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Synopsis
Young readers will be highly amused by the chaos the mirror creates when simple folk fail to recognize themselves. Pastel illustrations warmly and humorously complement a sensitive retelling of the Korean folktale.
Children's Literature
In this simple Korean folktale, a man brings home a mirror from China and hides it in his trunk. When the members of his family discover this strange treasure, confusion ensues and each member sees a different stranger peering out of the mirror. His wife sees a beautiful young woman, his mother sees a wrinkled old crone, and his father sees the neighbor's grandpa. After the family argues and returns the mirror to the trunk, a curious boy and a neighbor put an end to the intriguing object from China. Zemach uses watercolor paintings to skillfully illustrate Ginsburg's sensitive retelling of this folktale.