Description: "Super Korean New Years with Grandma celebrates grandmas, superheroes without whom none of us would exist, and the cultural traditions they bear that unify and nourish families across space and time. The millennia-old Korean New Year's tradition exemplifies the universal importance of multi-generational family and of immigrant origins"--
Brief description: Mary Chi-Whi Kim is a mother of two beautiful Afro-Asian children and a writer and educator who lives in Savannah, Georgia. Her essays, stories, and poems have featured in The New York Times Magazine, NPR's Snap Judgment, The Heartlands Today, Calliope, Calyx, Primavera, Many Mountains Moving, Margie, Women's Arts Quarterly, and Literary Mama. She won two poem commissions from the Multicultural Center of The Ohio State University from which she earned a BA and MA in English Literature. Also gaining an MFA in Creative Writing from Bowling Green State University, she garnered publication for her poetry chapbook, Silken Purse, from Pudding House Press. Her multi-genre creative writing/self-help book dedicated to survivors of childhood sexual assault, Karma Suture, garnered an Honorable Mention in the Writers' Digest International Self-Published Books Contest. Committing two decades to the field of education, she has taught multicultural English literature and creative writing at the Seoul Language Institute, The Ohio State University, and Savannah College of Art and Design.
Review Quotes:
"Easily accessible to all readers, this heartwarming book celebrates the values of family, generational storytelling, and South Korean Sol Nal traditions. Sharing this story with children opens the door for teaching the importance of understanding familial customs and cherishing our elders."
Nicol Nixon Augusté, PhD, Professor and Author of Rome's Female Saints: A Poetic Pilgrimage to the Eternal City
"While most East Asians celebrate the lunar New Year, those of any ancestry can enjoy reading this delightful book with their children and grandchildren."
Weihua Zhang, PhD, Professor and Author of Dream Variations
"Validating the importance of immigrants and the traditions they bear, this book reminds us all to heed our past that serves as a bridge to the present and future. Sol Nal as a cultural holiday interweaves the significance of the natural world with that of time and of family."
Patrick Rossiter, EdS, retired Principal of Tybee Island Marine Academy
"Super Korean New Years with Grandma is a lovely mix of heart, soul, education and gorgeous illustrations. Now I'm hungry and want to call my grandma!."
Emmett Williams, Filmmaker and Activist
"This sweet story of a young Korean child learning about their family traditions and language features illustrations that make you feel like you are part of the festivities. Especially important not just for Korean but for all children is to see and learn about their own and others' cultures. Representation is so essential and foundational in helping children develop a positive self-concept."
Rona Taylor, Social Worker and Mother of two