We didn’t know our children’s book was competing, and then it won!
By John Stickler
Until we were notified by our publisher that we were winners, my wife and I had never heard of the Morning Calm Award for children’s books. It is an annual prize program founded and conducted by the librarians at the 15 international schools in South Korea.
Over the summer the librarians select English-language books in four age categories, elementary through high school, and stock multiple copies in each school. The books are introduced to the students at the beginning of the school year with PowerPoint presentations and the kids are given eight months to read them. Students who read a certain number of books on the list are eligible to vote for their favorite, which is done in April. Most of the authors and publishers around the world have no idea their titles are even in the competition.
Our picture book, Maya and the Turtle: A Korean Fairy Tale, had a bit of an advantage in this race. Although the medium of instruction in the international schools is entirely in English, and these students are being prepared for college in the U.S. and elsewhere, they are mostly of Korean heritage. Maya’s tale is a classic Oriental lesson in filial piety, respect for one’s parents, presented in an engaging Cinderella story. In an effort to save her father’s life a young girl volunteers to face death in the form of a deadly giant centipede. Fortunately, thanks to a magical turtle, all ends well.
The librarians positioned our book in the Upper Elementary category, grades 4-6, up against three other new titles by better-known authors. The kids were given one school year to read all four, and then asked to vote for their favorite the following spring. Across all schools, Maya was the most popular in that age group and hundreds of students awarded her the international Morning Calm Medal.
The winning authors and illustrators receive award certificates by mail and the publishers receive artwork for a nifty foil medallion to print and stick on their winning book covers.
Although our publisher, Tuttle, produced both hardcover and eBook editions of Maya, they had not considered an audiobook of this title. Given its proven popularity my wife and I negotiated with Tuttle to obtain the audio rights and set out to become audiobook producers. We knew who we wanted to narrate it. Talulah Shadrick is a talented Californian, age 12, who always knew she would be an actress. At age six she appeared on stage and by eight qualified to join the Screen Actors Guild. Her credits include a Toyota TV commercial, a voiceover for a Nintendo game, and a recurring role on the last season of the popular cable TV program “Veep.”
The first children’s book blogger to review the 11-minute audiobook called Talulah “amazing;” our talented tween.
Soma’s mother, T.M. Song, was a storyteller and this is a tale she used to tell her four daughters when Soma was a little girl. Her mother had told it to her when she was growing up in a small village in Korea. As co-author Soma told me what to write and also did all the lovely watercolor illustrations. She is a fine arts graduate of the California College of the Arts and has illustrated three children’s books. She’s a charter member of the National Museum of Women in the Arts. I reported the news from Seoul for nine years for the CBS radio network and am a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.
Read the press release of the audiobook here.
To hear a one-minute free sample of Talulah or to order an mp3 download of the book visit here.
Check out the trailer for the book:
When Publishers Weekly reviewed the picture book they wrote: “The husband-and-wife team of Stickler and Han retells a fairy tale from Han’s childhood, in which a young woman’s kindness and bravery are rewarded handsomely.”
“‘Maya and the Turtle’ is a beautifully illustrated and poignant tale about the rewards of kindness, patience and encouragement, and a lesson in how true glory must be earned. Maya’s selflessness and generosity perfectly illustrate the deceptively simple moral of this book—when a heart is pure and kind and loving, surprising and wonderful things can happen. Even when hope seems lost.” —Adoption Today magazine
Grab the Maya and the Turtle audiobook on Audiobooks.com HERE.
Maya and the Turtle: A Korean Fairy Tale
by John C. Stickler, Soma Han
**WINNER OF THE INTERNATIONAL 2013-2014 MORNING CALM MEDAL**
This multicultural children’s book presents a heartwarming Korean fairy tale about a little girl and a fortunate encounter.
Poverty is all Maya has ever known, but she doesn’t allow it to stop her from caring for her father, and others, as best she can. Kind and gentle, she is a lovely young girl who always puts others first. One day, she finds a little turtle and takes him home, raising and loving him, never knowing that he will play an instrumental part in her destiny.
Similar to The Korean Cinderella, Maya and the Turtle, is an original Korean fairy tale by authors John Stickler and Soma Han that teaches children that the road to greatness lies in selflessness and that the loving kindness of a pure heart can awaken great love and power in another. Beautifully illustrated by Han, this book contains fascinating bits of information about Korean culture and is a poignant tale about the rewards of kindness, patience and courage.
