Heung Bu and Nol Bu by F.B. Smit takes a popular Korean folktale and reimagines it for Western audiences. This captivating mortality tale tells the story of two brothers, Heung Bu and Nol Bu, who have opposite personalities. The younger brother Heung Bu is compassionate and kind, while his older brother Nol Bu is cruel and greedy. When their father falls sick, Nol Bu takes the opportunity to kick his younger brother out of the house. Heung Bu goes on to create a simple life with his new wife and family but is stricken by poverty. Although Heung Bu suffers, he still takes the time to treat others with kindness, even the little swallow with a broken leg who he nurses back to health. The swallow rewards him for his kindness with a mysterious magical seed that grows into a giant pumpkin full of treasures! Older brother Nol Bu becomes envious of his little brother’s fortune and schemes to get his own, but his greed only leads to misfortune. This story teaches children kindness, compassion, and the need to look out for one another because cruelty and greed only lead to negative outcomes. The big-and-bold, cartoony illustrations by Vallejo and Kuang bring to life the traditional Korean countryside and personalities of the characters. The author includes a note at the end of the story about the history of this folktale and which cultural aspects he has altered so that the book is more easily understood by Western audiences.

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