Customer Reviews

The Green Frogs: A Korean Folktale

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Just as many of the original, un-sanitized Grimm fairy tales were, well grim, this story, while charming, is a bit dark.

Having said that, the illustrations are absolutely charming and there is value to the story not being sweetened and told as it is.

Wonderful introduction to Korean folklore, with gorgeous illustrations. The story is about two frog children who do the opposite of what their mom asks. At the end (cover your eyes if you don't like the ending given away), the froggie boys learn their lesson when their mom dies. I actually change the ending when reading it to young children, but it could be a nice book for talking to kids about doing what they're told. It is also a pourquoi story, also known as an origin story, which gives an explanation for why frogs croak when it rains.

I love the playfulness of Yumi Heo's illustrations. They are cool and bursting with life. This folktale explains why naughty Korean children are called chung-gaeguri or green frogs. Karen Woodworth-Roman

I remember being told this story as a young child and being called a green frog numerous times growing up by my mother. Reading this to my children was a great way to share and to pass-on their culture. I'm reminded as I read this story, that old folk-stories (i.e. Hans Christian Anderson's little mermaid and the like) don't often have sugar coated Disney-esque endings and can come as a slight shock to children. My oldest daughter who is eight was saddened with eyes welling up by this story's ending. She was also extremely saddened by the way Hans Christian Anderson's original story of the little mermaid ended to explain why there are bubbles in the ocean.

I remember my [Korean] mother telling me this story when I was younger. I'm not sure if American audiences will appreciate this story since the lesson learned is "harsh" by Western standards. I plan to share this story with my children. The illustrations are great and the book is short enough to keep their attentions.

Much like the Brothers Grimm, the story of The Green Frogs is a lesson wrapped in a children's story. The lesson is for young children to listen and obey their mother. The illustrations are wonderful. My son loved the story and it was an early lesson in irony.

I was amused by the pictures in this book! My grand baby is Korean and I wanted to have stories from there to share with her! This story could have come from anywhere! "GRIM" story like one of the other people reviewed it as! I like happy endings, but it's important kid learn to do what they should!

I got this book for a dear friend of mine who was adopted from Korea and loves children's books almost as much as I do. This book has an unexpected ending. While it's not the typical "fairy tale" or overly foofy sort of story, it has a good moral to it and is well worth the read. The illustrations alone are fantastic. I got this book not sure what to expect from it, but it's a very interesting and wholesome read and a great story for kids who may have worn through the more "traditional" fare.

i remember my mom calling me this as a child. it's a good book but children are not very interested in this. maybe when they're older. however i enjoyed this book. the subject matter is a bit mature for 4 yr olds.

It is an old story that I was read when I was younger. Though it is in English, the story was as I remembered. The condition of the book was good and I was very pleased with the purchase.