Soomi's Sweater - Susie Oh - ★★★★.½

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AUTHOR & ILLUSTRATOR: Susie Oh
GENRE: Children's Picture Book
PUBLICATION DATE: January 1, 2021
RATING: 4.5 stars.

Such a simple and adorable story, this one!

Little Soomi has received a beautiful green sweater as a gift from her mom. The sweater is too large for her but Soomi insists in wearing it right away. Mom adjusts the garment with a few folds and tucks and Soomi walks proudly to school in her new outfit. Unfortunately, the rough school day creates a rip in Soomi’s sweater and she is heartbroken. All her friends pitch in to help, but the problem becomes worse. Thankfully, Soomi’s mom knows just what to do.

I really enjoyed the story. It goes straight to the heart with its cuteness. I loved how the children get together in helping Soomi fix the gaping hole in her sweater arm with bandaid, sticky tape and glue! 😂 The narrative is very straightforward, and at first glance, it seems like it is just a regular story without any morals. But if you dig deeper under the simplistic content, you will find it rich with meaning and values. It highlights the problems of wanting things “right now”, of learning the value of patience and waiting for the right time, of trusting your parents to help out, and of helping friends out when they need support. It also teaches kids to focus on resolving an issue rather than crying or whining about it. And yes, Mom’s exquisite stitching and embroidery skills might just create an urge to learn more about the art.

This book was the Silver medal winner of the 2020 Key Colors Competition USA, and the illustrations show why. Everyone’s clothes are sketched in just green outlines with a white fill-in, so Soomi’s beautiful green sweater stands out on every page. The best part is that the illustrations are inclusive, a must-need in today’s world.

Overall this is a really cute story and will surely melt your heart. The language is simple enough for early readers. The writing style makes it a good choice for bedtime read-alouds as well as schools and libraries. Heartily recommended.

My thanks to Clavis Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC of “Soomi's Sweater”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

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