Mommy's Hometown by Hope Lim, Jaime Kim
Published by Candlewick Press on April 12, 2022
ISBN: 1536213322
Pages: 32
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads

“Mommy’s Hometown” is a picture book written by Hope Lim and illustrated by Jaime Kim about a child and their mother going to their mother’s hometown in Korea from America. Loosely based on Lim’s experience of bringing her family from America to visit her hometown in Korea, the book starts out with the child remembering the stories that their mother has told them about her hometown. Excited to visit, the child is confused when they get to mommy’s hometown and find that it has been built up into a large city now. Things don’t seem to look like they pictured. Is anything the same?

Illustrations are colorful and clean, but with plenty of detail. Even though the city looks different now, the colors and style of the pictures still make it seem warm and inviting. The idea that we can make our own new memories while some things may change  and some things may stay the same is beautifully expressed. Written for children age 3-8, this book is a suggested purchase for your library’s picture book collection.

Reviewed by Kate Radke, Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, ME.