Mommy's Hometown

March 15, 2022
Grades K-2 As part of their nighttime routine, Mommy tells her youngster about the place where she spent her childhood. She describes a peaceful village with a gleaming, meandering river where she and her friends would fish and play. Readers are treated to sumptuous full-page spreads devoid of text, where they can linger and imagine, like the child does, dreaming of a carefree life in a beautiful place. The child is surprised when the pair visit Mommy's hometown and find it changed. The place is not named, but details in the illustrations suggest it is in Korea. In place of the rustic beauty are gleaming high-rises and other trappings of urbanity, all of which have risen around Mommy's old home, where grandmother still lives. Despite their initial disappointment, mother and child find joy as they explore the town. The river is still there, and it provides as much beauty and pleasure as ever before. Also constant are the bonds between people. This gentle, layered story will resonate with imaginative readers as it shares a message of optimism and beauty.

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April 1, 2022

K-Gr 2-A young boy listens as his mother tells him about her hometown when she was growing up: "She said an old river weaved through her village like a long thread. It sparkled in the morning and shimmered at dusk." The young boy is excited to finally get to travel by train to see this wonderful place that he's only heard about. Upon arrival, he's surprised to see that the village is now a giant city with tall skyscrapers and people bustling everywhere. His mother tells him that things have changed over the years, but that some things have stayed the same. The pair finds the family house standing on the corner with they boy's grandma excitedly waiting for them. As they venture around the city, they come to the river and decide to wade in, just like the mother did as a young girl. Cherubic characters are adorably set in full-color backgrounds on the majority of the pages. Illustrations are digital and all characters are Asian. This picture book lends itself nicely to compare and contrast, then and now, as well as talking about what happens to the landscape when concrete and buildings take over. VERDICT A beautiful addition to any library shelf where the connection between generations is the discussion.-Tracy Cronce

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Starred review from May 2, 2022
Lim poignantly explores the tension between new and old in this setting-oriented tribute to family bonds. Using evocative first-person prose, the book opens with a child recounting stories about Mommy’s rural hometown (“The mountains nearby stood like giants”), but when the pair, who read as East Asian, travel for a visit, the landscape—now full of glimmering high-rises and stores covered with Korean signage—appears different than expected, perplexing the child: “Is this really the same place where Mommy grew up?” A playful wade in the river allows the two to re-create some of Mommy’s childhood experiences, and a welcome from Grandma further reassures that “Some things change, and some things stay the same.” Moving smoothly between rural and urban environments, Kim’s carefully illuminated digital graphics play dexterously with shadow, adding drama to the duo’s journey. Ages 3–7.

Starred review from April 15, 2022
A child visits their mother's hometown and is surprised to find it now differs from her recollections. Mommy regales the young narrator with bedtime stories about a playful, carefree childhood. Against the backdrop of a verdant countryside and towering mountains, a lush river provided ample opportunity for Mommy and her friends to catch fish, splash, and treasure hunt. Idyllic and joyful, these vivid memories have given the child high expectations for an upcoming visit. A train car window offers the first glimpse of a vastly different landscape. Bustling streets and gleaming skyscrapers crowd the horizon, and the mountains struggle to be seen. The striking contrast between reality and anticipation both awes and disappoints the child. Yet while many things have changed, the river still flows through the city center. Hand in hand, Mommy and child wade in, re-creating the cherished moments of Mommy's youth. The pair make their own memories in this special place, reinforcing that it is familial bonds and unconditional love that define home rather than physical surroundings. A tranquil warmth radiates from the illustrations, providing an underlying feeling of safety throughout the journey. Mommy and child are Korean, with black hair and pale skin. (This book was reviewed digitally.) An uplifting, intergenerational story. (Picture book. 3-8)

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