Sharing isn’t always caring, but affection and scheming go hand in hand in this sweetly hilarious tale.”
—Kirkus Reviews, ‘Best Books of the Year’
★ “Kim Hyo-eun's delicious How We Share Cake, her second Korean import after the award-winning I Am the Subway …focuses on the pursuit of familial fairness … stylized pencil, watercolor, and collage illustrations—outlined in black and white, strategically enhanced with detailed colors and patterns—are reminiscent of comic panels with their generous use of white space, whimsy, and humor.”
—Terry Hong, Shelf Awareness, starred review
★ “In this clever, humorous Korean import, a young girl describes how she and her two brothers and two sisters share things fairly.”
—Horn Book Review, starred review
★ “In a family of five siblings, this book’s narrator—the second-oldest—describes how ‘we can split anything’ … Kim employs pencil and watercolor textures in sweetly amusing spreads that show how a wealth of items are allotted, in this moving work about divisions and connections.”
—Publishers Weekly, starred review
“A perfect summation of interpersonal family dynamics rendered in whimsical pencil and watercolor illustrations. Laugh out loud funny, the warmth that radiates from this picture book cannot be understated; How We Share Cake is sure to be a crowd pleaser at any read aloud!”
—Taylor Carlton, Brazos Bookstore
“This picture book is translated from Korean, with a few Korean words remaining for keen readers to learn. The story functions as an entertaining introduction to maths while beautifully capturing and celebrating family. For ages 3+.”
—Kim Gruschow, Readings Monthly
“Kim Hyo-eun brilliantly captures the essence of family dynamics in this outstanding story. A heart-felt, joy-filled delight.”
— Louise Ellis-Barrett, Armadillo Children’s Books
“Sharing is a hard concept to understand for young children, whether it is at home or at school and this is tackled here with so much empathy, humour, and sweetness.”
— Shelf Awareness
“This is a book to share, both as a family and even more, perhaps, in a classroom where it could give rise to interesting comment and discussion.”
— Books for Keeps
Praise for I Am the Subway:
SIX STARRED REVIEWS
★ “Lucky readers, climb aboard: extraordinary explorations await.” —Shelf Awareness
★ “I Am the Subway makes for an unforgettable journey.” —Bookpage
★ “[S]ensitive, closely observed portraits.” —Publishers Weekly
★ “A contemplative, poignant rendering of everyday journeys.” —Kirkus Reviews
★ “[B]eautiful and unusual.” —Youth Services Book Review
★ “Bewitching.” —Foreword
★ 2024-10-12
The art and science of sharing is put to the ultimate test.
As the second sister in this Korean family explains to readers, when you have four siblings, sharing takes on serious importance. Some things are easy to divvy up, like apples or liquids, but the world doesn’t always separate neatly. How do you portion out cotton candy…or your only uncle? Kim Hyo-eun uses mathematical concepts to explore the children’s commitment to fairness. To make sure everyone has equal access to a fan on a hot night, they each position themselves at 30-degree angles to it, and when their beloved uncle gives them a scooter, the siblings create a pie chart to figure out how much time everyone gets with it, but what happens when our protagonist falls off and injures her arm? How does that fit into the equations? The kids may squabble over their fair share, but when the narrator’s parents allow her to pick out a birthday cake on the way home from the hospital, she selects one that that’s easily divided among the five. With art that renders the kids as little more than heads, hair, and dots for facial features, Kim Hyo-eun pulls great emotion and pathos from seemingly simple designs. Originally published in South Korea, the book offers a tantalizing glimpse into everyday life that might contain some elements unfamiliar to American readers, while the universality of the family remains the true focus.
Sharing isn’t always caring, but affection and scheming go hand in hand in this sweetly hilarious tale.(Picture book. 4-6)
