Frances Carpenter,
Tales of a Korean Grandmother
Tuttle, 1989.

Ages 6+

In Tales of a Korean Grandmother we are introduced to a Korean family on the day when all the male members of the household make their annual offerings at the family grave mounds outside the city of Seoul. As a girl, Ok Cha will never leave the precincts of her home, whether her current one, or her future husband's, whereas her brother Yong Tu is free to explore. Ok Cha is slightly envious of her brother's freedom - but not unduly so. Both children love to hear their grandmotherfs stories about animals, tricksters, poor people, rich people, magic and spirits. She also tells a legend about how the Korean script was invented; and even a Cinderella story.

Although subtitled "32 Traditional Tales from Korea," Tales of a Korean Grandmother is much more than a retelling of stories. The narrative is based around the authentically portrayed daily-life of the wealthy Kim family and the stories which Halmoni (Grandmother) tells Ok Cha, Yung Tu, and her other grandchildren. This both brings the stories alive and provides a real sense of the role oral history plays in the handing down of customs and culture through generations. Halmoni weaves history and myth together into her lively, intriguing tales, and, pleasingly, she has a story for every situation, whether expected (for example, the celebrations of New Year) or not (an outbreak of smallpox in the city).

The book itself is attractively produced, with black and white illustrations and a bright, engaging cover. mThe chapters are well spaced, which will help the book appeal to readers who might otherwise be put off by the density of the text. However, there is a caveat. The book first appeared in 1947, in the wake of the Second World War. The last story in the book, "The Rock of the Falling Flower", and an epilogue in which Ok Cha is now a grandmother herself, telling stories to her grandchildren, both focus on the Japanese occupation of Korea, with reference also to the arrival of US forces in what was to become South Korea. Whilst it is important to be sensitive to the realities of history, including understandable contemporary attitudes towards both an oppressing people and liberators from them, this final section of Tales of a Korean Grandmother will require careful discussion and contextualisation for today's young readers.

That said, Tales of a Korean Grandmother is a wonderful source of Korean folklore and fascinating social history. Readers/listeners will enjoy being Halmoni's audience, as well as delving into what life was like for children in Korea more than a hundred years ago.

Marjorie Coughlan
April 2009