cover image Maya and the Turtle: A Korean Fairy Tale

Maya and the Turtle: A Korean Fairy Tale

Soma Han and John C. Stickler, illus. by Soma Han. Tuttle, $14.95 (32p) ISBN 978-0-8048-4277-8

The husband-and-wife team of Stickler and Han retells a fairy tale from Han’s childhood, in which a young woman’s kindness and bravery are rewarded handsomely. The story has some dark moments—Maya’s mother dies early on, her father later falls ill, and a village sacrifices people to combat a monster caterpillar—but ends happily for Maya, who, in true fairy tale tradition, ends up marrying a prince. Han’s rough, stylized paintings pair traditional Korean costumes and settings with quirky details (the word “love” is spelled out in leaves near Maya in one scene), while footnotes offer information about Korean culture. Ages 4–8. (Sept.)