Yunmi and Halmoni's Trip (Hardcover)

by Sook Nyul Choi (Author), Karen Dugan (Illustrator)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal
Grade 1-3?In Halmoni and the Picnic (Houghton, 1993), Yunmi's grandmother went to New York City to take care of her while her parents worked, and charmed Yunmi's classmates during a class trip. Now Halmoni is taking the girl back to Korea for a memorial celebration of her late husband's birthday, and it is Yunmi's turn to feel like an outsider. Halmoni, who was so isolated and lonely in New York, is greeted by a large and loving family. Even her cat and dog welcome her back. Yunmi's cousins act as tour guides to the sights of Seoul, and the girl helps prepare Korean dumplings for the picnic at Grandfather's grave. At the memorial, worries overwhelm her. Halmoni seems so happy here that she may not want to return to New York. Not surprisingly, the woman reassures her American granddaughter, "We're lucky because we both have two families." This gentle, predictable story is more an introduction to Korean customs than a plot-driven narrative. Realistic illustrations of Yunmi's family, framed with borders suggesting Korean fabric design, add greatly to the book's appeal. Dugan's carefully composed paintings, glowing with color, convey the warm affection between granddaughter and grandmother.?Margaret A. Chang, North Adams State College, MA
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review
"This book transcends Korean or English, speaking the universal language of the heart." (Booklist, ALA )

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin; illustrated edition edition (September 29, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395811805
• ISBN-13: 978-0395811801
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 7.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.3 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,119,145 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bear down, Chicago Bears, badadadadadadada bum-pa-dum, Bear down, Chicago Bears........, October 16, 2006

By	My Uncle Stu (Boston) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

I recently reviewed "The King's Secret: The Legend of King Sejong," which I thought was at least interesting for telling a fictionalized story- complete with dragons smoking pipes- about an important historical event, the creation of phonetic Korean alphabet. But the book was written and illustrated by non-Koreans, leading to inaccuracies that go under the radar of the unfamiliar but are offensive to those in the know.

I'm happier to review this book, in which an American born and raised Korean visits Korea for the first time. Halmoni, which is the Korean term for grandmother (or more generally can designate an elderly woman) is seen in by her granddaughter, back at home, fully in her element. It is thrilling, yet stirs up the unease of the peripatetic, the vulnerability of the outsider. It's a children's book, a gentle one at that, but has dead-on observations about the anomie experienced within our modern transnational families, where cultural and geographic gaps superimpose themselves on the more universal generation gaps.

By the way, off topic, but as a Bear's fan, I can't tell you how happy I am right now. The Cardinals have just finished the biggest collapse of any team I've ever seen. I never stopped believing. I sensed it. A couple big plays on defense, 14 unanswered points in the 4th quarter, none from the Bears' offense. Urlacher strips the ball, a defensive touchdown, a special teams touchdown, then the Cardinals march back but miss the field goal. The Arizona fans had been ecstatic all night. To see them crestfallen at the end, and a generous amount of displaced Chicagoans in Arizona celebrating like they won the Super bowl, is there anything better? Great collapse, great comeback. Coach Green melts down afterwards, a priceless tantrum for fans of the emotional drama behind the athletics. Beautiful moment, I'm all goosebumps.

Thank you for indulging me there. Anyway, I unreservedly recommend this book, particularly as a conversation piece for young first or second generation Korean-Americans.

And did I mention the beautiful illustrations?

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful book for adults & children, September 25, 2001

By	sfsurfergirl (San Francisco, CA United States) - See all my reviews

Yunmi and Halmoni's Trip fills a void in the "ethnic" children's book field. Beautifully illustrated and tenderly written, it's a great book to read to your kids or even for yourself. There aren't many childrens books about Koreans and Korean-Americans, so this book is a must for your bookshelf. It's for anyone who wants to read about a loving and understanding relationship between grandmother (halmoni) and granddaughter (Yunmi).