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Summary
Summary
In this classic tale from early seventeenth-century Korea, Hong Kil Dong, the son of a powerful minister, is not entitled to a birthright because his mother is a commoner. After studying the martial arts, divination, swordplay, the uses of magic, and the wisdom of the I Ching, the Book of Changes, Hong Kil Dong sets off on a quest for his destiny. He leads a band of men to right the injustices shown to the peasants by some powerful and corrupt merchants, ministers, and monks. Hong Kil Dong can then claim his rightful role and become a wise and just leader. This graphic book captures the drama and pageantry of sixteenth-century Korea during the Chosun dynasty and pays tribute to the adventure story that became the first novel written in the Korean language.
Notes
Anne Sibley O'Brien has illustrated more than twenty picture books, including WHAT WILL YOU BE, SARA MEE? and the Jamaica series by Juanita Havill. Anne has also illustrated a number of her own books, including THE LEGEND OF HONG KIL DONG: THE ROBINHOOD OF KOREA, AFTER GANDHI: ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF NONVIOLENT RESISTANCE, and A PATH OF STARS. She lives on Peaks Island, Maine.
Reviews (3)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 3 Up-While Library of Congress places this book with graphic novels, it stands on its own as a traditional tale. It's possibly the first novel written in the Korean alphabet. O'Brien has done her homework, using sources in Korean and English and researching her images to display the culture and time period accurately. Her references are well explained and documented. This is a book that demands that readers engage with the text and the art. Hong Kil Dong is successfully characterized from the beginning, and as he is the son of a maidservant and a powerful minister, it is easy to sympathize with his plight. Unable to be acknowledged or even to refer to his father as such, he must determine his own destiny. It is this pursuit that leads him to learn of the injustices toward common people brought on by corrupt officials. The layout alternates between full-page images that frequently include insets and text bubbles and a traditional frame-by-frame graphic format. This serves to heighten the action. The art, done in heavy black line and mostly pastel watercolors, will appeal to the comic-book crowd, but the story-with its magic, martial arts, and drama-will entice reluctant readers as well as adventure lovers.-Janet S. Thompson, Chicago Public Library (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
This uniquely formatted tale owes its strength to O'Brien's (the illustrator of the Jamaica books) meticulous research. In multiple-paneled comic-book style, the author/artist retells the story of the illegitimate son of a high Korean official, who is forbidden to address the man as "Father." Young Hong Kil Dong twice runs away, first to the monks in the mountains, then to the countryside-"Perhaps there I will find a clue to my destiny," he tells his mother earnestly-where he stumbles upon a hideaway for bandits. Their misfortunes are more affecting than his own. He decides to train them to fight for justice for the common people. Elements of magic and martial arts mastery combine to produce a story with an unflagging pace. The plot's utter improbability (at one point, Hong Kil Dong uses his mystic powers to conjure up seven straw dolls that look and speak just like him) contrasts with O'Brien's historically faithful renderings of ceremonial silk robes and temple architecture. A series of autobiographical panels shows O'Brien herself discovering the original story ("What a great idea for a children's book!" says a thought balloon above her head); she also includes plenty of other background material. Ages 9-12. (July) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Library Journal Review
This remarkable little GN illustrates a Korean folktale with watercolor paintings that, at first glance, appear too tame but which effectively highlight the simple plot without distraction. Our hero, Hong Kil Dong, is persecuted as a child because he is a bastard. When he finally gets fed up, he takes to the hills to study with monks, then with a master. He wanders (yes, just like David Carradine in Kung Fu) until he learns that his destiny is to create an army out of a rabble and fight for good. Equal parts swordfighter, kung fu master (replete with mystical powers), and Robin Hood (they help out common folks at the expense of nobility and the rich), young Kil Dong evolves from an emotionally wrecked boy into the total master of his reality. He is a stoic like few others. Consistent pacing, devotion to accuracy within the 17th-century Korean time period, and a good mix of dialog with inset narration make this especially lucid.-Douglas Lord, Connecticut State Lib., Middletown (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.