Where’s Halmoni?
Written by Julie Kim
Published by Little Bigfoot
Beautifully illustrated and told by debut author Julie Kim, this picture book in a graphic-novel style follows a young Korean girl and boy whose search for their missing grandmother leads them into a world inspired by Korean folklore, complete with mischievous goblins (dokkebi), a greedy tiger, a clever rabbit, and a wily fox. Two young children pay a visit to Halmoni (grandmother in Korean), only to discover she’s not home. As they search for her, noticing animal tracks covering the floor, they discover a window, slightly ajar, new to their grandmother’s home. Their curiosity gets the best of them, and they crawl through and discover an unfamiliar fantastical world, and their adventure begins. As they continue to search for their grandmother and solve the mystery of the tracks, they go deeper into a world of Korean folklore, meeting a number of characters who speak in Korean along the way, and learn more about their cultural heritage. This beautifully illustrated graphic picture book is filled with a number of Easter eggs for readers of all ages to discover, and is inspired by the Korean folktales that author and illustrator Julie Kim heard while growing up. Translations to Korean text in the story and more about the folktale-inspired characters are included at the end.
Primary ISBN: 9781632170774
Available As: Hardcover
Picture Book, Age 07 or older
Community Represented: Korean/Korean American
Themes: Family Relationship: Grandparents, Generation: 2nd, Graphic Novel, Multiracial Identity, Own Voices/Lived Experience, Recommended: Counterpoint to AAPI Hate
Setting: Korea, United States
Character’s New Arrival/New American Status: 2nd Generation
Book Creator(s) Connection to the Community Represented: Own Voices/Lived Experience
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