PICTURE BOOK REVIEW: Rosa's Song by Helena Ku Rhee & Pascal Campion

ROSA'S SONG

by Helena Ku Rhee, illustrated by Pascal Campion

Random House Studio, 2022

ISBN: 978-0-593-37549-5

Source: Blue Slip Media

Ages 4-8

All opinions expressed are solely my own.

Book cover, summary, and illustrations provided by Blue Slip Media.

ABOUT THE BOOK

In this diverse picture book, a young immigrant from South Korea finds community and friendship in an apartment house filled with other newly arrived kids.

When Jae looks out the window of his new home, he wishes he could still see his old village, his old house, and his old friends. But his new apartment feels empty and nothing outside is familiar. Jae just arrived from South Korea and doesn't even speak the new language.

Yet, making friends is the same wherever you go and he soon meets a girl with a colorful bird perched on her shoulder. Rosa knows just how Jae feels and the two become fast friends. Not only does Rosa show Jae his new neighborhood but she shows him how his imagination can bring back memories of his old home. Then Rosa leaves unexpectedly one night but leaves her parrot for Jae. He thinks about the song that Rosa would sing: "When I fly away, my heart stays here." And when Jae meets two other newly arrived kids, he teaches them Rosa's song and becomes their guide to this new world.

From the creators of the highly acclaimed The Paper Kingdom, comes a new book about the importance of community and demonstrates how a simple act of kindness can be passed along to others.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR & ILLUSTRATOR

Helena Ku Rhee grew up in Los Angeles, but has also lived in various parts of the U.S., Asia and Europe. She has a soft spot for small, stout animals and loves to travel far and wide across this beautiful planet, counting among her favorite journeys a camping trip in the Sahara Desert, a swim with elephants in Thailand and a horseback-riding tour of Easter Island. She is also the author of The Paper Kingdom, which was included on many year-end Best Books lists, including NPR, BookPage, Kirkus, Parents Magazine, the Los Angeles Public Library, and Amazon, among others. Helena works at a movie studio by day, and dreams up story ideas in her spare time. She currently lives in Los Angeles. Visit her at helenakrhee.com.

Instagram: @helenakurhee
Twitter: @HelenaRhee

Pascal Campion is a prolific French-American illustrator and visual development artist whose clients include: DreamWorks Animation, Paramount Pictures, Disney Feature, Disney Toons, Cartoon Network, Hulu, and PBS. Working in the animation industry for over 15 years, he has steadily posted over 3,000 images of personal work to his "Sketches of the Day" project since 2005. He lives and works in Los Angeles, CA. Follow him on Instagram @pascalcampionart or Twitter @pascalcampion.

REVIEW

Moving to a new home is a challenging experience for anyone.  But when it involves moving to another country where you don't speak the language it becomes even more difficult.  Rosa's Song shares the story of Jae who moves into a new building in a new city in a new country.  As he looks around his new home he can't help but miss his old home.  His mother's suggests that he go meet other kids in the building.  This is how he meets Rosa and her parrot Pollito. As the friendship blossoms, Rosa helps Jae remember his homeland through the gift of pretend.  Through adventures in their imaginations and songs with Pollito, Jae adjusts to his new home.  When he wakes up one morning to find Rosa gone, but Pollito in his apartment, he misses his friend.  But he also discovers an opportunity.  And by sharing and remembering Rosa's song, he remembers his dear friend.

This tender story portrays an all to common experience for immigrants.  The power and comfort to be found in the kindness and friendship of others cannot be overemphasized.  Jae's loneliness for his old home is almost palpable as is the sweet way that Rosa helps him remember the things he loved.  The joy and comfort to be found in music and pets also shines through in Ku Rhee's lovely story.  Campion's illustrations provide the perfect accompaniment to this story.  I appreciated the author's note about basing this story on her own experiences. This is a great story for reminding all, young and old, of the power of friendship and kindness as we all must adapt to changing circumstances.

SAMPLE ILLUSTRATIONS