Bibliography:
Yangsook, Choi. 2005. PEACH HEAVEN. New York, NY: Frances Foster Books. ISBN 978-0-374-35761-0.
Plot Summary:
Yangsook is a young girl who lives in a small village in South Korea. Yangsook dreams of a peach orchard where she can eat all the peaches she wants unlike the one on the mountain behind her small village where she's not allowed to eat the peaches. One day something very strange happens, there is a huge storm and it starts raining peaches! Yangsook quickly realizes they are from the peach orchard nearby and decides she and her friends need to get the peaches back to the orchard for the farmers need to be able to sell the peaches.
Critical Analysis:
Yangsook is a young girl who lives in a small village in South Korea. Yangsook dreams of a peach orchard where she can eat all the peaches she wants unlike the one on the mountain behind her small village where she's not allowed to eat the peaches. One day something very strange happens, there is a huge storm and it starts raining peaches! Yangsook quickly realizes they are from the peach orchard nearby and decides she and her friends need to get the peaches back to the orchard for the farmers need to be able to sell the peaches.
Critical Analysis:
Peach Heaven is a cute little story that is actually a true story. One of the heaviest rainfalls hit Puchon, South Korea on August 12, 1976 and it actually rained peaches, all coming from the nearby peach orchards. I love a simple story that is actually a true story. There is an author's note at the end of the story that explains what occurred on that fateful day but also how Koreans view the peach as a symbol of peace and a strong defense against evil.
The illustrations in the book are beautiful and colorful, probably very true to what some of the small villages use to look like. The homes depicted are traditional Hanoks, while the clothes are traditional clothing. I love the homes and how the grandmother has a little role in the book, since it's common for generations to live under the same roof this is an accurate depiction. Yangsook is a sweet little girl who loves the peaches but knows the farmers need the peaches so they can sell them for money so she selflessly comes up with the idea to round up the peaches and take them back.
Yangsook Choi, the author is from South Korea and remembers the day that it rained peaches so the story and illustrations are true to her memory which is wonderful. It's a great opportunity for children to see how a Korean family lives and what the village and countryside looks like.
Review Awards and Excerpts:
"The colored pencil artwork, full and double-page spread, has an appealing simplicity." - Booklist
"The colored pencil artwork, full and double-page spread, has an appealing simplicity." - Booklist
"Yangsook's vision of peace and harmony mirrors Choi's personal experiences, and her thoughtful main character embodies the same pensive tone found in the soft brownish-greenish peachy palate, making the whole experience one tasty bite." - Kirkus Reviews
"Deftly told and gracefully illustrated, Choi's vibrant and appealing childhood recollection is a memorable tale of a young person making a difference." - The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
"Colorful illustrations clearly evoke the tale's setting and the emotions of the characters. Told from Yangsook's point of view, the narrative is sweet and direct." - School Library Journal
"Choi's vivid recollection of one extraordinary day takes on the timeless feel of a classic tale." - Publishers Weekly
"Deftly told and gracefully illustrated, Choi's vibrant and appealing childhood recollection is a memorable tale of a young person making a difference." - The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
"Colorful illustrations clearly evoke the tale's setting and the emotions of the characters. Told from Yangsook's point of view, the narrative is sweet and direct." - School Library Journal
"Choi's vivid recollection of one extraordinary day takes on the timeless feel of a classic tale." - Publishers Weekly
Connections:
- I like the idea of it raining something that a child loves so they have a lot of it, I'd ask children what they hope it would rain and why. What could they do with everything? Could it be of help to someone? How many uses could they have for that item?
No comments:
Post a Comment