Suka's Farm

by Ginger Park, Frances Park, Tiffany Chen (Illustrator)

Overview

Based on the authors’ family history, this story set in Japanese-occupied Korea portrays an unlikely friendship between a hungry child and an old farmer.

Life in 1941 Korea is difficult for Kwan and his family. Under Japanese occupation, food is scarce. Though he’s only a child, Kwan is desperate to help his family, so he asks Mr. Suka, a Japanese farmer, for a job. Mr. Suka teaches Kwan how to care for a herd of goats, and soon what began as an act of kindness becomes a genuine friendship that brings them both joy.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780807577165
Publisher:	Whitman, Albert & Company
Publication date:	04/10/2025
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	8.00(w) x 10.00(h) x (d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Ginger Park is a Korean American author of many children's books. She has received multiple awards for her work, including the International Reading Association’s Children’s Book Award, the IRA-CBC Teachers’ Choice Award, the Notable Books for a Global Society Award, the Paterson Prize Book Award for Young Readers, and the Bank Street Book Award, among others. She lives in a suburb of Washington, DC.

Frances Park is a Korean American author of books for children and adults. She has received multiple awards for her work, including the International Reading Association’s Children’s Book Award, the IRA-CBC Teachers’ Choice Award, the Notable Books for a Global Society Award, the Paterson Prize Book Award for Young Readers, and the Bank Street Book Award, among others. She lives in a suburb of Washington, DC.

Tiffany Chen is a self-taught illustrator who enjoys drawing brave characters exploring the big wide world. She is the illustrator of Meowloween, has had her work displayed at the Wing Luke Museum and Gallery 839, and has also created illustrations for numerous clients including Citibank. She lives in Seattle, Washington.

Editorial Reviews

A gentle tale and a rare personal glimpse into a tumultuous period of Korean history.” — Kirkus 

“Colorful illustrations evoke the setting and characters and give the story a cheerful aspect.” —Booklist  

From the Publisher

2025-02-01
During the Japanese occupation of Korea, a young boy finds a way to help his family.

Kwan lives on a quiet mountainside in 1941. Whether his family eats depends on what his father, a woodcarver, and his mother, a painter, can sell at the farmers market. After Kwan overhears his parents worrying over the lack of food in their onggi pot, he ignores their warnings to stay away from Suka’s Farm and approaches the old Japanese man for a job, introducing himself as Aoki—his legally assigned Japanese name. Cantankerous Mr. Suka initially turns Kwan down but finally lets him help care for the goats. Bit by bit, Kwan chips away at Mr. Suka’s harsh exterior with persistence and kindness that the old man eventually returns. Kwan solidifies Mr. Suka’s respect when he recovers the goats after they go missing, and Mr. Suka asks Kwan to tell him his real, Korean name. The well-paced narrative artfully weaves in Korean terms and cultural references, such as the children’s song “Santoki,” which Kwan’s parents sing on the way to market and Kwan whistles to entice the goats. Chen uses soft washes and blends of bright colors to bring warmth to the detailed landscapes and cartoon portraits. In an authors’ note, the Parks explain that they drew inspiration from their father’s experiences working on a goat farm as a child.

A gentle tale and a rare personal glimpse into a tumultuous period of Korean history. (glossary)(Picture book. 5-8)

Kirkus Reviews