Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
In a story at once lyrical and hard-hitting, Cho, a South Korean resident, reimagines a 2016 humanitarian mission in which she participated involving a clandestine rice delivery, via helium balloons, to hungry North Koreans. Narrator Yoori and her father (who grew up "starving" in North Korea and "escaped down here to the south") arrive at the border between the two countries, where they help other volunteers from their church inflate balloons and attach bags of rice to them. When other children begin chanting "Don't feed the enemy," Yoori says, "The hope in my heart withers like a dying rice stalk," and she chastises them, asserting that "We must help!/ North Korean children have no rice." Featuring sharp, foliage-heavy illustrations and divergent color palettes, Song's art dramatically reveals the stark contrast between the landscapes of South and North; vivid flowers and fruit grow in the lush terrain of the former, while withered vines and leafless trees dominate the latter's barren countryside. Concluding notes on the history, culture, and politics of the Korean peninsula provide context for this eye-opening, hopeful story. Ages 4-8. Author's agent: Adria Goetz, Martin Literary Management. (Aug.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Horn Book Review
In 2016, South Korean church members, originally refugees from North Korea, sent rice bags attached to helium balloons to North Korea to feed starving people. In this fictionalized story, a girl tries to convince other children who feel North Koreans are "the enemy" to join the effort. Slick digital illustrations contrast the lush South Korean countryside with barren North Korea. Includes extensive background material. Reading list. (c) Copyright 2019. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
In a story based on the author's own experiences, a young girl in South Korea takes on a covert mission of compassion.Young Yoori and her appa (father) travel to the countryside for a church's special project: to "send special balloons carrying rice over the border to North Korea." Yoori tells readers how Appa escaped from North Korea and knows that "Beyond that wall and across the sea live children just like me, except they do not have enough food to eat." Local villagers protest their actions, chanting "Don't feed the enemy." However Yoori's passion and perseverance change a local boy's initial resistance to cooperation. There is an abundant, even conspicuous use of rice metaphors and a few moments where the flow of the text seems abrupt. Yet these are very small flaws compared to the big picture: a fascinating story based on true events in an elementary-level book that directly addresses the current situation between North and South Korea. Korea-based artist Song uses digital illustrations with vivid colors and very detailed textures for the setting, with effects that sometimes approach three-dimensional, while keeping a hand-drawn style for the human characters. The release of the elongated balloons is a wondrous sight.This compelling debut will capture the interest of children and adults alike. (author's note, bibliography) (Picture book. 5-9) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
