Skip to main content
book cover for Giving Thanks with Halmoni

Giving Thanks with Halmoni

Celebrating Chuseok, the Korean Harvest Festival

This title was previously available on NetGalley and is now archived.
Buy on Amazon Buy on BN.com Buy on Bookshop.org
*This page contains affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site at no additional cost to you.
Send NetGalley books directly to your Kindle or Kindle app

1
To read on a Kindle or Kindle app, please add kindle@netgalley.com as an approved email address to receive files in your Amazon account. Click here for step-by-step instructions.
2
Also find your Kindle email address within your Amazon account, and enter it here.
Pub Date Aug 12 2025 | Archive Date Jul 10 2025
Publisher Spotlight | Red Comet Press

Talking about this book? Use #GivingThankswithHalmoni #NetGalley. More hashtag tips!


Description

Excitement is building for Chuseok, the biggest Korean holiday of the year, and Halmoni wants to share it with her granddaughter and her friends. With a dearth of picture books about Chuseok, this book should be a welcome addition to the literature about the celebration.

Su-Jin’s "halmoni" (grandmother in Korean) is excited for the Korean holiday of Chuseok. She is watching the moon grow larger each night. Celebrated on the day of the Harvest Moon, Chuseok is a time when her family will gather, give thanks, and share in a very special feast. It’s the biggest holiday of the year—often referred to as Korean Thanksgiving. Su-Jin is excited, too. She wants to share the holiday with her friends Maddy and Keisha, who are curious to learn all about it. So the three girls decide to help Halmoni get ready for the celebration. Traditional foods are prepared, gifts are wrapped in a special way, games are played, and customs like gratitude and remembering ancestors are honored. The friends learn how to wish each other a happy Chuseok in Korean, and they look forward to sharing the American traditions of Thanksgiving with Halmoni. Seeing images of Su-Jin’s Korean grandmother in her traditional hanbok and the Korean American granddaughter navigating both Korean and American cultures will be helpful to those learning, understanding, accepting, and embracing their Korean identity as well as feeling a greater sense of belonging in American culture. The authors tell a universal tale that will appeal to many young readers. The Thanksgiving holiday also provides a valuable point of comparison for appreciating this ancient Korean celebration.
Excitement is building for Chuseok, the biggest Korean holiday of the year, and Halmoni wants to share it with her granddaughter and her friends. With a dearth of picture books about Chuseok, this...

Advance Praise

"A heartwarming tale that beautifully captures the essence of the Korean holiday Chuseok. . . A delightful story about friendship, acceptance, and kindness, perfect for introducing young readers to the rich traditions of Chuseok." ―School Library Journal

"A young girl wants to make the Korean Harvest Festival extra special for her grandmother. . . Heartwarming and festive."―Kirkus Reviews

"A heartwarming tale that beautifully captures the essence of the Korean holiday Chuseok. . . A delightful story about friendship, acceptance, and kindness, perfect for introducing young readers to...


Available Editions

EDITION Hardcover
ISBN 9781636551616
PRICE $19.99 (USD)
PAGES 32

Available on NetGalley

NetGalley Reader (PDF)
NetGalley Shelf App (PDF)
Download (PDF)

Average rating from 4 members


Featured Reviews

Chuseok is like Thanksgiving in Korea, and this is a wonderful picture book talking about the origin and traditions of the holiday. Su-Jin knows her grandmother is missing Korea, and decides with her friends to help her celebrate Chuseok. This was a wonderful story about people sharing their cultures, and ended with a promise to teach the grandmother about American Thanksgiving.

Was this review helpful?

This book is absolutely amazing!! I can't stress enough how important it is for there to be a wide variety of cultures that are represented in children's books. The author of this book definitely knew this, and I applaud them for sharing Korean culture in this book. Additionally, I loved that Su-Jin had friends that showed a lot of curiosity and interest regarding Chuseok, even though they didn't traditionally celebrate it themselves. This is great for young readers to see because it will encourage them to explore cultures that are unfamiliar to them, which will broaden their horizons greatly. Lastly, I adored the ending of this book, because it hinted at other characters sharing their fall traditions sometime later on. In other words, it leaves the book on a more open-ended note, but is still satisfying for the reader.
This book was so educational, diverse, and heartwarming. Awesome work!

Was this review helpful?

This was a fascinating story about family, traditions, and finding ways to connect with our grandparents. Su-Jin is a young girl who knows that her grandmother is missing her cousins and family traditions from Korea now that she lives in the United States. However, Su-Jin isn't familiar with Chuseok, a celebration of the Harvest Moon. Along with Su-Jin and friends, the reader learns about the lunar calendar and Korean traditions as they diverge and converge with the Gregorian calendar and traditions.

This is a holiday that was unfamiliar to me, and it was fascinating learning through the eyes of a child. The narrator connects the celebration of the harvest moon with her American tradition of Thanksgiving, which will help readers make a connection as well. At the end of the book, the author includes a glossary and more information about Korean agricultural traditions, and some of the challenges that the land created for farming.

I really enjoyed the topic, narration, and illustrations. I highly recommend this book for schools and libraries.

Was this review helpful?

Readers who liked this book also liked: