Sora's seashells

Helena Ku Rhee

Book - 2023

Every summer, when Sora's Halmoni, or grandmother, visits from South Korea, the two of them take the bus to the beach to search for seashells. While Sora likes to take all of them back with her, Halmoni always leaves the prettiest shell for someone else to find and treasure. As summer turns to fall, Halmoni returns home and Sora starts kindergarten, where some of the kids tease her about her "weird" name. One day, Sora's parents receive a sad call about her grandmother, and Sora feels more lost than ever about who she is and how she fits in. But when her parents reveal the origin of her name, Sora channels a newfound pride and, inspired by Halmoni, combats her peers' hurtful comments by sharing her shells with every...one in her class - From the publisher.

Saved in:

Children's Room Show me where

jE/Rhee
2 / 2 copies available
Location Call Number   Status
Children's Room jE/Rhee Checked In
Children's Room jE/Rhee Checked In
Subjects
Genres
Picture books
Published
Somerville, Massachusetts : Candlewick Press 2023.
Language
English
Main Author
Helena Ku Rhee (author)
Other Authors
Ji-Hyuk Kim (illustrator), Stella Lim
Edition
First edition
Item Description
"A name is a gift to be treasured."--Back of book jacket.
Physical Description
1 volume (unpaged) : color illustrations ; 26 cm
ISBN
9781536209938
Contents unavailable.
Review by Kirkus Book Review

In her grief, a child finds new meaning in a cherished activity. Sora's Korean grandmother, Halmoni, visits every summer. One of their favorite activities is finding shells on the beach. Sora observes as Halmoni collects a beautiful shell and leaves it on a bench before they leave. When they return the next day, they find that the shell is gone. Halmoni explains that the shell "wasn't ours. It was a gift." A puzzled Sora reacts by filling a jar with shells she hides for herself. Weeks later, Sora starts kindergarten and struggles with classmates who mock her name. Tragedy also strikes as Halmoni suddenly passes away. The family mourns by taking a trip to the coast. There, her mother explains that Halmoni had named her Sora (Korean for seashell) because "finding a perfect shell is like receiving a wonderful gift." The illustrators deftly layer shadows and blurs boundaries between colors, evoking the feeling of a warm memory. The gently paced narrative reveals Sora, now understanding her grandmother's words, bringing her jar of shells for show and tell. After explaining her name, she gives each classmate a shell, changing a few minds in the process. As her own tribute, Sora places her last shell on the same bench. Sora is biracial; her mother is Korean, and her father is White. Her classmates are diverse. (This book was reviewed digitally.) A tender tale of loss and love. (Picture book. 5-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.