My Name is Yoon

Yoon is a little girl from Korea. When her family moves to America, she must learn to write her name in English. But Yoon likes the way her name dances together in Korean and refuses to be Yoon at school. After trying out names like "cat" and "bird", Yoon finally decides that being Yoon in America is not all bad.
Growing up in the military, I can relate to Yoon's hesitation to blend in to her new environment. It is hard for a child to leave their identity in one culture and move to another. Yoon's teacher displayed amazing patience and love for a young, displaced child.
I think I'd utilize this book when a new student arrives in my classroom. Living in a military town, we often get children from other cultures and backgrounds in our show more school. Many children have spent time in Korea and may find comfort in reading this book. We could research our names in Korean and learn how to print them and the meanings, also. show less

I really enjoyed this book! The main character Yoon is a young girl who came to America from Korea. She loves to write her name in Korean, but when she comes to America she is not happy and her name no longer means the same to her. Throughout the book, Yoon calls herself different names that she hears such as “Cat,” “Bird,” and “Cupcake.” I really enjoyed the illustrations in the book that enhanced the story. Yoon was just a little girl so she didn’t truly understand what those names meant; however the illustrations enhanced the meanings of the words. In addition, the illustrations symbolized her innocence and loneliness. We were able to analyze her behavior and feelings over time as the story changed. And, we were able to show more follow as Yoon found her place in America. The imagery in the book helped to understand Yoon’s feelings as she found her place in a new world and eventually accepted her own self. It was interesting to hear the book from the perspective of a young girl who came from Korea. The book ended with Yoon wanted to write her own name in English, and realizing wherever she is, her name will always mean “shining wisdom.” show less

This piece of children’s literature is a story of a child named Yoon who is in a foreign environment where she is forced to adjust herself to her new settings. The first thing Yoon must to is learning how to write her name in English. Unfortunately, she does not like the way her named is spelling in English, so she tries to write other names. She soon starts to realize that her Korean name will always be a big part of who she is because it represents her Korean culture and just because she has to spell it in English, does not change the meaning. Yoon’s character is truly inspiring in this aspect because she wants to uphold her Korean culture and does not want to give in to conformity. The illustrations in this book add to the show more overall humorous tone of the book because of the amount of detail they possess. The illustrations are not only engaging, but they aid young readers to relate to Yoon and her struggles. The theme of acceptance and acculturation make this book something all immigrant students can relate to. show less

"An unhappy young immigrant seeks, and at last regains, a sense of self in this atmospheric, expressionistically illustrated episode. Instead of writing her own name on her papers at school, Yoon calls herself “Cat,” then “Bird”—“I wanted to be BIRD. I wanted to fly, fly back to Korea”—and even, after a classmate’s friendly culinary overture, “Cupcake.” Ultimately, she finds her balance again: “I write my name in English now. It still means Shining Wisdom.” Swiatkowska internalizes Yoon’s adjustment, both by depicting her escape fantasies literally, and by placing figures against expanses of wall that are either empty of decoration, or contain windows opening onto distant, elaborate landscapes. Reminiscent of show more Allen Say’s work for its tone, theme, and neatly drafted, often metaphorical art, this strongly communicates Yoon’s feelings in words and pictures both. She is also surrounded by supportive adults, and her cultural heritage, though specified, is given such a low profile that she becomes a sort of everychild, with whom many young readers faced with a similar sense of displacement will identify. (Picture book. 8-10)" www.kirkusreviews.com show less

Summary:
"My Name Is Yoon" by Helen Recorvits and illustrated by Gabi Swiatkoska is about a young girl name Yoon who moves to America with her parents. Because she now lives in America, she must learn to right her name using the American alphabet even though she likes her name better in Korean. At first, she refuses to write her name in English and instead uses writes the names of other things like CAT.

Personal Reaction:
I am currently trying to learn Korean as a second language and I thought this book would be interesting to read because it is reversed from my situation. The discouragement that Yoon faces when learning the English language is a struggle that many people face when learning a new language. It is also hard to change our show more way of thinking when it comes to learning about other cultures and language which makes is want to just quit. I think the best part of this book is the enjoyment that Yoon eventually finds in learning which is the key to something like learning a new language. You have to find the enjoyment in it.

Extension Ideas:
1.) This story works really well when it comes to children of different ethnic groups mingling together much like the character Yoon does in the story. Through this story children could learn to interact with each other even though they may come from a different part of the world.
2.) This story also introduces the language barrier that some students may encounter when English is not their first language. show less

Personal response: The text is easy to read, but there is a lot to love about this picture book. I have many ESL students of varying levels, from beginner with no English to nearly native speakers. They all began where Yoon is though, with learning a second language for the first time.

Curricular connections: discussions around immigration, valuing one's own culture and language, adapting to a new culture, learning a new language, courage, and making new friends.

Yoon is a young girl who has recently moved to the United States from Korea and is not excited or comfortable with learning English. She doesn't like the way her name looks in English, she prefers Korean. She believes that the meaning of her name, Shining Wisdom, gets lost in English. Her father encourages her to learn and practice English, and she toys with the idea of renaming herself, cat, bird or cupcake.

In the end Yoon recognizes that she will always be who she is no matter what language is used to spell her name. Great introduction to what defines a person. Highlights how lonely a child can be in a strange place, with no friends and learning an language that is unfamiliar to them.