All about Korea - by Ann Martin Bowler (Hardcover)

About the Book

There are more than 1.5 million Korean-Americans living in the United States, including 100,000 adopted children. This award-winning book offers an excellent introduction to the culture and history of Korea. It highlights favorite games, foods, special holidays, and after-school activities specific to Korea. Full color.

Book Synopsis

**Creative Child Magazine Preferred Choice Award Winner**

There are now over 1.5 million Korean-Americans living in the United States including 100,000 adopted children. All About Korea is perfect for educators and parents wishing to teach kids about this rich Asian culture. This Korean children's book is an excellent introduction to the culture and history of Korea. It highlights favorite games, foods, special holiday times, and after-school activities specific to Korea.

With All About Korea, kids will:

• Learn how to play the exciting Korean see-saw game with a friend and how to play jegi (Korean hacky-sack)
• Learn how to sing "Happy Birthday" in Korean and how to sing "Arirang" (Korea's most beloved song)
• Learn how kids say "hello!" and other essential words and phrases in the Korean language
• Learn how to make a white tiger puppet
• Enjoy traditional Korean stories such as Taming a Tiger and Two Foolish Green Frogs
• Enjoy easy Korean recipes for delicious treats like kimbap (roll-your-own wraps) and songpyeon (sweet filled rice cakes).

A timeless Korean book for kids and parents to treasure together, All About Korea offers not only the most significant facts about this unique country but also conveys the unique spirit that makes it one-of-a-kind.

Review Quotes

"All About Korea is a delightful children's book written by Ann Martin Bowler, an adoptive parent of two children from Korea. A wonderful resource for families who have adopted from Korea, the book--chalk full of interesting facts about Seoul--also serves as a useful and fun guide for anyone interested in Korean history and culture. Your child will love the fun stories, crafts and activities, as well as the vibrant and colorful pictures--beautifully illustrated by Soosoonam Barg, an artist and teacher from Seoul. Bowler also provides delicious recipes used in the rich Korean culture! We highly recommend All About Korea to our Korea families and their children. We encourage you to read the book with your child and, together, learn about Korea and your child's heritage!" --Angie Wharfield Ford, Director of Post Adoption Services, Holt International

"All About Korea is a rich trove of activities and information about Korea, compiled by author Ann Martin Bowler. In fifteen chapters, appealingly illustrated by Soosoonam Barg, Bowler presents history, games, folktales, some basic Korean language, songs, recipes, and information about holidays, arts and crafts, architecture, and values. In addition to use in the classroom, the many Korean-American parents and adoptive parents of Korean-born children will be gratified and assisted by Bowler and Barg's book in instilling in their bicultural children a sense of pride and respect for the Korean people and their country." --PaperTigers.org blog

"Explaining a country's culture is a difficult and rewarding task, and without a doubt, it requires contemplation and hard work. After reading All About Korea, I was certain that it was written by a Korean or Korean-American author. I was pleasantly surprised to see that a non-Korean had written such a thorough, informative yet succinct introduction about Korean culture. The book is accurate and covers a lot of ground, and the author manages to get past the superficial level of cultural understanding." --Jeong-Gwan Lee, Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in San Francisco

"If you are looking for a all-in-one book for a unit study about Korea, All About Korea is a perfect choice. It covers the history, culture, language, and stories of Korea along with instructions for activities and crafts you can do." --TheseTemporaryTents.com blog

"If you wanted one book to cover Korea from songs, folk tales, food, and crafts, this would be it. It's the kind of book where you learn something new every time you flip through it." --PragmaticMom.com blog

"Ms. Bowler has written a wonderful encyclopedia-like resource, with lots of activities to make it more exciting than just reading a textbook. Ms. Barg's illustrations are a cool format and make the story come to life. They are realistic and captivating. I could see schools or homeschool families using this book to teach a whole unit on Korea." --This Kid Reviews Books blog

"The All About Asia series is the children's version of a folklore handbook, a user-friendly encyclopedia, a DIY manual for experiencing an Asian country's culture from a youth's point of view." --AsianFortuneNews.com

"This book is a wonderful introduction to South Korea. It includes stories, songs, crafts, recipes and what life is like there. This book also has additional resources on the Tuttle Publishing website." --Crafty Moms Share blog

About the Author

Ann Martin Bowler worked as an educator for many years and now writes full time. She has visited Korea with her family many times and travels widely in Asia. She is the author of Gecko's Complaint and Adventures of the Treasure Fleet: How China Discovered the World, also available from Tuttle Publishing.

Soosoonam Barg was born in Seoul, Korea and teaches art and tapestry weaving in the United States and Korea. She was honored with the Scholastic Arts & Writing Award for being an outstanding educator. She has exhibited in many group and solo exhibitions, and has been profiled by The New York Times for her artwork.