September 17, 2012
Simple couplets introduce 26 Korean words (shown in both English and Hangeul characters) in this engaging alphabetical introduction to the language. Since English letters don’t always have Korean equivalents, the authors provide Korean versions of English words for those letters: “V is for vegetables,/ the yachae on my plate./ Cabbage, carrot, zucchini—/ dessert has to wait” (“Korean doesn’t have a V sound, but Korea has plenty of vegetables,” reads an aside). Padrón’s atmospheric illustrations center on a cherubic Korean girl, her family, and her friends, as they demonstrate the popularity of chukgu (soccer), gimchi (aka kimchi), tae kwon do, and more. Ages 4–8.
September 15, 2012
Simple Korean words and culture are introduced to young Westerners using an ABC format. Two language-learning and software professionals, Amen and Park, use an alphabetic structure to introduce Korean words using simple verse supplemented by tidbits of surprising information. For example, one page reads "D is for dal, / the moon shining bright. / I think it's a rabbit / who visits each night." The sidebar states that in "Korea and other East Asian countries, people say there's a rabbit in the moon in the same way that we say there's a man in the moon." Illustrations are reminiscent of manga-styled cartoons, with a little girl named Ji-min providing additional context for the definitions. Strengths include seeing the Korean words in Hangeul as well as in its Romanized form, with the English word in bold to correlate the two. Although there is an occasional less-than-successful rhyme, the word selections are interesting and provide insight into the culture. However, the alphabetic structure is problematic. The Korean alphabet does not have equivalent sounds for the letters F, L, Q, V, X and Z, nearly a quarter of the examples. An English word stands in its place. Although this too provides insight into the language, the inconsistent structure creates confusion. A valiant attempt to introduce culture and simple words, but the alphabet structure is a poor vehicle. (preface, pronunciation guide) (Picture book. 4-8)
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January 1, 2013
Using an alphabet-book structure, this unique package strains to simultaneously introduce [cf2]Hangeul[cf1] (the Korean alphabet), Korean words, and cultural details. When a Roman letter has no Hangeul equivalent, it's paired with an English word, then the Korean translation ("Q is for Queen. / We call her [cf2]wangbi[cf1].") The rhymes don't always scan, but illustrations that recall traditional woodblock prints are striking.
(Copyright 2013 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)