The Ocean Calls: A Haenyeo Mermaid Story

A breathtaking picture book featuring a Korean girl and her haenyeo (free diving) grandmother about intergenerational bonds, finding courage in the face of fear, and connecting with our natural world.

Dayeon wants to be a haenyeo just like Grandma. The haenyeo dive off the coast of Jeju Island to pluck treasures from the sea--generations of Korean women have done so for centuries. To Dayeon, the haenyeo are as strong and graceful as mermaids. To give her strength, Dayeon eats Grandma's abalone porridge. She practices holding her breath while they do the dishes. And when Grandma suits up for her next dive, Dayeon grabs her suit, flippers, and goggles. A scary memory of the sea keeps Dayeon clinging to the shore, but with Grandma's guidance, Dayeon comes to appreciate the ocean's many gifts.

Tina Cho's The Ocean Calls, with luminous illustrations by muralist Jess X. Snow, is a classic in the making.

Author: Tina Cho
Publisher: Kokila
Published: 08/04/2020
Pages: 48
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.00lbs
Size: 10.10h x 10.10w x 0.50d
ISBN: 9781984814869
Audience: Ages 4-8

Accelerated Reader:
Reading Level: 3.2
Point Value: 0.5
Interest Level: Lower Grade
Quiz #/Name: 509682 / Ocean Calls: A Haenyeo Mermaid Story


Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 05/15/2020
Booklist 05/15/2020 pg. 52
Publishers Weekly 06/22/2020
Horn Book Magazine 07/01/2020 pg. 110
School Library Journal 07/10/2020 pg. 1
Hornbook Guide to Children 07/01/2020 - Superior,Well Above Average

About the Author
Tina Cho teaches at an international school and writes for the children's and educational markets. Though she grew up in Iowa, she now lives in South Korea. In her free time, she enjoys playing her electronic piano, careful not to bother her many neighbors in the high-rise apartment building she lives in with her family.

Jess X. Snow is a queer migrant Asian Canadian artist, filmmaker, and Pushcart-nominated poet based in Brooklyn. They are working to build a future where migrants and people of color see themselves as heroes on the big screen, city walls, and pages of children's books and feel empowered to create their own art. By merging community arts activism, healing practices, and film in their stories, Jess hopes to encourage others to discover sanctuaries inside themselves.