Where’s Halmoni?

In Kim’s first outing as author, two clever modern-day kids meet characters from Korean lore as they search for their missing halmoni (Korean for grandmother). After Noona and Joon follow tiger tracks through a mysterious door, they’re transported to a breathtaking Asian landscape studded with jade-colored mountains and stunted pines. They meet a rabbit who snarfs down their snacks, mischievous goblins who give them a magical door knocker in exchange for yet more snacks (Joon’s knapsack is well stocked), a bushy-tailed fox, and a treacherous tiger, all of whom speak only Korean; their lines are written out in Hangul (translations are offered in the back). Readers who don’t know Korean won’t mind: Noona and Joon don’t know much Korean, either, and the pictures make everything clear. The children are never intimidated by their adversaries, even when the action is no-kidding threatening. The sibling banter is believable and delightful, Kim’s panel sequences teem with energy, and her story spotlights comedy over danger: at one point, a goblin proffers the children a pair of furry underwear, and the big showdown turns into an epic bout of “rock paper scissors.” Ages 5–9. (Oct.)