English & Korean
4+
Tae Kwon Do
Martial Arts
Korean Creators
Perseverance
Respect
Dan-ah Kim
summary
The Grandmaster’s Daughter is a sweet and simple story that shows incidental representation of girls with black belts and tells the reader a bit more about the martial arts practice. Every morning, Sunny can be seen outside of the small dojang, doing chores and practicing her Tae Kwon Do. She teaches other students and gathers snacks. When we see Sunny practicing by herself, we find out that even black belts make mistakes!
I love the color gradients in the background illustrations, and I really love that the five tenets of Tae Kwon Do can be found within the story and in the back matter. The whimsical element of mountain spirits visiting the dojang to see the students was unexpected and will engage readers. There are specific points in the text about how Tae Kwon Do is all about personal control and strength for their own defense and to help protect others.
I really like stories that are styled as a “day in the life”, as if the reader has just dropped in on the main character. Author Illustrator Dan-ah Kim also happens to be a Grandmaster’s daughter, making this an own voices tale.
This book as kindly sent by Harper Kids, but all opinions are my own!
Dan-ah Kim
Dan-ah is an artist and designer, born in Seoul and now living in Brooklyn, N.Y. Dan-ah currently works as a graphic designer for film & television; making props, signage, and set dressing for the art department (member of IATSE local 829).
