Halmoni and the Picnic

by Sook Nyul Choi

Book Overview

When Yunmi's class plans a picnic in Central Park, her Korean grandmother, Halmoni, agrees to chaperone.But Yunmi worries that the other children will make fun of Halmoni's traditional Korean dress... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0395616263
• ISBN13: 9780395616260
• Release Date: September 1993
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
• Length: 32 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 7.6" x 10.3"
• Age Range: 4 to 7 years
• Grade Range: Preschool to Grade 2

Customer Reviews

This book is awesome!

Yunmi's Grandmother Halmoni did not talk English because she was Koren. One day the teacher wanted to have a picnic and wanted adults to come. Yunmi wanted Halmoni to come and she said yes and every one loved her. We liked when Halmoni set up the food because it looks good. We didn't like when Halmoni missed Korea because she was sad. We think families and their kids should read this book. Mrs. Wallace's Second Grade Class

Halmoni and the Picnic

I think that Halmoni is a great person. She is a friendly lady from South Korea. I like the book a lot because it taught me a big lesson about people and their culture. The second lesson that the book taught me was to ignore people who think they would make fun of you because you are different. My favorite part of the book was when Halmoni and the kids jumped rope in Central Park. Halmoni made new friends. This made me very happy. I thought that Halmoni would return to South Korea, because she could not adjust or find any friends in America. I recommend this book to any child who feels that they can not make any friends because they are different. By; Brittney Lee Age: 8 Class 3-509 at P.S. 79 in the Bronx, NY area.

Touching

Perhaps the best aspect of this book is the obvious love between Yunmi and her Halmoni (grandmother). When Halmoni makes kimbap (a labor-intensive traditional Korean food), it is a labor of love for the Korean-American granddaughter she does not always understand. When Yunmi calls hello to her teacher on the street, Halmoni worries that her granddaughter is showing disrespect. In Halmoni's time and culture, a little girl should not attract a teacher's attention. In Yunmi's society, such a greeting is not only respectful but friendly. Although Halmoni's sadness is resolved a little too easily (is it realistic that small school-children would happily eat seaweed?), the children's innocent acceptance and validation of Halmoni is a beautiful example to other Korean-American families struggling to fit into predominantly Caucasian America. A little girl learns to be proud of her grandmother and heritage.

This is a great children's book!

The text and illustrations are good, I think books such as these are hard to come by. Rarely is there a book which deals with generation/culture gaps as well as My Halmoni and the Picnic. It was sensitive, touching and very rewarding to read. Whether one is Korean or not, the book weaves the importance of the relationship we as people should have with our grandmothers (or grandfathers) and how much we can learn from the wisdom and experience.