Hello! I’m Jean, your commute Korean teacher!
Did you have a good start to January with a new mindset?
There may be some of you who chose to learn Korean this new year.
While teaching Korean, I often got requests from my students, 'Please recommend some Korean books that I can read casually!' However, recommending books is quite difficult. If I recommend literary books, they are too hard; poetry is subtly difficult because of nuance; should I recommend an essay? Isn't there an easier book?
The conclusion I reached after overthinking was to recommend easy-to-read picture books. Today, I'd like to recommend some Korean picture books that I personally cherish and can confidently introduce. I have selected books that even super beginners who started studying Korean this new year can read. These are picture books that are enjoyable and heartwarming. You can also just enjoy the illustrations! :)
1. The Day of the Tiger's Birthday by Kang Hye-sook
Grrrr! This is a picture book of Korean tigers.
Thanks to K-Content, Korean tigers are very popular these days, right?
In fact, the tiger is a very familiar presence in Korean culture. That's why tigers often appear in traditional Korean folktales. In Korean picture books, the tiger is a symbolic character that is both 'fearsome and familiar,' embodying multiple meanings like threat, protection, satire, and growth. Contemporary picture books often reinterpret this traditional folktale image as a being that develops and grows alongside the child.
This book is a picture book where all the tigers from Korean folktales make an appearance. As you can see on the cover, the unique and distinctive pop-art style illustration is astonishing, and the colors are very trendy.
Meet the Korean tiger that both children and adults will love!
2. The Story of the Sun & the Moon by Lee Eok-bae
This is a picture book of 'The Sun and the Moon Story,' the most famous Korean traditional folktale- one of the storybook in which the tiger appears as a main character.
The story of the sun and the moon, which every Korean knows, was illustrated by the master Lee Eok-bae*.
(*Lee Eok-bae is a representative Korean children's book author and illustrator. He is famous for works that depict everyday scenes with warmth and affection.)
Isn't the Korean folk-painting style illustration so charming? (Left)
It is a work motivated by the folk painting <Tiger and Magpie> (Right), which is very familiar to Koreans.
It’s a book that is so captivating that turning each page and looking at the pictures is a joy in itself. With a Korean-style illustration, a perfect picture book to introduce to those beginning their journey into Korean books.
3. Our Nuri Christmas
Christmas has already passed. (But it will come again this year... just 11 months left!)
Christmas is a holiday rooted in Western Christianity, Santa Claus, Rudolph, chimneys, Christmas trees, etc, so there is a far distance from the Korean element to it. All of them have a strong Western atmosphere.
That's why a picture book has been released that decorates the Christmas tree with 'Korean' props!
I couldn't stop smiling while looking at it because it was so cute.
They changed the socks to beoseon (Korean traditional socks),
and added a bokjumeoni (lucky pouch), a lotus flower, and daenggi (traditional ribbon) as well. It shows what real Korean traditional beauty is.
The idea behind it is also quite brilliant.
It would be nice to decorate next year's Christmas tree with Korean-style ornaments.
Showing Western students a Korean reinterpretation of the familiar Christmas might make it easier for you to embrace Korean culture!
4. Shadow Play by Suzy Lee
Lastly, I’d like to introduce the picture book author rather than just one book! This is Suzy Lee, the first Korean to win the Hans Christian Andersen Award, often called as the Nobel Prize for children's literature.
Having won such a major award, she seems to be the most famous Korean illustrator abroad right now. Many of you might already know her even without my recommendation.
SuzyLee: www.suzylee.co.kr
Her illustration style is slim and clear, and she uses colors boldly and refreshingly. Her style subtly blends the delicate nature of East Asians with a British touch, making it comfortable for anyone to appreciate.
Most of Suzy Lee’s books have been published in English translation, and they are also available in other languages. I recommend that you open the translated book with the original book, side by side, and read them together is an excellent way to study Korean.
She also runs a personal homepage and Instagram, so please drop by and take a look :) She sells related merchandise and goods other than books, which makes for fun browsing!
Today, I introduced 4 interesting&adorable Korean picture books.
Which book do you want to read first? :)
Image Sources:
Aladin, Kyobo Book Homepages
