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tripp_2mylou's review
4.0
Strong writing, really lovely illustrations of the landscapes. I enjoyed it and feel it’s a sweet story, even though I feel it could have packed more of a punch.
laleha's review
3.5
A young child enjoys stories of their mother’s childhood in a small Korean village. On a visit, the child is surprised to discover Mom’s hometown is modern and large, not at all what they had envisioned. The river, however, remains and mom and child delight in its presence.
Backgrounds fade to blank white when the river is involved. Mom’s stories are rural and beautiful, the cityscapes convey the fast pace of the modern-day hometown.
Backgrounds fade to blank white when the river is involved. Mom’s stories are rural and beautiful, the cityscapes convey the fast pace of the modern-day hometown.
tripp2mylou's review
4.0
Strong writing, really lovely illustrations of the landscapes. I enjoyed it and feel it’s a sweet story, even though I feel it could have packed more of a punch.
angkunkel's review
5.0
Such a beautiful ode to family, immigration, and the power of story and memories. Aa little boy returns with his mother to her hometown in Korea. After hearing his mother's repeated stories about her own childhood, the now-developed town is nothing like he imagined it--- until he and his mother share the same experience he enjoyed hearing about so often. Hope Lim's gentle, thoughtfully-paced text pairs beautifully with the rich color and detail in Jaime Kim's illustrations.
kindredbooks's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I received a copy of Mommy's Hometown by Hope Lim and illustrated by Jaime Kim from Penguin Random House Canada in exchange for an honest review.
In this book, a young boy loves to hear stories about his mom's childhood in the place that she grew up. He is eager to visit the place that she speaks of - of playing in the river and the mountains in the distance. When the boy and his mom does arrive in her hometown though, it is quite different as the village has now turned into a big city. Many of the places that his mom mentioned has now been replaced by new buildings and developments. Even so, the boy discovers that with his mom, he is still able to find fun and games. I especially found it touching when the young boy imagines his mom as the young girl that she was and that they're playing together.
This story reminded me a lot of my own personal experiences. Growing up in Canada, my parents would sometimes share stories of their childhood in Hong Kong. It wasn't until I was 19 years old that my parents finally took my sister and I to Hong Kong. To see such a big and busy city was such a shock and wonder. I remember standing on a bridge overlooking a road that had 10 lanes and my father pointing out that the wooden shack he and his family lived in once stood somewhere in this area. Development had changed the landscape to the point that he could barely recognize exactly where it would have once stood. There is something very bittersweet in that - progress and development can be great but sometimes at a personal cost. Holding on to the stories and memories that my parents have shared with me is something that I treasure in light of this, just as the young boy in this story seems to.
In this book, a young boy loves to hear stories about his mom's childhood in the place that she grew up. He is eager to visit the place that she speaks of - of playing in the river and the mountains in the distance. When the boy and his mom does arrive in her hometown though, it is quite different as the village has now turned into a big city. Many of the places that his mom mentioned has now been replaced by new buildings and developments. Even so, the boy discovers that with his mom, he is still able to find fun and games. I especially found it touching when the young boy imagines his mom as the young girl that she was and that they're playing together.
This story reminded me a lot of my own personal experiences. Growing up in Canada, my parents would sometimes share stories of their childhood in Hong Kong. It wasn't until I was 19 years old that my parents finally took my sister and I to Hong Kong. To see such a big and busy city was such a shock and wonder. I remember standing on a bridge overlooking a road that had 10 lanes and my father pointing out that the wooden shack he and his family lived in once stood somewhere in this area. Development had changed the landscape to the point that he could barely recognize exactly where it would have once stood. There is something very bittersweet in that - progress and development can be great but sometimes at a personal cost. Holding on to the stories and memories that my parents have shared with me is something that I treasure in light of this, just as the young boy in this story seems to.
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