The Other Side of Tomorrow

In 2013, to survive deprivation and starvation in North Korea, two tweens scavenge to support their families and risk even greater hardships seeking freedom. On his 10th birthday, Yunho, who lives with his grandmother, finds himself missing his mother more than ever, remembering how “we ate creatively./ One day a mouse/ ran through our house/ until it was no more./ Omma made plans/ after that dinner./ She could find work and food in China.” Since his mother’s departure two years ago, Yunho has waited for his own way out. Eleven-year-old Myunghee sells vegetables and forages medicinal plants for her sickly great-aunt, but she dreams of pop stardom while singing along to South Korean DVDs—contraband media that could spell trouble for her family. Omma finally sends for Yunho, but when escape plans go awry, he crosses paths with Myunghee, who saves him. This gripping graphic novel by Cho (God’s Little Astronomer) and Lee (In Limbo) about childhood under dictator Kim Jong Un balances horror and wonder in both its poetic language and vibrant imagery. Lee’s dynamic Procreate illustrations emphasize light and shadow to brilliantly illuminate the tweens’ harrowing situations in this intimate, cohesive collaboration. A note on North Korean history concludes. Ages 8–12. (Nov.)