HOPE LIM

Illustrated by Jaime Kim 
​Candlewick Press ​| April 12, 2022

When a young boy and his mother travel overseas to her childhood home in Korea, the town is not as he imagined. Will he be able to see it the way Mommy does? 

This gentle, contemplative picture book about family origins invites us to ponder the meaning of home. A young boy loves listening to his mother describe the place where she grew up, a world of tall mountains and friends splashing together in the river. Mommy's stories have let the boy visit her homeland in his thoughts and dreams, and now he's old enough to travel with her to see it for himself. But when mother and son arrive, the town is not as he imagined. Skyscrapers block the mountains, and crowds hurry past. The boy feels like an outsider - until they visit the river where his mother used to play, and he sees that the spirit and happiness of those days remain. Sensitively pitched to a child's eye view, this vivid story honors the immigrant experience and the timeless bond between parent and child, past and present. 


Teacher Tips ​
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National Council for the Social Studies Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People 

​2022 APALA Best of the Best Booklist 

A Bank Street College of Education Best Children's Book of the Year 2023

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection ​

The Original Art show 2022 (The Society of Illustrators) -Jaime Kim
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​"An uplifting, intergenerational story."

Kirkus, Starred Review 



"Lim poignantly explores the tension between new and old in this setting-oriented tribute to family bonds."

Publishers Weekly, Starred Review 
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"A beautiful addition to any library shelf where the connection between generations is the discussion."

​School Library Journal 



"This gentle, layered story will resonate with imaginative readers as it shares a message of optimism and beauty." 

Booklist


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