A Piece of Home

Week 4 Picture Book 2:
Genre: Realistic Fiction
A Piece of Home
Written By: Jeri Watts
Illustrated By: Hyewon Yum
Published: 2016

A Piece of Home is a very sweet story about family, acceptable, and coping with change. Hee Jun and his family live a life of honor and familiarity in Korea. One day, his father accepts a job in West Virginia teaching law at the state university so they have to relocate. Hee Jun, his little sister, and their grandmother have a hard transition because they cannot speak English, which makes school challenging. The little sister's teacher requested for the grandmother to assist in their classroom so the young girl would feel comfortable. During nap time, the teacher taught their grandmother English words. This made Hee Jun feel very lonely and lost. His teacher was making efforts to assist him, but he clearly felt alienated. Eventually he finds his way when a boy named Steve befriends him on the playground and helps him get acclimated. Steve's mother presents Hee Jun with a flower that he mentioned they grew in their home back in Korea. 

The illustrations in this book are very vibrant and childlike. Hee Jun is definitely a typical child narrator and has childish thoughts and desires. The illustrations really help bring that point home. A Piece of Home has a great message of acceptance and overcoming the difficulties that come with moving or other significant changes. 

This would be an excellent book to use if a class was getting a new student from anywhere, including a foreign country. It can open the floor to discussion of how a new student should be treated in order to help them transition into a new school and environment. While this may not be my favorite book, it is a great resource for teachers to keep in their classroom. I give A Piece of Home three stars.