When recommending books, I often find myself guided by an unlikely source: South Korean filmmaker Bong Jong Ho’s 2020 Golden Globe speech. Accepting his award for best foreign-language film, the Parasite director told viewers, “Once you overcome the one-inch-tall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films.” Granted, subtitles aren’t an issue when it comes to literature, but Bong’s words still hold true. It’s imperative that we—librarians, teachers, parents, and anyone else who puts books into the hands of young people—refuse to be constrained by borders. Countless captivating, thought-provoking stories await those willing to read widely; below are several especially noteworthy tales from around the globe.
It’s a truth universally acknowledged by siblings the world over: Sharing is hard. The protagonists of Kim Hyo-eun’s picture book How We Share Cake, translated from Korean by Deborah Smith (Scribble, 2024), are all too aware of that fact and find creative solutions as they attempt to portion out everything from fried chicken to an uncle’s love. This deliciously inventive tale offers a remarkably honest depiction of childhood that speaks to young people’s egocentrism as well as their deep capacity for empathy.
Unicorn books are having a moment, but few are as strikingly original as Roger Mello’s Griso: The One and Only (Elsewhere Editions, 2024). Originally published in Brazil and translated from Portuguese by Daniel Hahn, this picture book follows a unicorn who’s desperately seeking others of his kind. Each spread mimics an artform from a different period, including prehistoric cave paintings and murals from Tang-era China. The result is a beautifully surreal journey that doubles as a course in art appreciation for the elementary school set.
The cover of Triinu Laan’s Batchelder Award–winning John the Skeleton (Yonder, 2024), featuring an image of the titular character grinning as snails crawl over his head and torso, seems to portend a terrifying tale. Readers who press on, however, will discover the surprisingly moving story of a classroom skeleton who, having spent his life helping students learn anatomy, retires to live with an elderly couple. Translated from Estonian by Adam Cullen and illustrated by Marja-Liisa Plats, this short middle-grade work offers a matter-of-fact yet poignant perspective on aging and mortality. Some adults may find it off-putting (few U.S. children’s books involve characters planning their own funerals), but young readers will appreciate Laan’s refusal to sugarcoat life—or death.
Thirteen-year-old Abdi attempts to keep himself and his 5-year-old sister, Alva, alive in a dystopian world ravaged by hairy, two-legged creatures who appeared out of nowhere one day. Ingvild Bjerkeland’s Beasts, translated from Norwegian by Rosie Hedger (Levine Querido, April 1), is grim reading; indeed, it invites comparisons to adult titles such as Cormac McCarthy’s The Road or the film A Quiet Place. But kids made of sterner stuff will be enthralled. While the descriptions of the titular beasts are unnerving, the cruelty displayed by the people Abdi and Alva encounter is even more disturbing. Ending on a faint note of hope, the narrative will leave readers asking questions about the very nature of humanity.
Mahnaz Dar is a young readers’ editor.
