Waiting for Mama

Lee Tae-Jun, illustrated by Kim Dong-Seong (2007).  Waiting for Mama (Gr. K-2).

(Bilingual: English and Korean) 
On a wintry, cold afternoon a small boy waits patiently at a streetcar station for his mama to come home.  Other passengers come and go, but there's no sign of the boy's mother.  As each streetcar arrives, the little boy asks the driver if his mama is there.  The little boy sits quietly despite his cold, red nose, and he continues to wait as snow begins to fall and the day gets darker. 

Although this story was originally written for a Korean newspaper in 1938, Kim Dong-Seong's new illustrations bring the Korean people, landscape, and culture to life.  Pay close attention to the pictures--the final drawing has two very important people in it.