Maya and the Turtle

September 17, 2012
The husband-and-wife team of Stickler and Han retells a fairy tale from Han’s childhood, in which a young woman’s kindness and bravery are rewarded handsomely. The story has some dark moments—Maya’s mother dies early on, her father later falls ill, and a village sacrifices people to combat a monster caterpillar—but ends happily for Maya, who, in true fairy tale tradition, ends up marrying a prince. Han’s rough, stylized paintings pair traditional Korean costumes and settings with quirky details (the word “love” is spelled out in leaves near Maya in one scene), while footnotes offer information about Korean culture. Ages 4–8.

September 15, 2012
An original folk tale set in Korea tells the story of a selfless young maiden who is sacrificed to the monster in the neighboring village. This story begins at the deathbed of Maya's mother. In a weak voice, the mother tells her daughter that she will grow up to become a princess. From this point, the authors combine elements from a number of popular Korean folk tales to write their own story. The core of the story (a girl sacrifices herself to aid her ailing father) is both strong from a plot point and a significant theme in Korean tales, but there are many distractions that create puzzling questions by the end. The relationship between Maya and her pet turtle, an expected cornerstone given the title of the story, drops dead when the heroic turtle does, without even a shred of gratitude from Maya. The story arc seems to be missing a main ending as the self-sacrifice story turns into a lingering and forced love story. The story is supplemented by notes, sometimes footnoted within the text, with cultural information explaining uniquely Korean facts, but these become highly distracting. This could have been a much-needed addition to the shelves, but it cannot overcome a meandering plot with characters that lack dimension. Look for other Korean folk tales or original fairy tales to round out the collection. (Picture book. 6-10)

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September 1, 2012

K-Gr 3-A folktale about self-sacrifice and love and how it is rewarded. Maya is foretold her destiny by her dying mother, who proclaims, "You will be a princess." But Maya grows up contentedly poor, loving, and humble. One day she finds a baby turtle and raises it as her pet as turtles are considered lucky in her culture. Her simple, happy life changes dramatically when her father falls ill and Maya needs money for his medicine. She has heard that a neighboring village will pay her to place herself up for sacrifice to a monster centipede that visits the village once a year. Maya confronts it but is saved by her fearless friend, the turtle, who fights it to the death. The village is elated and news spreads quickly to the Emperor of heaven and earth. Maya is betrothed to his son, and the two reign peacefully ever after. The tale is simply told and includes supplemental notes on each page that explain certain aspects of Korean culture, such as the legend of the turtle and artifacts of the people and their beliefs. Unfortunately, the notes sometimes interrupt the flow of the text. For the most part, the illustrations are traditional Korean depictions, but elements of American expressions and facial features find their way onto the page, especially in the couples' wedding portrait in which the bride favors a certain American iconic doll. The illustration of the many cultures represented at the wedding also attempts a certain diversity that borders on stereotype. The tale itself is a familiar one with a lovely sentiment, but it's an optional purchase.-C. J. Connor, Campbell County Public Library, Cold Spring, KY

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2013
A girl agrees to sacrifice herself to a giant centipede that threatens the village in order to earn money for her father's medicine. But with the help of a magical turtle, she survives and becomes a princess, as her long-dead mother had prophesied. Footnotes about Korean customs are informative (and necessary), but they interrupt the flow; the ornate paintings are inconsistent.

(Copyright 2013 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)