The Legend of Hong Kil Dong: The Robin Hood of Korea

Beautiful illustration and a clear story line describe this Korean legendary character, along with some of the complicated cultures mores of the early Yi Dynasty, its injustices, and several traditions and customs, without being intrusive or didactic. I was so taken by the strong illustration on the cover and the classic treatment of the cloud background that I sat down immediately and devoured the brilliantly told story. Notable are O'Brien's skilled yet fresh illustrations and the clean layout, as well as her ability to convey the particularity of hard-to-describe Korean sensibility in her brushwork and color use. I also loved the I Ching hexagrams and careful historical accuracy, in particular the clever choice of King Sejong as the show more monarch of the time.

O'Brien brings such riches to this graphic novel: iconographic images of classic Korean art, accurate and warm depictions of architecture and scenery that it almost becomes a well-researched visual reference book of Korean culture and history. The author's note at the end is equally revealing, as is her web site. Highly recommended for middle-schoolers and anyone interested in enduring stories and legends from other cultures and traditions. show less

This story was quite interesting and would be geared towards middle schoolers because of its length and more complex words. The book is a graphic novel which was a fun way to depict a story but at time was confusing to read and follow the plot line. The illustrations were done really well and focused on the Korean culture which would be great to use for representation.

This book is about a young boy who faces trials to find his purpose of leading a group of bandits to return justice to those who face injustice. This is just a good storybook, more for entertainment than cultural awareness. Lots of reading so definitely 4th-6th grade.

A Korean Robin Hood told in graphic novel format. The story is interesting. The language seems to be aimed at older readers while the illustrations seem young. Kil Dong never ages. He always has the same childlike face, making it hard to see the passage of time. In some places the book was confusing. However, there is not much on Korean folktales.

This book is filled with more words but it still contains plenty of visuals. The pictures and illustrations are very detailed and represent the Asian culture. The story line is for a more mid level reader.

The Legend of Hong Kil Dong is a great book about a folktale in South Korean history. The art is done in water color and styles related to traditional Korean Art. The book would be great for third grade up and due to more abstract ideas such as heroism and honor.

Summary: The Korean equivalent to Robin Hood.
Review: I enjoyed reading a story about another culture and place. It is set up in an almost graphic novel, comic strip way but I was able to follow along. Can definitely be used by older children in learning about other cultures and even different ways to write a book.