Let's Celebrate Korean New Year!

October 1, 2024
Two siblings eagerly prepare for the Korean Lunar New Year. Madeleine excitedly wakes her younger sister, Eloise. "It's Seollal! We have to get ready for the Lunar New Year party!" she exclaims. Madeleine's already getting out their garments as Eloise is still reluctantly stirring. After the girls don their hanboks, they go downstairs to see that Mom has prepared the charae-sang, the ceremonial table covered with food offerings to the ancestors. They hurry to make mandoo, or dumplings, and join their relatives for yutnori, a game where players must strategically throw marked sticks. Mom calls the sisters for sebae, and the girls bow in gratitude to their elders. A warm sibling dynamic is apparent as the playful narrative unfolds, with bossy but loving Madeleine explaining various elements of the holiday to Eloise (and readers). Yum's deftly blended colored pencil illustrations emphasize the joy of the celebrations; her knack for capturing children's expressions is especially evident on a spread depicting Eloise intently attempting to create the perfect mandoo. Some drama ensues as Madeleine realizes she's forgotten to compose a poem to read to her visiting family (as she does each year), but with Eloise's gentle encouragement, Madeleine writes and recites her verse. Instructions for a craft project and a recipe for mandoo follow, encouraging readers to further explore the holiday. A cozy celebration brimming with traditions and sisterly love. (glossary)(Picture book. 5-8)

COPYRIGHT(2024) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

September 30, 2024
On Seollal morning, Madeleine is excited for the coming Lunar New Year party, even when younger sister Eloise groans, “It’s too early.” Raring to go, Madeleine declares, “First, we need hanboks!” before leading the two in dressing. Madeleine then prods them into the kitchen to make mandoo, bustles them along to create a card for arriving guests, and more—until realizing that she’s forgotten about the poem she writes each year. As little sister Eloise slowly navigates the steps, Park’s beat-by-beat prose relays Madeleine’s emphatic oversight, until poem-writing offers an opportunity for both sisters to take part. Yum’s signature-style colored pencil illustrations cheerily depict Korean New Year traditions in this festive picture book about two siblings who eventually find that “each tradition is fun,/ but with you, it’s much better.” A glossary, activity, and recipe concludes. Ages 4–8.

December 1, 2024
Preschool-Grade 3 Madeleine wakes her little sister, Eloise, and urges her to get up. It's time to help prepare for celebrating Korean New Year with their relatives, who will arrive later. First, the girls dress in traditional Korean hanboks. Madeleine helps Eloise put on a chima, a long, full skirt, and the jeogori, a blouse or jacket. Next, Madeleine demonstrates how to prepare mandoo, the pork-and-noodle-filled dumplings that Mom fries. Eloise's best effort is "a lumpy, clumpy mess." Eloise is feeling inept in comparison with her big sister, who has taken charge all day, often to Eloise's disappointment. But when Madeleine forgets to write a poem for their extended family, Eloise senses her distress, and they collaborate on rhymed verses recognizing the importance of time spent with family. Now they're ready to celebrate. The back matter includes a glossary of Korean terms in the book as well as a recipe for mandoo. The narrative offers a realistic portrayal of the sisters' relationship, with tense moments and happy ones. The sensitive illustrations, created with colored pencils, reflect the sisters' shifting emotions.

COPYRIGHT(2024) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.