Horn Book Review
In this picture book set in 1950, Kyung lives with her family in a seaside house in the southeastern Korean coastal city of Busan. As the North Korean and Chinese militaries push south, many families begin to flee toward Busan. Kyung's parents take several of these refugees in, giving them shelter and safety. The girl shares her home, food, parents' attention, and sleeping mat, which she tolerates but becomes increasingly annoyed about. She eventually learns grace and perspective: "visitors are not stones we can toss into the sea. They are people, our neighbors, to help and to love." Cha's illustrations pay exquisite attention to the beauty of the seaside landscape, using color to intensify the experience of being near the ocean. Vibrant greens and blues swirl, producing the feeling of an ever-moving sea, while wheaty shades of tan create sand and scrub, all of which contrast with the darkness of a makeshift air raid shelter where women and children hide. This gorgeously illustrated book contains beautiful turns of phrase and metaphors ("we sat like two quiet hills, the breeze combing through our hair"). It's a touching homage to the author's own grandparents' heroism, which also offers rare insight into complex feelings about personal sacrifice and witnessing the suffering of others. A glossary is appended, and author and illustrator notes provide historical context. Julie Hakim AzzamJanuary/February 2024 p.88 (c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
During the Korean War, a family adjusts as they take in refugees in their Busan home. As Umma and Appa usher the families inside their small coastal home, Kyung Tak is asked to welcome them. Among the strangers, Kyung finds a friend, Sunhee, who cries as she tells Kyung how men from the north took her father's fishing boat. Kyung gives the older girl a fish-shaped stone for comfort. As more people arrive, the constant noise, increasing chores, and lack of space start to take a toll. A siren sounds one day, and everyone rushes to the underground shelter to wait in the darkness. Even after they emerge, Kyung feels the darkness linger and cries, longing to return to life before the war, before they took in so many strangers. The family comforts Kyung, and the guests reveal that they nicknamed the Taks' home "the house before falling into the sea" because if it weren't for the family's kindness, they might have been chased by soldiers off the cliffs. Drawing from her own family's experiences, Wang has crafted a lyrical gem of a story. Adopting a child's perspective, the author manages to make topics such as warfare and loss of one's home comprehensible to a young audience, while Cha's bold strokes and splashes of color convey movement and enhance the emotional weight of the subject. A poignant tale of light in the darkness--and compassion in times of war. (author's and illustrator's notes, questions to consider, glossary, guide to Korean names) (Picture book. 5-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Kyung lives with her parents on the southeast coast of Korea. Recently their house has become a haven for refugees from the north. Though Kyung's home is already crowded, her parents welcome everyone who knocks on their door asking for food or shelter. One day, while Kyung is collecting pebbles with Sunhee, a refugee girl she has befriended, sirens blare, and they run to an underground hiding place. After the threat subsides, Kyung sobs, longing for a return to her old life, but her mother reminds her that these people deserve their help and their love. And Sunhee's father explains that he calls Kyung's home "the house before falling into the sea" because without Kyung's family's help, "soldiers might have chased us farther, until we fell into the sea." Wang's story, based on her mother's account of growing up in a household that welcomed people displaced during the Korean War, is a touching narrative that focuses mainly on the children's experiences. The back matter includes an informative glossary and notes from both the writer and the illustrator, whose grandmother lived near the story's setting as a teenager. Cha's expressive mixed-media illustrations reflect the characters' emotions and recreate the beautiful setting in this moving picture book.
