Starred Review Both author and illustrator are Korean American, and their poignant picture book is an intimate look at a biracial child's bewilderment, denial, anger, and, finally, acceptance about being half and half. Cooper's father is white; his mother is Korean. People always ask Cooper where he's from, and they look at him funny if he says he's American. He hates going to the neighborhood store, where Mr. Lee scolds the boy for not speaking Korean. Angry and frustrated, Cooper shoplifts. Mr. Lee catches him and makes him work in the store after school, and the two become friends. Mr. Lee shares his personal story and helps Cooper accept that it's OK not to fit into a box, but there's no simple, sentimental lesson here, despite the book's title. Language is the heart of the story, which is told in both English and Korean. The beautiful full-page oil paintings draw on several traditions to reveal the problems and the riches of the boy's cross-cultural identity. A distant view of the store window evokes Cooper's alienation; in contrast are the close-up, impressionistic portraits of the scowling boy at home and outside. Many immigrant families will want this for the truth it tells about the important role of language and the bonds across race, culture, and generation.

Cooper feels torn--he's not entirely Korean or entirely white. After he gets caught stealing from Mr. Lee's Korean market, he learns that Lee, too, finds it hard to fit in. The text, in English and Korean, contains clichés and strains for a child's sensibility. Cogan's oil paintings feature characters with overdramatic facial expressions, but the story's originality is refreshing.

First-timer Shin tells the story of a bi-racial boy's misstep, and the resulting unlikely friendship with a dour grocer. Establishing Cooper's circumstances with care, Shin draws an uncertain child with a foot in two worlds, one whose Korean grandmother remarks on his pale coloring and freckles, while his white grandmother says, "What brown skin!" Always an anxious visitor at the neighborhood grocer's, Cooper dreads Mr. Lee and his customers, who all speak Korean, and expect the same from Cooper. "The Korean writing on the cans and boxes seemed to dance off the labels.... He looked at Mr. Lee and thought to himself, <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">Why don't you speak English to me?" Unfortunately, the illustrations, by first-timer Cogan, lack the clarity of the text; muddy colors and stiff shapes prevent the pictures from conveying Cooper's feelings. In a critical moment described by Shin with close attention to the emotions that typify children's misdeeds, Cooper steals a hairbrush for his mother. The unexpected compassion the grocer shows the young shoplifter and the growth of Cooper's first friendship with another adult (besides his mother) who speaks Korean provide a satisfying conclusion. Text appears on each page in English, with the Korean below it; Korean dialogue sprinkled through the English text emphasizes the boy's frustration at being unable to communicate. While the story will have most resonance for those struggling with a second language, the themes of wrongdoing and reparations will speak to all children. Ages 6-up. <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">(Feb.)

Gr 3-5-Cooper, who has a Korean mother and a white, American father, is called "half and half" by his cousin. With his mixed heritage, the boy doesn't know where he fits in. When he goes to the Korean grocery, he is overwhelmed by a language of which he knows very little. He concludes that Mr. Lee, the owner, is laughing at him. In retaliation, Cooper shoplifts a brush for his mother. Caught in the act, he must work off his debt and learns that Mr. Lee's life in the United States has been difficult because of the language barrier. The man also listens to Cooper's frustrations. Eventually, the two come to a better understanding of their own and one another's problems. Told in gentle language, this quiet story focuses on the challenges of being caught between two cultures. The book follows through on the bilingual theme by presenting the text in both English and Korean. The artwork features wide brush strokes and large flat areas of color. Backgrounds are often minimal, while the people are more brightly painted. Using few details, Cogan skillfully captures frustration, confusion, and understanding in the characters' faces. This story can be used to explore and stimulate discussion about issues of identity.-Carolyn Janssen, Children's Learning Center of the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, OH Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.