Kirkus Reviews
Helping somebody else becomes key to one kitten's overcoming her own obstacles.Yoomi, an anthropomorphic Korean American cat, is working toward a yellow belt in the Korean martial art of taekwondo. The only problem is the test requires punching through a wooden board. She watches her classmates break through their own boards, and they encourage her, but Yoomi is paralyzed by the thought of hurting her hand and cannot bring herself to do it. Her fears are not left at the dojang. After fleeing evil boards in her nightmares, she avoids several days of practice, making excuses to her grandma until she declares she is quitting the sport. In reply, her grandma declares that she is quitting her computer. Shocked by her grandma's revelation, Yoomi coaches her grandma until she successfully video chats with her sister in Korea. And after coaching grandma, Yoomi uses her newfound tools to visualize her goal and makes another attempt for the coveted belt. Diversity is indicated with a mix of cultural names and animals within the community. Korean words and names are seamlessly incorporated into the simple, winning narrative. In this follow-up to No Kimchi for Me (2017), Kim utilizes her signature bold cartoon style, developing distinct characters with touches of humor. Backmatter includes explanations of taekwondo, symbols of Korean culture, and a glossary.A sweet tale of shared perseverance that bursts with color, culture, and energy. (Picture book. 3-7)
Publishers Weekly
(Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)
In this companion to No Kimchi for Me!, anthropomorphic feline Yoomi and her family return in another adventure, this one centered on the young cat-s taekwondo journey. Yoomi and her classmates are up for their yellow belt promotions, but board breaking gives Yoomi pause-she worries about hurting her hand. Feeling defeated when a new classmate breaks the board on their first day, Yoomi wants to quit taekwondo altogether. After she sees her grandmother-s persistence in learning to use a computer for a video chat, however, she is galvanized to try again. Created with pencil, colored pencil, and pastel and assembled digitally, Kim-s art features panels, thought bubbles, and a variety of expressive, energetic animals. Bits of Korean are spoken and written throughout, lending authenticity to this story, which will resonate with anyone who has faced down an obstacle. Back matter features a few taekwondo facts, as well as some Korean vocabulary. Ages 3-7. (Apr.)