Let's Play Ddakji

by Seo-Ha Im, Joon-Young Jang (Illustrator)

Overview

Including games featured in the acclaimed Netflix series, Squid Games!

A 2023 CBC Teacher Favorites Winner
A 2023 CBC Children's Favorite Winner

It's vacation time!
Woo is ready to visit his aunt, because that means he gets to play ddakji with his friends. Woo spent all year practicing and making the best ddakji—a bright, golden one. He made sure his was hard and heavy so he could beat Gorin, the reigning champion who won his ddakji last summer. When he loses to Gorin again, he makes it his mission to find the best material for his new ddakji so he can win. But Woo will find that a well crafted ddakji is only part of what it takes to win. The other? Fun!

In this vibrant story about friendly competition, Let’s Play Ddajki inspires kids to try a new game through Woo and Gorin’s love of ddakji. Complete with colorful illustrations and detailed instructions on how to fold a ddakji, anyone can learn how to play this traditional Korean game from start to finish.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781612545837
Publisher:	Brown Books Publishing Group
Publication date:	11/22/2022
Series:	Traditional Korean Games , #1
Pages:	44
Product dimensions:	9.06(w) x 10.67(h) x (d)
Lexile:	640L (what's this?)
Age Range:	6 - 10 Years

About the Author

Im Seo-Ha studied literature at university. After graduation, she worked as an editor for a publishing house. Still, the chattering little writer in her heart kept sticking her head out and writing. As an active co-creator of Three People—a creative group specializing in children’s books—she has written many books, including Let’s Play Gonggi, Let’s Play Jegi, Pick and Read Traditional Fairy Tales from Textbooks.

Jang Joon-Young majored in painting at both university and graduate school. She is inspired by the stories found in nature and the various stories of people. She strives to make picture books that warm the hearts of both children and adults. Jang has written and illustrated books such as What Kind of Sound Is This?, There Is a Road, Dinosaur Eggs and a Car, and illustrated What You Did From Sunrise Until Sunset?, My Grandfather Is a Fifteen-Year-Old Boy Soldier, Grandfather Candy Who Shares Love, and Come On!

Editorial Reviews

[Im Seo-Ha] includes information about ddakji, including how to play, how to make a paper tile, and the origins of the game. The illustrations look like cut-paper, dynamically depicting all the action and colorful pairing with the events of the story . . . For any young reader fascinated by games, this is a simple story that has multiple approaches for discussion and use.” —School Library Journal

"A charming tale of rediscovery and community." —Kirkus Reviews

"The Korean Wave is blowing hard in the world right now. The Korean Wave, which started with K-pop, seems to have reached its peak recently—a K-drama on Netflix is top-ranked. Now, people around the world can enjoy not only Korean dramas and music, but also a variety of cultures' games. Let's Play Ddakji was created to introduce children to traditional games that Korean children enjoy and that inspired big-hit K-Drama shows. You may learn and enjoy Korean traditional games just as much as K-drama shows." —Kim Byuun-oh, CEO of Vandal Publishing Co., and President of Korean Picture Book Publishing Association

"K-culture . . . is the result of Korea's long history and tradition. Inspired by a Korean traditional game, one of hottest TV shows was created and appeared in the world. These days, traditional Korean games are receiving worldwide attention and interest. These three picture books contain the methods, values, and importance of traditional Korean games. The playstyle featured here will be an experience for both children and adults who have watched the drama." —Heysuk Yoon, Award-Winning Author and President of Writer's Academy

"The recent big hit TV show on Netflix unexpectedly made a booster for children to know about the traditional game and how fun it [is] to play. This picture book series makes children learn more about indoor and outdoor Korean traditional games and encourage them to . . . play with other kids face-to-face. In the back of the book, you can learn the origins of the traditional game and various ways how to play." —Eunjoo Hwang, Librarian and Administrator of Library Association, Kyyungy Province

From the Publisher

2022-09-14
A childhood game helps a Korean boy learn that winning isn’t everything.

In this Korean import, Kim Woo watches as neighborhood kids play ddakji, a Korean childhood game played with handmade folded tiles typically made with paper. Each player takes turns throwing their ddakji in hopes of flipping over their opponent’s; the winner gets to keep their opponent’s flipped ddakji. Last year, while visiting his aunt in rural Hameupri, Woo played with kids at the community center but lost to a girl named Gorin; this year, Woo plans to make his ddakji the heaviest and, he believes, the best. A mix of textures and colors with fine lines creates a bold portrayal of Woo as he rushes to test his thick, gold ddakji and enjoys a winning streak in the neighborhood only to lose his coveted ddakji to Gorin and her much older ddakji. Crushed, Woo becomes obsessed with beating Gorin, eventually deciding to visit her house to ask for his ddakji back. When he arrives, Gorin reveals her own ddakji museum in memory of her father, revealing the stories of the community from her collection. Humbled, Woo rediscovers the simple joys of the game. Though the dialogue-heavy narrative does a lot more telling than showing, the protagonist’s realization that there’s more to life than winning will resonate. Notes on the origin of the game and instructions for making ddakji follow. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A charming tale of rediscovery and community. (Picture book. 5-8)

Kirkus Reviews