Written by Melissa Cooper A flurry of kindergarteners zoom past on tricycles, sticks clenched between their teeth, fully in character as Nezuko, the demon from the wildly popular manga Demon Slayer. This series took Japan by storm, captivating everyone from toddlers to teens. Despite its violent story - beginning with the brutal slaughter of the … Continue reading #INTYALITMONTH: Manga, Manhwa, and Manhua
#INTYALITMONTH: Graphic Novels of Displacement
Written by Angela Erickson Those of us who work or live in a world of books know that perhaps the richest terrain for graphic novelists is memoir and biography. As I type this, I can picture the covers of Maus, Persepolis, and Dragon Hoops -- some of the graphic memoirs that I regularly press into … Continue reading #INTYALITMONTH: Graphic Novels of Displacement
#INTYALITMONTH: Banned books in Korea too?
Written by Fiona Collins Banned Book Club – by Kim Hyun Sook / Illustrated by Hyung-Ju Ko / Translated from Korean by Ryan Estrada (Iron Circus Comics/2020) – KOREA Korean literature in translation is extremely popular at the current time, thanks in no small part to Han Kang who recently became the first Asian woman … Continue reading #INTYALITMONTH: Banned books in Korea too?
#WorldKidLit Wednesday: The Shade Tree
On a hot day, how wonderful it is to be able to sit outside in the shade of a tree! And how terrible to be deprived of the opportunity by one person’s greed and selfishness. In The Shade Tree, renowned picture book creator Suzy Lee retells a traditional Korean folk tale. As the story goes, … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: The Shade Tree
#WorldKidLit Wednesday: Let’s Play Gonggi
Many of us adults now look back on our decidedly low-tech childhood pastimes with fondness. I remember playing hopscotch, for example, and partaking in neighborhood baseball games. In my family literacy work, I often encourage parents and caregivers to share their "old-school" games with their children. After all, play is a child's work— and adults … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Let’s Play Gonggi
#WorldKidLit Wednesday: Almond
Selected as a 2021 GLLI Translated YA Book Prize honor book, Almond is the story of Soon Yunjae, who as child is diagnosed with alexithymia, or the inability to identify and express one’s feelings. His amygdalae—the almond shaped structures in the brain responsible for interpreting external stimuli as emotional responses— are, as he explains, "unusually … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Almond
#WorldKidLit Wednesday: Magic Candies
I don't mean to brag, but my colleagues recognize me as a children's book maven. I often seem to know of the newest and most notable picture books, and get my hands on them as soon as they are available. How do I do it? In addition to reading a few trade publications and blogs, … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Magic Candies
Speculative Fiction in Translation: One Hundred Shadows
One Hundred Shadows by Hwang Jungeun translated from the Korean by Jung Yewon Tilted Axis Press October 3, 2016 152 pages In her introduction to One Hundred Shadows, Man Booker International Prize winner Han Kang sums up the surreal yet recognizable atmosphere of the novel when she calls it a well-controlled mix of fantasy and … Continue reading Speculative Fiction in Translation: One Hundred Shadows
Publisher Spotlight: Kurodahan Press
In mid-2002, a group of language professionals living in Japan began to discuss the need for a new kind of publisher—one that could serve readers in English and Japanese, with titles meant for both general and specialist markets. Reflecting the skills and interests of its founding directors, Kurodahan Press first offered books relating to Japan, … Continue reading Publisher Spotlight: Kurodahan Press
Global Literature in Libraries Initiative 