HOPE LIM
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Illustrated by Il Sung Na
Neal Porter Books/Holiday House | May 4, 2021 When a young boy's beloved plum tree falls in a storm, he feels like he's lost both a friend and a connection to his old home. A young boy, recently arrived from Korea, finds a glorious plum tree in his new backyard. It reminds him of a tree his family had back home, and he names it "Plumee" for the deep purple plums on its branches. Whenever the boy is homesick, he knows he can take shelter in Plumee's tall branches. And when a storm brings the old tree down, he and his friends have all kinds of adventures on its branches, as it becomes a dragon, a treehouse, and a ship in their imaginations. But soon it's time to say goodbye when the remains of the tree are taken away. Before long, a new plum tree is planted, new blossoms bloom, and a new friendship takes root. A South Korean immigrant herself, Hope Lim brings her perspective on the struggle for child immigrants to feel at home to bear through spare, poetic text, perfectly matched by soft, lyrical illustrations by Korean artist Il Sung Na. Educator's Guide |
A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
Bologna Children’s Book Fair 2022, winning illustrator - Il Sung Na
The Original Art show 2021 (The Society of Illustrators)- Il Sung Na
A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
Bologna Children’s Book Fair 2022, winning illustrator - Il Sung Na
The Original Art show 2021 (The Society of Illustrators)- Il Sung Na
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"Transcending time and place, this gentle book will take root in many hearts."
Kirkus, Starred Review
"Empathic vulnerability marks every page of Lim's story...Lim and Na's poignantly affecting collaboration is a reassuring homage to resilient adaptation, familial support and unexpectedly nurturing friendships, ensuring My Tree will take root in hearts of all ages."
Shelf Awareness, Starred Review
"Na (That’s My Carrot) gives this quiet story heft and drama with bold, crisped-edged forms; saturated hues; and feathery details. The spreads flow into each other, carrying much of the story’s emotional weight. Lim, meanwhile, crafts this story with a tree-scale sense of time, paying homage to an arboreal marker of the past and offering hope that stretches out into the future."
Publishers Weekly
"Themes of resilience, hope, and vulnerability run through Lim’s simple and poetic text. Na’s digital illustrations help build empathy. . . . Gentle symbolism employed throughout creates opportunities for discussion of change, connection, and adaptation."
The Horn Book
"This tale of a boy’s devotion and regard for the natural world is quietly endearing, and the young protagonist will be a comfort to others who have said goodbye to home."
School Library Journal