Korean Folktales for Language Learners: Traditional Stories in English and Korean

Korean Folktales for Language Learners: Traditional Stories in English and Korean by Sukyeon Cho, Yeon-Jeong Kim and Andrew Killick

This is a language learning book disguised as a storybook. The Korean folktales are presented in both English and Korean. The book contains additional instruction on the basics of Korean characters and language. There are also definitions of many of the Korean words used. This would be a great text for intermediate Korean language study. Even without knowledge of Korean, the book works as a series of English stories. The folktales are short and include a paragraph of discussion. There are some that have parallels in the west (such as Cinderella). Many of them emphasize traits important to Koreans, such as humility and family loyalty. It would be a great book to revisit after learning more Korean.

The Mitten

The Mitten by Jan Brett

In this Ukrainian folk tale, a kid wants white gloves. However, these are hard to find in the snow. He loses the glove and a small animal finds it a cozy place to go. Increasingly bigger animals go in until a bear joins them. Then a small mouse causes the bear to sneeze and the glove flies back to the kid. The glove sure can stretch!