WHERE'S JOON?

The Korean siblings introduced in Where’s Halmoni? (2017) encounter a new conflict and some fantastical familiar faces.

Jin is alarmed by the mess in the kitchen, and her younger brother, Joon, is nowhere to be found. Her grandmother Halmoni uses magic to investigate and, using her magical door handles, sends Jin through a window to the world of the first book to deliver rice cakes to Halmoni’s friend Jo-harabuji. Halmoni mentions Joon will probably be waiting there for Jin. Jin, equipped with a door handle that will return her home, as well as some smarts from her previous foray into the magical land, sets out. Meanwhile Joon, who needs help repairing Halmoni’s beloved cooking pot, knows exactly where he’s going with his own door handle and reunites with his friend Tokki, a spunky rabbit. Hilarity ensues as characters from Korean folktales are portrayed with dynamic expressions amid a whimsical backdrop of colorful mountain ranges and roaring rivers. Joon and Tokki struggle to fix Halmoni’s pot while Jin looks for Joon, outfoxes a familiar trickster tiger, and delivers rice cakes. Kim deftly balances all of the characters and their evolving goals as the siblings inadvertently reunite spirit friends and bring Halmoni fortuitous cooking alternatives. Korean dialogue is interspersed throughout the panels of this graphic novel, with translations and guides to folktales following the story.

Rich in folklore, comedy, and color, a riotous and pleasurable treat.