The Color of Earth, by Kim Dong Hwa. trans. 2009 by First Second. 978-1-59643-458-5

Summary: Ehwa, an young girl living with her widowed mother in a village in Korea, comes of age and discovers love.

Analysis: This is a very sweet, girl-friendly coming-of-age/love story. It's the first of at least three volumes. Ehwa's experiences of puberty are described in (literally) flowery but frank terms and her open relationship with her mother is heartwarming. The discussions of sexuality are all completely heteronormative and partner-oriented, but are otherwise very healthy. It's girly without being completely frilly and saccharine. The problems facing Ehwa's mother as she tries to run an inn as a single mother are a recurring theme that adds a note of seriousness without bogging down the book's essentially light feel. References to Korean wordplay or cultural elements that Western/English-speaking readers won't get are explained in unobtrusive footnotes.

Illustrations: Manga-style layout, pen-and-ink alternating between fairly cartoonish people and very detailed scenery.

Rating: 5Q/5P

Curricular connections: Great free reading for 5-8th graders, or could be used for a unit on relationships of all kinds.

-- SLH