Korea
I Am the Subway
By Kim Hyo-eun, Deborah Smith (Translator)
I Am the Subway. Kim Hyo-eun. Translated by Deborah Smith. Scribble US, 2021. Originally published in Korean. ISBN 9781950354658. 52 p. (Ages 3-10). Picture book.
Narrated by the subway car itself, I Am the Subway brings to life the stories of the unknown people you see on the subway. It was rendered in English by star translator Deborah Smith, whose translation of The Vegetarian won the Man Booker International Prize. A recipient of six starred reviews. [dj]
Moon Pops
By Baek Heena, Jieun Kiaer (Translator)
Moon Pops. Baek Heena. Translated by Jieun Kiaer. Owlkids Books, 2021. Originally published as Dal Sha-bet in Korean by Bear Books, Inc. ISBN 9781771474290. 36 p. (Ages 3-7). Picture book.
The first title to appear in English by 2020 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award winner Baek Heena (also the first Korean to win that prize). It is a creative and whimsical retelling of the Korean legend of the rabbit in the moon. A story perfect for hot summer nights, it is illustrated with cartoon-like figures that overlay deeply-detailed dioramas of city life. Baek’s earlier Magic Candies was included on the IBBY Honour List in 2018 and adapted as a musical in South Korea; it has been released in English by Amazon Crossing Kids. [cr/dj]
The Moon Tonight: Our Moon's Journey Around the Earth
By Jung Chang-hoon, Paige Morris (Translator), Jang Ho (Illustrator)
The Moon Tonight: Our Moon’s Journey Around the Earth. Jung Chang-hoon. Translated by Paige Morris. Illustrated by Jang Ho. Blue Dot Kids, 2023. Originally published in Korean by Woongjin Thinkbig Co. Ltd, Seoul, in 2007. ISBN 9781737603252. 36 p. (Ages 4-9). Picture book.
Children witness the waxing and waning of the moon in this poetic and informative text by astronomer Jung Chang-hoon. The luminous illustrations, by 2009 Bologna Children’s Book Fair illustrator-of-the-year Jang Ho, enable even the in-bed reader (or listener) to marvel at the night sky. [dj]
My GrandMom
By Gee-eun Lee, Sophie Bowman (Translator)
My GrandMom. Gee-eun Lee. Translated by Sophie Bowman. Amazon Crossing Kids, 2022. Originally published as Halmeoni eomma in Korean by Woongjin Thinkbig Co. LTD, in South Korea, in 2016. ISBN 9781662508257. 40 p. (Ages 3-7). Picture book.
Bologna Ragazzi Award-winning Gee-eun Lee bases this book on the times she spent with her own grandmother. A young girl, also named Gee-un, is left to the care of her grandmother because her parents are too busy. She cries at first, but comes to enjoy the time she spends cooking, napping and running with her grandmother, even hearing the grandmother’s stomach rumble. The story seamlessly introduces Korean words such as “Halmoni” (“grandmother”) and aspects of Korean culture such as eating on the floor and slurping noodles. [dj]
The Tailor Shop at the Intersection
By Ahn Jaesun, Sora Kim-Russell (Translator)
The Tailor Shop at the Intersection. Ahn Jaesun. Translated by Sora Kim-Russell. Transit Books, 2023. Originally published in Korean. ISBN 9781945492761. 48 p. (Ages 4 and up). Picture book.
A multi-generational saga… in a 48-page picture book! It chronicles three generations of tailors (dogs, actually) operating a tailor shop in Seoul. The story moves from the introduction of western-style tailoring, through the destruction of the Korean War to the present day. Author-illustrator Ahn bestows as much care in presenting the details of tailoring and the city outside as the tailors do to their suits. A paean to craftsmanship and hard work, The Tailor Shop at the Intersection received a special mention for the Bologna Ragazzi Award in the debut category. [dj]
The Three Water Drop Brothers
By Lee Eun-hee, Asuka Minamoto (Translator), Yun Mi-sook (Illustrator)
The Three Water Drop Brothers. Lee Eun-hee. Translated by Asuka Minamoto. Illustrated by Yun Mi-sook. Enchanted Lion Books, 2021. Originally published in Korean. ISBN 9781592703234. 40p. (Ages 4-8). Picture book.
A collaboration between science writer Lee Eun-hee and Bologna Ragazzi Award winning illustrator Yun Mi-sook. The story follows the travels of three water drop “brothers” who make their way through the heavens, oceans and underground (even through the body of a cow, coming out as milk) to illustrate the water cycle. They end up back together in the ocean, ready to explore the world again “because that is exactly what water drops like to do!” [dj]
When Spring Comes to the DMZ
By Lee Uk-Bae, Chungyon Won and Aileen Won (Translators), Lee Uk-Bae (Illustrator)
When Spring Comes to the DMZ. Lee Uk-Bae. Translated by Chungyon Won and Aileen Won. lllustrated by Lee Uk-Bae. Plough Publishing House, 2019. Originally published in Korean. ISBN 978-0874869729. 40p. (Ages 5-8). Picture book.
A Batchelder honor book, When Spring Comes to the DMZ was a Korean contribution to the Peace Picture Book Project, a cross-national collaboration among picture book writers and illustrators from Japan, China and Korea. Lee’s book invites readers to view the amazing natural beauty that has developed in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), the narrow strip of land between North and South Korea where people are still not allowed to go. Landscapes are punctured by rusting tanks and barbed wire, subtly reminding the reader of the war that separated and continues to separate the two Koreas. [dj]