Newbery Medal winner: When You Trap a Tiger by Tae Keller

Summary

This is the story of Lily, whose family moves in with their ill grandmother, who Lily calls Halmoni. Lily, who is heavily influenced by her Halmoni's stories of tigers, sees one of those tigers come to life. This claims that Halmoni stole the stories from the tigers and they want them back. So, the tiger strikes a deal with Lily to return the stories that Halmoni stole from them. In exchange for this return, Halmoni's health can be restored. Although Lily is tempted to accept this offer, she quickly learns that there are many challenges that comes with dealing with the tigers.

Justification

My justification for including this text is the fact that it is a Newbery Medal honor book. Also, students in Grades 3-6 would greatly appreciate the balance of realism and fantasy that the book provides. The realism is illustrated in issues like family illness, death, and cultural stereotypes. The fantasy is illustrated through the presence of the tigers and their interactions with Lily.

Accurate Representation of Cultural Details

Tigers symbolize power, strength, and guardianship in the Korean culture. Tigers are also highly represented in art and paintings in Korea. The depiction of animals in children's stories and folktales spoken and passed down by generations is also prevalent in Korean culture. Other types of cultural symbolism like some Korean words and foods are highlighted throughout the text as well. 

Cultural Authenticity

One recurring theme throughout the book is the ability for Lily to find her voice. Her older sister, Sam, who is more outspoken, calls her a "QAG," a stereotypical acronym for "Quiet Asian Girl." Lily resents being called this and wants to prove that she does have the ability to assert herself and stand up for what she believes in, especially when it comes to facing the tigers that are seeking to destroy her Halmoni. The text seems to challenge certain stereotypes that are set against girls of Asian heritage and how society sees them as a whole. The book also illustrates some of the challenges that come with Lily and her sister, Sam, being of biracial heritage. Their father, who died in a car accident when they were both really young, was white and their mother is Korean. This dynamic is further illustrated when he is brought up at a dinner conversation with Halmoni and Halmoni hints at the fact that Lily and Sam's mother falling in love with and marrying a white man may have caused a rift in their relationship.

Appropriateness of Cover Illustration 

The cover illustration for the text is very simple, yet showcases how the representation of the tigers role in the story. The tipped over jar with gold spilling out of it could be representative of Halmoni's telling of the stories to Lily and Sam when they were young. The tiger forming from this gold could be representative of the tiger that appears to Lily.

 

Citation

Keller, T. (2020). When you trap a tiger . Random House.


 

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