My Freedom Trip - Hardcover

Frances Park and Ginger Park are sisters who both live near Washington D.C., where they own a shop called Chocolate Chocolate. This is their first book for children. Frances is the author of an adult novel, Hotline Heaven, and she and Ginger have  a new picture book and a young adult novel forthcoming from Boyds Mills Press.

Debra Reid Jenkins is a nationally recognized fine artist who lives in Lowell, Michigan. She has illustrated two books for children, I See the Moon, and I Wanted to Know All about God. This is her first book for Boyds Mills Press.

Grade 2-5-As the Korean War approached, Soo's father escaped from the north into South Korea. He sent a guide for Soo, along with a promise that one would follow for her mother. Preparing to depart, the girl's mother held her close and cried, "Be brave, Soo." These words carried the child through the difficult journey and near capture by a North Korean soldier until she was reunited with her father. The war began and Soo never saw her mother again. The story is lyrically told in the first person, with graceful similes that flow naturally from one page to the next. The rich design perfectly complements the fluid text. Korean characters adorn each page, setting the mood and place with a single powerful image. Elegant oil illustrations in dark hues set against light backgrounds capture the dichotomous memories of a peaceful childhood and the violence of war in a beloved homeland. Forms and shadows emerge from careful brush strokes; characters' facial expressions glow with determination and courage. However, there is no note about the Korean War for students unfamiliar with the period; nor are any dates mentioned in the text. A guide to Korean words and characters is included.
Shawn Brommer, Southern Tier Library System, Painted Post, NY
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