Where’s Halmoni?
Author/Illustrator: Julie Kim
Age range: 5-9
Noona and Joon arrive to visit Halmoni (grandmother in Korean), only to discover she is not home. As they search for her, they discover a new window in her house, slightly ajar. Of course they crawl through and discover a rabbit (tokki), goblins (Doh-kke-bee), a tiger (Ho-rahng-ee), and a nine tailed fox (Gumiho). Each creature they encounter teaches them a lesson about Korean culture. Their adventure leads them through the forest and several magical doors before returning them to Halmoni’s house.
This book showcases characters from Korean folklore. It also contains many Korean words and phrases with translations sprinkled in its pages. Julie Kim also includes a brief explanation of each mythical being and a little insight into her own family and the Korean folktales she heard as a child growing up in America. Kim’s illustrations will delight kids with their bright colors and action scenes. This is a great book to expose your grand to a splash of Korea.
About the Author/Illustrator: Julie Kim is an author and illustrator living in Seattle, WA. She has published with Cricket magazine, Scholastic, and Mondo. Where’s Halmoni? is her authorial debut.
About the reviewer:
Jeanette Perkins is the grandmother of two adorable grandsons. She lives in beautiful St Pete Beach, FL. Jeanette is a product reviewer for GRAND and is looking forward to reviewing lots of new and useful products for all us grandparents.
