Jin Woo (Hardcover)

by Eve Bunting (Author), Chris K. Soentpiet (Illustrator) "When we get the phone call, Mom and Dad cry..." (more)
Key Phrases: Jin Woo

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
The team behind So Far from the Sea adds a layer of interest to this tale of a boy's ambivalence toward the arrival of a new sibling a baby adopted from Korea. "I can hardly wait," David's mother says, when the family receives news of Jin Woo's impending arrival. David is not so eager: "I can wait. I could wait longer." With sensitivity and humor, Bunting charts the boy's emotional journey from uncertainty and dread to acceptance, as preparations for the new baby segue to the airport, where David and his parents finally spot Jin Woo (" `I don't think that's the right one,' I say, hoping. Maybe they'll send him back"). David warms up to Jin Woo as he coaxes the first laugh from his new baby brother on the ride home from the airport, and the book ends with him giving a beloved duck mobile to Jin Woo after David is reassured that his parents have more than enough love to go around. If David's transformation feels a bit swift, Bunting nevertheless deftly plumbs the well of conflicting emotions, and Soentpiet's luminously realistic watercolors bolster her efforts. Whether portraying David's initially somber facial expressions, his unmistakable body language as he stands apart from his excited parents at the airport or the rosy-cheeked, cheerful Jin Woo, Soentpiet's illustrations light up the pages and root the story firmly in the affectionate fabric of everyday family life. Ages 5-8.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 2-David's parents are adopting a baby from Korea, and the boy, also adopted, is less than thrilled. Bunting's sensitive writing tells of Jin Woo's arrival from David's point of view, infusing the story with childlike sensibility and humor. (When his mother says she can't wait for the baby to arrive, the protagonist tells readers, "I can wait. I could wait longer.") Soentpiet's watercolors are suffused with light and perfectly capture the characters' expressions, from the tense faces of the expectant parents, to the delighted looks of the airport bystanders witnessing the baby's happy arrival. One particularly effective illustration shows David's parents through the glass of the airport window, watching the infant emerge from the plane. While their hands are pressed against the pane and their faces are alight with anticipation, their son looks at them uneasily. His fears begin to recede when he finds that he can make the baby laugh, and they fall away completely when his mother reads him a letter from his new brother assuring him that his parents' love for Jin Woo won't take anything away from him. (She wrote it for the baby, his mother says, because she knows what is in his heart.) The only small inconsistency is the car seat in one illustration, which faces forward instead of backward, as it should for a five-month-old child. However, the story's emotional veracity will speak to any new sibling.-Kathleen Kelly MacMillan, Carroll County Public Library, Eldersburg, MD

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Clarion Books (April 23, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395938724
• ISBN-13: 978-0395938720
• Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 10.7 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #434,781 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A story of adoption and brotherhood, July 5, 2001

By	Michael J. Mazza (Pittsburgh, PA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)

"Jin Woo" is a children's book by Eve Bunting, with illustrations by Chris Soentpiet. The book tells the story of David, a young adoptee whose family is preparing to adopt a second child: a Korean baby boy named Jin Woo.

Like many children expecting a new child into the family, David has some concerns. But his parents assure him that the love they share with the new baby will not diminish the love they have for him. And David bonds with his new brother, ensuring the unity of the newly enlarged family.

This is a good story with educational value. The author brings up some interesting aspects of cross-cultural/international adoption. The easy-to-read text is well complemented by Soentpiet's colorful, realistic illustrations. I recommend "Jin Woo" for both home and classroom.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A child's reaction to adoption, December 8, 2004

By	Emily Hawkins "moreta2" (Indianapolis, Indiana, US) - See all my reviews

David is the only son (adopted himself) in his family, until Mom and Dad start talking about adopting a baby from Korea. He's not sure how to feel about it, even though he told his parents he was "okay." He watches as his parents prepare for his new brother's arrival with a beautiful nursery and a special dinner before going to the airport to wait for Jin Woo. The escort encourages the parents not to forget Jin Woo's cultural heritage as he grows up. The story concludes with David reading a letter "from Jin Woo" and a discussion with his parents about how their love for him will not decrease, even though there is another son in their lives.

Let me say the illustrations in this book are gorgeous! You see realistic emotions on each face, from anticipation to uncertainty. Maybe this set of parents are a-typical for what Americans are like, but I sure wish I had a loving, nurturing set like them. I like how the father is there, being supportive and loving every step of the way.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Beautiful Touching Book, July 4, 2004

By A Customer

As a family with a child who was adopted from Guatemala, we always look for adoptive family stories. We knew this would be good because Eve Bunting is already one of our favorites. But this lovely book exceeded our expectations. The words were beautiful and the pictures were so wonderful. As we were reading it, all the adults were teary eyed. The next day, we reread it and our little 8 year old was as interested as the day before, and her Godfather, an artist himself ,was amazed at how the pictures show the detail and the emotion in the family so beautifully and so clearly. We recommend it wholeheartedly.