Our Little Korean Cousin

Description

Written by Henry Lee Mitchell Pike, Our Little Korean Cousin is a beautiful little tale about a Korean boy named Yung Pak. The goal of the book was to help children learn about the highly unusual and, in many respects, fascinating customs of Korea, as seen through the eyes of a young boy not much different than themselves.

As he begins his story, Pike speaks of the boy’s life and youth, his habits, the customs of his household and, of course, the crucial elements that cannot be omitted from a good children’s story, his toys. As he grows up, we learn more about Yung Pak and his family – particularly his father, who was in the service of the King. Throughout the following pages, a great deal more is revealed about this exciting country and its customs, traditions and culture, as it appeared more than a century ago.

The remarkable cultural and historic value of the book is equaled by its value as a common children’s story. It delights and inspires at the same time as teaching young children about the history and culture of a great nation with a long history far different from anything we may encounter in the west.

The entire story is portrayed as a grand and exciting adventure, as we are taken through the wilds, where tiger hunting was a common sport in Korea at one time, as well as to the King’s ceremonial affairs of state, where we catch a glimpse of the leader himself sitting together with the crown prince.

Despite the cultural gap between the east and the west at the time this book was written, Henry Lee Mitchell Pike does an excellent job of portraying the Korean culture in a way that children who had no understanding of Korea would easily be able to grasp the country’s fascinating way of life and interesting, albeit very “queer” customs.
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