New Releases by Yangsook Choi

Keo loves kimchi! And he loves Halmoni, his grandmother! But when Halmoni unexpectedly comes to visit and digs a big hole in the backyard, he's not sure what's going on. Could Halmoni be planning to bury a secret treasure?! Yangsook Choi, author and illustrator of the beloved picture book The Name Jar, serves up a tasty new story that's bursting with heart, humor, mystery, and . . . cabbage!

From Yangsook Choi comes an empowering picture book about a child learning a new language to keep in touch with an old friend. Today is the day I’ll make friends. At least, that’s what I promise myself. Jihun recently moved to the United States. In his new classroom, he receives an assignment to write a letter to his best friend—but he’s not sure how it will turn out. First off, he’s still learning English. Second, he doesn’t have any friends at school yet. What’s more, his best friend back in Korea can’t read. Fueled by wonderful memories of his former home, Jihun uses his creativity to craft a letter for his best friend, Oto. The result is nothing short of extraordinary and opens a door for Jihun to make new friends.

“What is the best thing about where you live? Share something unusual about it.” I smiled as I wrote “Peaches.” The peaches grown in Bucheon are the best in all of South Korea, and a rare treat for a young Yangsook. She dreams of a peach orchard where she can play and eat as much of the delicious fruit as she wishes. Then one day, after hours of a sudden heavy downpour, the sky begins to rain peaches. Yangsook finds herself in peach heaven—until she remembers the farmers who have lost their harvest and decides she must help them. Fully revised and re-illustrated, Peach Heaven is a timeless ode to human kindness and childhood wonder based on the author’s early life.

Hiçbirimiz ismimizi kendimiz seçmeyiz. Peki onu ne kadar benimseyebiliriz? Unhei, bir Koreli olarak Amerika Birleşik Devletleri’ne taşındığında kendi adını kullanmak istemez. İngilizce bir ismi olmasının daha iyi olacağını düşünür. Peki o ismi benimseyebilecek midir? Cevabı, Uluslararası Okuryazarlık Derneği ödüllü yazar Yangsook Choi ile bulacağız.

Halloween is coming. "What are you going to be?" the children ask one another. Kimin says he will be his grandfather. "Going as an old man is not very scary," they tease. What the children don't know is that Kimin's grandfather was a Korean mask dancer. And Kimin doesn't know that the mask holds a secret for him. With vibrant illustrations, Yangsook Choi joins Korean and American folk traditions in her story about a boy who finds a link to his grandfather, behind the mask. Behind the Mask is a 2007 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.

Shortly after coming to America, Mr. Kim, owner of a tofu factory in the Bronx, gets a fluffy silver cat that makes her home in his factory and one night saves it from burning down.

The new kid in school needs a new name! Or does she? Being the new kid in school is hard enough, but what about when nobody can pronounce your name? Having just moved from Korea, Unhei is anxious that American kids will like her. So instead of introducing herself on the first day of school, she tells the class that she will choose a name by the following week. Her new classmates are fascinated by this no-name girl and decide to help out by filling a glass jar with names for her to pick from. But while Unhei practices being a Suzy, Laura, or Amanda, one of her classmates comes to her neighborhood and discovers her real name and its special meaning. On the day of her name choosing, the name jar has mysteriously disappeared. Encouraged by her new friends, Unhei chooses her own Korean name and helps everyone pronounce it—Yoon-Hey.

New Cat loves everything about living in Mr. Kim's tofu factory, except for one thing: she has seen a mouse in the production room, where Mr. Kim doesn't allow her to go. She knows that one of her jobs is to chase mice, but how can she do this if she can't go where they are? In this charming picture book, Yangsook Choi tells the story of the night that New Cat follows her instincts rather than Mr. Kim's wishes and gets more than she bargained for.