25 Mar / The Firekeeper’s Son by Linda Sue Park, illustrated by Julie Downing [in AsianWeek]
Set in early 19th-century Korea, The Firekeeper’s Son is the very first picture book for Newbery Award-winner Linda Sue Park. When his father is injured, young Sang-hee must take on the very important responsibility of lighting the mountaintop fire above their village. The large bonfire signals to the next mountaintop village that all is well, and each mountaintop is subsequently lit until the last fire, which is closest to the palace, alerts the king that peace continues to reign in his kingdom.
Review: “New and Notable Books,” AsianWeek, March 25, 2004
Tidbit: Linda Sue Park was a much lauded guest for the Smithsonian’s Korean American Centennial Commemoration‘s fall program, “Children’s Books,” on September 13, 2003.
Readers: Children
Published: 2004