Young Boy’s Dream and Fortitude

A Single Shard, Volume 1 and 2, Written by Linda Sue Park, Illustrated by Kim Se-hyun, Translated by Lee Sang-hee

184 and 152 pages, 7,000 won per each volume, Seoul Munhwa-sa

Written in English, this book depicts the 12th-century Korea vividly, doing a wonderful job recreating the medieval Korea and its culture.

In a potter’s town called Chulpo in Korea Dynasty, Tree-ear, a 10-year-old orphan boy, has been raised by a kindly, crippled weaver named Crane-man. The boy was named after a type of mushroom that grows out of a tree without the benefit of parent seeds, and the kind man was named so because he has only one good leg.

They have eked out a meager but happy existence living under a bridge and scavenging for food. Tree-ear has dreams of one day creating his own pottery.

An episode tells a heart-warming relationship between Tree-ear and Crane-man. On his first day of work, Tree-ear was offered a heavy meal for lunch, but Crane-man, going out to the sea to catch some fish, ended up losing his cane.

˝I didn’t think of Crane-man at all while having a lunch. What a shame! I should have put some in my pocket for him. If he were me, he wouldn’t have forgotten to do so. ˝

While spying on one of the most gifted craftsmen in town, a cranky old man named Min, Tree-ear accidentally breaks some of Min`s work. Then he offers to pay for the damage by working off the debt, hoping he will learn from the master.

Min`s work is so admired that the king`s emissary has requested a sample to be considered for a royal commission. Tree-ear, being young and in good health, travels by foot the long distance to the royal court to present two of Min`s beautiful prune vases to the emissary.

During a pilgrimage to Songdo where the royal court is, he faithfully continues even after robbers shatter the work. By the time Tree-ear arrives, he has but a single shard to show the court`s pottery expert.

Linda Sue Park, a Korean American children’s book author, won 2002 Newbery Award with this book. It’s just amazing that the author, who hasn’t learned to speak and write Korean in school, wrote the book only after studying Korean history and culture in later years.

The American Libraries’ Association didn’t just award the Newbery medal to the book for its oriental touch. It helps young students in the U.S. learn values like fortitude, perseverance and integrity through the story of a Korean boy who wishes to be a great potter. It’s also fun to imagine what the expressions in the original book are like, reading the Korean book-like American book.

The author said in the preface, “Many great things happened to me after I won the award, and the most wonderful thing is that this book will be written by children throughout the world.” The proud daughter will visit Korea to attend `Daegu World Literature Festival` held from Nov. 1 through 3.

Jin-Kyeong Kim kjk9@donga.com