Goyangi Means Cat by Christine McDonnell, illustrated by Steve Johnson & Lou Fancher

When Soo Min joins her new American family from Korea, she doesn’t know any English at all.  Everything was strange and new, except for Goyangi, the cat.  Soo Min and Goyangi were friends from the start, with Goyangi curling up on her bed and comforting her in the middle of the night.  One morning, Goyangi escaped out the door.  Soo Min noticed at breakfast that Goyangi was gone.  She and her new mother called and called for the cat, but he did not return.  Back home after their search, Soo Min burst into tears.  She cried for losing Goyangi and also for her lost homeland.  Eventually, Soo Min fell asleep.  And when she awoke, her new father had come home along with someone else…

McDonnell, who is herself the mother of two Korean-born children, has captured the first days of international adoption with a gentleness and a deep understanding.  The focus of the book is Soo Min rather than the techniques her parents use to reach her.  Soo Min is given the space in the book to explore her new family and land without expectations.  The use of the cat as a bridge between cultures is a natural one, as is the deep connection that Soo Min finds with her feline friend.  The entire book has a sense of reality and lack of excess drama, which is very welcome here.

The illustrations are remarkable.  They are an appealing mix of collage, patterns, and softness.  At the same time, they play with line and language.  The cat’s fur is done in swirls, as you can see in the cover image above.  Lines are used throughout the illustrations, tying them visually together in a very subtle way.  Language is brought in with Korean words worked into the illustrations, again a bridge is formed in a visual way.

Highly recommended, this is one of the best books about international adoption I’ve seen.  The focus on the child’s point of view and its quality make it exceptional.  Appropriate for ages 4-7.

Reviewed from copy received from Viking.

Also reviewed by Kiss the Book.