Mommy's Hometown

By Hope Lim, Jaime Kim (Illustrator)

A boy visits his mother's homeland, discovering unexpected changes and timeless connections.

3.9/5 Goodreads · 428 ratings

32 pages· 473 words· Est. 4 min read-aloud

$17.99Save 6%

In stock. Also at Amazon or Bookshop.

Bookroo's summary

A young boy journeys to Korea with his mother, eager to see her childhood home. But towering skyscrapers and bustling crowds clash with his imagined paradise. Feeling out of place, he wonders if he can ever see it as she does. As they explore, a visit to the river reveals the enduring spirit of her stories. This heartfelt tale explores the immigrant experience and the unbreakable bond between generations, inviting readers to reflect on the true essence of home.

From the publisher

When a young boy and his mother travel overseas to her childhood home in Korea, the town is not as he imagined. Will he be able to see it the way Mommy does? This gentle, contemplative picture book about family origins invites us to ponder the meaning of home. A young boy loves listening to his mother describe the place where she grew up, a world of tall mountains and friends splashing together in the river. Mommy’s stories have let the boy visit her homeland in his thoughts and dreams, and now he’s old enough to travel with her to see it for himself. But when mother and son arrive, the town is not as he imagined. Skyscrapers block the mountains, and crowds hurry past. The boy feels like an outsider–until they visit the river where his mother used to play, and he sees that the spirit and happiness of those days remain. Sensitively pitched to a child’s-eye view, this vivid story honors the immigrant experience and the timeless bond between parent and child, past and present.

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