamb, Piggy Burger, and friends are going traveling again! We are very happy to announce that Yum-Yum Bento Box will be published in Korean! The book’s publication will be done by Argo9 Publishing.

The online bento community is banding together in a fundraising effort to help raise relief funds for Japan in the wake of the earthquake and tsunami disaster. To find out how you can join in, visit the Bento4Japan website!

I am sorry that I haven’t though to post this before, but I just wanted to let our book fans know that Makiko Ogawa and her family are safe after the deadly earthquake in Japan. I emailed her that day and received a reply a couple of hours later and she informed me that she had picked up her two sons and they were waiting for word from her husband. She has since heard from him and though he could not get home due to transportation being shut down, he was safe. Although I’m sure they’re having a hard time dealing with the various issues coming up in the wake of the quake, it’s always good to know that people are safe.

If you would like to make a donation to the relief efforts in Japan, the American Red Cross has the option to channel your donation directly to that specific effort. When donating through other means, please always be careful that you are donating to and/or through a reliable and reputable organization.

Sorry for the long delay in drawing the winners, but with a total of 333 entries to keep track of, it was a lot of hard work! Lucky for you all though, it’s finally done and now we can announce our three lucky winners!

Congratulations to Megan Crose, who entered via the Home Sweet Home Facebook page! Congratulations to Michelle Verdier, who entered via the Yum-Yum Bento Box Facebook page! And finally, congratulations to Channa, who entered via the contest post!

We will be contacting the three of you via Facebook and email. You will have 48 hours to claim your prize before another winner is chosen, so be sure to reply right away!

Happy Belated New Year to all our bento fans! We hope that the first month of 2011 has been a great one for all of you and that you’ve all been having fun with our cookbook!

We have some great news for you all. Maki, Quirk Books, and myself have all pitched in to offer a great giveaway in the spirit of the new year.

Three lucky winners from our giveaway will receive a Yum-Yum Bento Box Fukubukuro or “Lucky Bag”. In Japan, the fukubukuro is a sealed bag containing items of value greater than the bag it’s packaged in. Together, we’ve assembled a great lucky bag containing some great items for making your own cute bentos with our recipes!

The prizes will be in a cute bento bag and will come with a copy of Yum-Yum Bento Box. However, these are not just regular copies of the book.

That’s right! These books are autographed by both Pikko and Maki, the only three copies in the world signed by both authors! Even if you already own a copy, wouldn’t you love to receive the bag and the signed copy? It’s easy to enter.

Four Ways to Enter

1. Comment on this post and tell us what subject you think makes the cutest bento. Is it a white kitty? Smiling piggies? A little boy?
2. ‘Like’ Yum-Yum Bento Box on Facebook and leave a comment on the giveaway post.
3. Follow Yum-Yum Bento Box on Twitter and tweet the following: “Win a bento lucky bag and an autographed copy of Yum-Yum Bento Box from @yumyumbento!! http://tinyurl.com/6dnkfdm” Post the link to your tweet here!
4. ‘Like’ Quirk Books’ Facebook page Home Sweet Home and leave a comment on the giveaway post there as well!

Entries that do not follow the instructions above will not be counted. Maximum of four entries per person. Only one prize may be won per person. Deadline to enter is Friday, February 4, 2011. Three winners will be drawn after closing and prizes will need to be claimed within 48 hours or the prize will be forfeit and a new winner drawn.

Don’t miss out on your chance, enter to win now! If you’d like to purchase the book as a gift, the book is available on Amazon.

Val’s Kitchen is giving away a copy of Yum-Yum Bento Box! Head over there to read her review and find out how you can win!

Come meet Pikko today at Windward Mall’s Borders!

Pikko will be signing copies of Yum-Yum Bento Box: Fresh Recipes for Adorable Lunches at the Kahala Mall Barnes & Noble today!