YOON AND THE JADE BRACELET

In her third appearance, young Korean immigrant Yoon is disappointed when her mother gives her a folktale and an heirloom bracelet for her birthday rather than a coveted jump rope. The first gift, which is about tricking a tiger, comes in handy later on, though, when an unnamed older schoolmate pressures Yoon into lending the bracelet and then claims that it’s hers. As Recorvits neither tells nor even clearly identifies said tale, the application of folklore to a real-life situation isn’t particularly convincing. Furthermore, though Yoon comes away with both the bracelet and an implied appreciation for the value of staying in touch with a cultural tradition, she ends up as much an outsider at school as before. Swiatkowska captures subtle changes of expression and signs of character in the faces and bodies of her figures despite using broad brushstrokes and streaky paint for the art—but that visual depth is not reflected in the spare, unsatisfying narrative. (Picture book. 6-8)