Moon Pops

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The paper figures are various animals who all live together in a crowded apartment building with their own interesting apartments to look into as well. It's a Korean folktale, but I don;t think it can be too old as freezers, air conditioning haven'[t been around too long. Moon Pops”, written and illustrated by Heena Baek, and translated from Korean by Jieun Kiaer, is a modern spin off of the old Korean folktale of the Moon Rabbit. A strange and delightful tale made for lingering over—and perfect for reading with your own moon pop .

She was born in Seoul, South Korea and studied education technology at Ewha Womans University in Seoul, and animation at the California Institute of the Arts in Santa Clarita, California. The art is a mix of photo backgrounds and cut out drawings of anthropomorphic wolf-like creatures in the foreground. Moon Pops is a strange and delightful tale made for lingering over—and perfect for reading with your own moon pop. Vanessa, an LE teacher, is reading The Wisdom Wheel by Alberto Villolda and re-reading Creative Visualization by Shakti Gawain. Similarly, the text moves from a lulling, magical cadence to a distinct shift in mood as the bugs ready themselves for their foray into the night: “They wave their bottoms in the air, wiggle their feelers, take a deep, deep breath, and sing, ‘Here we go, it’s time to glow!

Even though the power went out, everyone in the apartments slept well, the moon pops kept them cool. In fact, after reading it, I went to H Mart in Cambridge so I could walk around and inhabit the book’s setting for a little bit. It has a soft, dark look that makes it seem like something creepy is around the corner, but with the lights in the right places, it highlights the feeling of togetherness. She said the book “aligns really well with Montessori principles” and suggested it may be a good book to guide a parent discussion.

Granny gathers the moon drops and turns them into popsicles to keep her neighbors cool, but she keeps a few drops. And this summer, I read Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr, which might be one of the best books I’ve read in a long time! She has published thirteen picture books that are popular throughout Asia, a number of which have been translated. This retelling of the Korean folktale of the Legend of the Moon Rabbit is the perfect book to read on a sweltering summer evening. English translation available here (but you can't really see the amazing pictures, alas): https://www.

I liked the story well enough, though the author’s note at the beginning feels necessary for the story to make some sense when it kind of derails with some rabbits midway through… that part felt like a non sequitur to me. Chunky figures surrounded by lots of bright white space in Segal’s minimally detailed watercolors keep the visuals as simple as the plotline. Illustrated in otherworldly mixed-media dioramas, this quirky and colorful picture book spins a new story from the common East Asian fable of the rabbit in the moon. is the only resident to have noticed the moon dripping away to nothing, and she races outside to catch the drops to mix up a frozen treat: the titular moon pops, which are icy and sweet, melt away the heat.