Reviews: August 2008 Archives

Booklist

Renee Ting

on August 15, 2008 1:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Land of Morning Calm by John Stickler and illustrated by Soma Han received a wonderful review in Booklist:

"After a brief introduction to Korea's geography and history, this handsome book spotlights one aspect of the country's culture after another. Presented on single pages and double-page spreads and illustrated with many colorful paintings and a few small photos, the 19 topics include the Korean alphabet, flag, religions, food, celebrations, martial arts, ceramics, and music. Each section of the book adds to an overview that seems almost haphazard at first but gradually becomes clearer and more satisfying to the reader. Longer volumes may offer more complete information on the country, but this book's approachable design, vivid illustrations, and interesting text make it an excellent introduction."

School Library Journal

Renee Ting

on August 15, 2008 1:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Land of Morning Calm by John Stickler and illustrated by Soma Han received a nice review in School Library Journal:

"Grade 5-8-Traditional and modern culture is explored in this attractively illustrated picture book for older readers. Beginning with a brief introduction to the history and politics of the country, Stickler then devotes one or two pages to various traditions and beliefs. The subjects are wide ranging, from food and fashion to taekwondo. The layout is balanced and visually pleasing. Chapter headings are written in Hangul, the Korean alphabet, and in English, both in a large elegant script. Each topic is accompanied by colorful, finely rendered watercolor illustrations or a small photograph or two. The writing style is quite sophisticated, with many instances where vocabulary or nuances of meaning may be lost on all but the most proficient readers. Despite this drawback, the book makes an excellent supplement to more general works."

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"...this book's approachable design, vivid illustrations, and interesting text make it an excellent introduction."

-Booklist

John Stickler is a graduate of Yale University, and spent thirteen years in Korea from 1963 to 1976. During that time, John lived in Seoul reporting news for the CBS radio network. John currently lives in California, after a checkered career in journalism, advertising, public relations and publishing. He has written several books on travel and international trade.

Soma Han was born in the agricultural southeastern part of the Korean peninsula. She has a BA in literature and a BFA degree from the California College of Arts & Crafts. Her paintings have been exhibited in galleries in Arizona, California, New York, Washington, D.C., Hong Kong and Korea. Soma is also the illustrator of Tigers, Frogs and Rice Cakes: A Book of Korean Proverbs.

Shen’s Books is a publisher of multicultural children’s literature that emphasizes cultural diversity and tolerance, with a focus on introducing children to the cultures of Asia.

Through books, we can share a world a stories, building greater understanding and tolerance within our increasingly diverse communities as well as throughout our continuously shrinking globe.