Papertigers.org | April 2009 | Korea and the Korean Diaspora in Children's Literature

Sisters Frances and Ginger Park talk about their many collaborations and how they became interested in exploring their Korean heritage through their writing...


	Illustrator and picture book author Yangsook Choi talks about her determination to follow her dreams of being an artist; the research she does for her books and more... ...plus, check out our reprint of an interview with author Sook Nyul Choi, about her book Halmoni and the Picnic...

Book artist Suzy Lee shares a
sample of her prize-winning work, including images from the
acclaimed Wave and The Zoo...


	Eun-hee Choung's gallery feature includes images from her lovely American debut, Minji's Salon and more...		... and Chris Soenpiet shows the depth and breadth of his talent to portray different ethnicities, including his own...

One Peace: True Stories of Young Activists

Peacebound Trains

written by Haemi Balgassi, illustrated by Chris Soentpiet (Clarion, 1996)

Poetic language and exquisite artwork combine in Peacebound Trains to evoke vividly the landscape and people of South Korea, as well as a very special connection between a grandmother and her US-born granddaughter.

Sumi's grandmother tells the story of how Sumi's family (mother, uncle and grandmother) left Seoul to escape the North Korean invasion of South Korea, in 1950, and the ride they took on a train bound to a more peaceful place.


			April 2009 Korea's participation in the 2005 Frankfurt Book Fair and at this year's Bologna Children's Book Fair as "Guest of Honor" was an important step toward making its literature better known worldwide. On both occasions, cultural events helped generate awareness of the country's many literary riches and encouraged publishers to pay more attention to its wealth of established and new book creators. Whereas the number of Korean books translated into English is still small, comparatively speaking, the output of writers and illustrators with Korean roots continues to grow and enlighten readers about the realities and experiences of their communities all over the world. Through our current features, PaperTigers pays tribute to the narratives for children, available in English, from/about Korea and the Korean diaspora. We hope you'll enjoy them. Personal Views: Connecting Voices Through Generations, by Haemi Balgassi Seeking Out True Reflections of Race and Culture in Children's Books, by Sun Yung Shin ... and we revisit Linda Sue Park's Life with a Hyphen: Reading and Writing as a Korean American and A Peek at Korean Culture Through Children's Books, by Aline Pereira Book Reviews: There are new reviews from PaperTigers, CCBC and Books for Keeps... and make sure to check out the list of reviews available on PaperTigers that relate to Korea and the Korean diaspora, by way of author, illustrator or theme. Lists & Links: Our selected reading lists and links to online resources are sure to inspire further learning and new discoveries about Korea's vastness and its diverse people.

On the PaperTigers blog you will find our current and past themes unpacked and expanded, as well as news and views on multicultural and international books, world literacy, bedtime stories, children's literature events, and more...Come and join our ongoing conversation!


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