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Ann Martin Bowler, illustrated by Soosoonam Bary,
All About Korea: Stories, Songs, Crafts and More
Tuttle, 2011.

Ages 9-12

All About Korea is a rich trove of activities and information about Korea, compiled by author Ann Martin Bowler both from her own experience as mother to two Korean-born children and from her careful research. In fifteen chapters, appealingly illustrated by Soosoonam Bary, Bowler presents history, games, folktales, some basic Korean language, songs, recipes, and information about holidays, arts and crafts, architecture, and values. A recurrent theme is the Korean emphasis on education. Korean proverbs are scattered through the book. A basic explanation of why the two Koreas are separated is presented, after which the book focuses on South Korea.

Bowler shows an educator’s appreciation of the tone that makes cultural studies attractive to middle grade children, referring to Korean children as kids, for example, while not glossing over the importance of respect for elders and table manners. Children are cautioned to ask grownups for help with certain projects, like those using a knife, but otherwise they are addressed as if they are studying and doing the activities in All About Korea on their own. That seems a less likely scenario, however, than that the book will be a helpful resource for enterprising teachers and parents interested in providing children with hands-on experiences that bring the Korean people and culture alive and augment other educational materials about the country.

Soosoonam Bary’s deft touch with a paintbrush adds tremendously to the appeal of All About Korea. She provides useful illustrations of Bowler’s instructions for making kites and masks as well as lively, stereotype-breaking depictions of modern Korean children in their turtlenecks and anoraks. Her large illustrations of the gentle tigers and disobedient frogs in Korean folk tales; the imposing mountain setting of the great city of Seoul, with its high rises and grand temple complexes; and the interiors of both traditional and contemporary Korean homes are particularly compelling. Bary’s soft lines and delicate colors provide a warm, gentle cohesion to Bowler’s potpourri of details and ideas.

In addition to use in the classroom, the many Korean-American parents and adoptive parents of Korean-born children will be gratified and assisted by Bowler and Bary’s book in instilling in their bicultural children a sense of pride and respect for the Korean people and their country.

Charlotte Richardson
May 2011

When Gecko complains to Raden, the jungle’s chief and a lion, about the fireflies that are keeping him awake, he sets in motion a string of complaints as each culprit of one animal’s complaint blames his actions on another’s behaviour. Eventually Raden is brought face to face with Rain:

When he reached Mount Batur’s highest peak, Chief Raden roared loudly, “Rain, why are you ruining the jungle pathways and causing so many problems for the animals?”

While waiting for Rain’s reply, Chief Raden dropped to the ground in exhaustion. Looking out over Bali, he saw sparkling rivers, blue skies filled with drifting clouds and endless hills of green. Raindrops fell, cooling his tired body. [...]

Raden then understood he was asking a very foolish question.

He returns home and delivers a few home truths to the animals about remembering all that Rain provides, and tells them to stop complaining but learn to live “in peace with one another”. By being considerate to their fellow creatures and recognising that there is much to appreciate in their own lives, they do in fact find themselves with little to complain about.

Gecko’s Complaint/ Keluhan Sang Tokek, a Balinese folktale, retold by Ann Martin Bowler and sumptuously illustrated by Balinese artist I Gusti Made Sukanada (Periplus Editions) is available both in English and, as of this year, as a bilingual book with English and Indonesian text. It is definitely a fable whose meaning has bearing on the lives of us humans. Chief Raden is a respected authority figure who listens and is decisive and fair – a role model who will also be respected by young listeners of the story. At the same time, the narrative doesn’t fall into the trap of being didactic but provides plenty of room for characterisation and humor to come through. The vibrant illustrations are full of jungle wildlife and we love the vignettes of animals, birds and flowers scattered through the text. Perhaps it’s an unreasonable quibble, but if another edition is ever planned, it would be great to have an appendix saying what they all are; it would provide a good counterbalance to the introduction, which gives an interesting overview of Indonesia and Bali in particular.

Ann talks a little about writing the book in her interview with PaperTigers – and I have to say, I’d love to know more about what she describes as the “adventure” of working with I Gusti Made Sukanada to create the book. She has also written a song, Complaining, to accompany the book – it’s available on her website.

To read a little more about how Gecko’s Complaint fits into Indonesian folklore, read this review from the Bali Advertiser. Many cultures feature animal fables in their traditional story-telling – do you have any particular favorites that you’d recommend as a bedtime story?