Teaching East Asia: Korea Teaching East Asia: Korea | Page 134

The Firekeeper’s Son ($6.99)
(Lesson developed by Mary Connor with the guidance of Ann Marie Borders)
By Linda Sue Park
“A Tale Rooted in Korean history about family, beauty and peace”
Grades Pre-Kindergarten – Grade 3
Amazon Reviews:
“Sang-hee lives in a small, unassuming, and peaceful village in Korea [in the early 19 th
century]. One day, his father informs him that their little space is infinitely important (a fact
that Sang-hee has a bit of difficulty believing). But his father is absolutely correct. Located
beside the sea and just next to the first of a row of mountains, it understood that in the event
of a seaward attack by Korea’s enemies, this village is the first line of defense. That is why,
every night, Sang-hee’s father climbs the nearby mountain and lights a fire that can be seen
for miles. Then, someone on the next mountain will see that fire and light their own. This
continues all the way to the king’s palace where, if the king sees the last mountain lit, he’ll
know that all is well. Of course, if the fire is not lit, the king would immediately send his
soldiers out to battle with the enemy. Now this system has gone on for generations, but
Sang-hee is not content. He would love to see the king’s glorious soldiers more than any-
thing else in the world. Then, one night, his father hurts his ankle while climbing up the
mountain. Sang-hee is given the task of lighting the fire himself, but as he nears the pile of
dried twigs he thinks about how much he’d like to see a soldier up close. And the hot coals
are slowly burning out...”
“The book weighs an individual’s personal wants and fantasies against the greater good of
the whole, and does so beautifully. You completely understand Sang-hee’s dilemma. On the
one hand, there’s the fact that not lighting the fire would be a callous lie. On the other hand,
‘Maybe there is a soldier who would be glad for a chance to visit the sea.’ Park’s story is
based on factual information, as she mentions in her Author’s Note. However, the system
by which bonfires informed the king of potential attacks was, in real life, far more complex
than the one featured here. As Park herself mentions, “additional fires could be lit to convey
further information, so the court would know not only which province was facing danger
but things like the size of the enemy forces and how well armed they were!” She provides
additional resources for further reading.”
“As historical fiction picture books go, this one has to be one of the most beautiful on record.
If you’d like a picture book that lures those sometimes hard to interest boy readers, but is
just as doggone interesting to the girls of the world, this book’s a safe bet.”
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