Teaching East Asia: Korea Teaching East Asia: Korea | Page 132

Dear Juno by Soyung Pak ($5.99)
(Lesson by Mary Connor, Advisor, National Korean Studies Seminar)
Pre-K to 3 rd Grade
Reviews:
“Juno’s grandmother writes in Korean and Juno writes in drawings, but that doesn’t mean they
can’t exchange letters. From the photo his grandmother sends, Juno can tell that she has a new cat.
And from the picture he makes for her – a drawing of himself with a plane in the background – Ju-
no’s grandmother can tell that he wants her to come for a visit. So she sends Juno an extra-special
package to let him know she’s on the way. This tender, intergenerational story is a perfect intro-
duction to the concepts of creative communication and far-off lands.”
“As an elementary school teacher I’m always looking for books that are eloquently written and
visually stunning. I’m happy to report that Dear Juno serves up both. This is an incredible book by
an extraordinary author. It’s the perfect book to read-aloud….”
“In this lovely book, a story about communication across geographic, cultural and generational
distances is distilled into a few sparkling pages. The simple, charming language is inviting for
children, but it carries the force of poetry, so adults will enjoy it too.”
“I was simply amazed at how this simple little story expressed the complicated nature of in-
ter-generational and cross-cultural relationships in such a heartfelt, effective and deceptively
simple way, and that language and age barriers can be overcome with a little creativity….
My children loved this book and I recommend it to all parents who would like their children to
understand, appreciate and thrive within the growing global culture.”
English Language Arts Common Core Standards
1. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.K.1 With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about
key details in text.
2. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.K.7 With prompting and support, describe the relationship between
illustrations and the story in which they appear (e.g., what moment in a story an
illustration depicts).
3. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.1.2 Retell stories, including key details, and demonstrate under-
standing of their central message or lesson.
4. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.2.5 Describe the overall structure of a story, including describing
how the beginning introduces the story and the ending concludes the action.
5. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.5 With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and
strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, and editing.
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