REVIEW: ‘The Most Perfect Persimmon’ is a Heartfelt Tribute to Korean Grannies & Beloved Traditions

The Most Perfect Persimmon

Publisher: Astra Publishing House |Astra Books for Young Readers

Pub date: August 27, 2024

Words and Art by Hannah Chung

Reading age : 4–8 years,

Grade level : Preschool — 3, 40 Pages

The first page of The Most Perfect Persimmon opens to little Joo Hong wide eyed and in awe of the persimmon tree in bloom in her backyard. The persimmons on the tree branches are “round like a full moon and amber like the morning sun”. It is such a perfect description of the little girl’s favorite fruit and one that draws from nature and from the imagination of someone that has obviously thought about persimmons a whole lot.

The following pages follow Joo Hong’s love of the fruit, wanting them to be perfect and ripe for when her beloved grandmother–who lives far away–finally arrives. From the little girl’s mother being shown the fruit and reminding her that they are not yet ready for eating to Joo Hong testing out a few slices and marking on her calendar when Grandma would arrive.

The source of conflict that arrives in this picture book is that as the days come and go, the precious persimmons start looking less and less perfect as time passes. This is horrible news for Joo Hong because she wants to present the best, her best to Grandma, whom she loves very much.

I do love the pages throughout the book of our little protagonist being busy and doing all she can to not only show her love but her dedication to keep the precious cargo safe, cared for and looked after. Some of my favorite pages are her hugging the persimmon tree at night with a blanket “when it looked cold” and even putting together her own scarecrows near the tree to scare away hungry magpie birds.

Hannah Chung, debuting as author and illustrator with The Most Perfect Persimmon has crafted together this tender story on how love recognizes our efforts. This Korean American girl wants only the best for her beloved Grandma and she cherishes the fruit that makes their time all the more enjoyable and something to look forward to.

The progression of her work to make sure the persimmons are perfect to how they end up being once Grandma finally arrives reveals an amazing lesson on patience, expectations and the realities of what happens in the world that we just might not expect. Towards the end of the book, a few pages demonstrate the care of this great tradition that spans generations of persimmon trees, little girls and their mothers and the joys that this fruit brings.

Chung’s artwork from its cover–featuring a happy and focused little Joo Hong– to the artwork spread across the pages is bright, expressive and stands out on the pages with white backgrounds.I love the color that accompanies certain scenes like the spots of color behind the little girl on the pages earlier on showing her waiting on the fruit to ripe. I also really, really love the opening page that I mentioned in my first paragraph of the review with the branches of the persimmon tree with all its main character energy taking up most of the space of the page.

The Most Perfect Persimmon places a spotlight on a heartfelt story about three generations of Korean women and serves as a great example of how food, traditions and the world around us bring us together. I LOVE stories about grandmas, their wisdom and how they make our lives better. As someone whose Grandmothers have already passed on , reading such a book from Hannah Chung makes me think back fondly on what food traditions I had with one of my own Grandmas–and why I treasure those memories so.

I love, love, love the connection between daughter, mother and grandma in the book and the most perfect time that they have with their hongshi, persimmons at the end. While Hannah Chung shows that even when things don’t go as planned, something even better may be in store–the most important lesson that I walked away with after reading was that anything done with dedication and love is the best gift.

The Most Perfect Persimmon is published through Astra Publishing House’s imprint Astra Young Readers. On their website they state that they are committed to creating award-winning, high-quality fiction and nonfiction books for children of all ages.

They emphasize exceptional writing, research, artistry, and innovative approaches to storytelling. Lastly, they publish books that inspire compassion, open-mindedness, and the joy of discovery.

The Most Perfect Persimmon can be found where most books are sold. (Images used in review, are courtesy of publisher) Thank you so much Astra Publishing House and Netgalley for the review copy!

Parents and educators make sure you don’t miss this short downloadable activity resource kit for the young readers in your life here, courtesy of the publisher!

Hannah Chung is an award-winning designer and entrepreneur in health care design for young patients. She is a frequent guest lecturer at universities and has presented at numerous conferences including TEDx and SXSW. Hannah spends her time both in Providence, Rhode Island, and Seoul, South Korea. Visit hannahchung.com.

Carrie McClain is a lifelong lover of children’s lit (Expect to see more kid lit book reviews, soon!) and also a Californian native who navigates the world as writer, editor and media scholar who firmly believes that we can and we should critique the media we consume. She once aided Cindi Mayweather in avoiding capture. See more of her on Twitter (X) and other places she can be found online.