Hŭi-na Paek

Tong Tong buys some new "marbles," but they're actually candies - and when he eats one, he can hear a voice. A red and yellow plaid candy is the couch's voice, telling Tong Tong that the remote is stuck between its cushions, and please also could he tell his dad to stop farting? A bristly gray one is Tong Tong's dad's voice (I love you I love you I love you), a pink one is his (dead) Grandma's, and white and brown speckly one is his old dog's (it's not that I don't like you, it's just that show more I'm so old and tired all the time). At last, a clear candy doesn't speak at all, and Tong Tong realizes he must speak first, to make a new friend.

The surreal and supernatural is found often in middle grade and YA but less so in picture books; this one has an appealing flavor. show less

On a hot night in Korea, the moon begins to melt - drip....drip....drip - and Granny thinks fast, running outside with a bucket to "catch the falling moon drops." When the power goes out in their apartment building, Granny makes icy, sweet moon pops for all the neighbors, and the heat melts away. Granny even has a plan for the moon rabbits who have temporarily lost their home.

A near-black background sets off the luminous moon drops, and mixed media (diorama, collage, pen and ink on paper) show more illustrations are truly unique. A perfect storytime or bedtime book, especially on a hot summer night. show less

There are some nice sentiments as the magic candies of the title help a Korean kid span some communication gaps he doesn't seem aware he has, but the artwork is created with miniatures and photography, giving it a stop-motion animation look that's a little too creepy and off-putting for me. I might enjoy this more if it were actually an animated movie.

(Another project! I'm reading all the picture books and graphic novels from NPR's Books We Love 2021: Kids’ Books list.)

When a boy eats a candy that's plaid like his couch, it starts talking to him! What will the other candies do? The sharply focused photographs of clay figures and landscapes are incredibly impressive and engaging, and the family relationships are both touching and sad. Younger children may be confused at the underlying meanings that will be clear to adults and some older children. This would be a fascinating title to teach and discuss with a classroom of older elementary kids.