Here's a story that's just as beautiful and interesting as the celadon ceramics that feature so prominently in the plot. Park succeeds in bringing the landscape and the people of medieval Korea alive, particularly in how she describes the trade of making and selling ceramics at that time. She makes you care about her characters, and although the main character Tree-Ear is somewhat one-dimensional, his character traits are admirable: he is bold, determined, respectful, kind, and assertive. Park made me feel what Tree-Ear was feeling, so that I was crushed at his disappointments and rejoiced when things went well for him. He is an excellent example for young readers, especially boys, of character when it counts. This one's worth reading!

South Korean (I don't know about North) ceramics are lovely. Why don't the Korean stores around Ottawa sell them? Breakage on shipping is not an acceptable answer.

I enjoyed this story very much about a boys' perseverance, dedication, and loyalty for his master, as well as his doggedness to get the job done despite economic and fierce obstacles in his way.

A beautiful story of a homeless child who overcomes a life of hopelessness by being taught a trade while repaying a debt. He is then given a sacred privilege of showing a beautiful vase to the emperor of Korea. He encounters more difficulty on this part of his life journey and yet he is able to come out on top! A story that will teach children compassion, diligence and perseverance.

In 12th-century medieval Korea a young orphan boy becomes an assistant to a master potter. In this tale of courage and devotion, the lives of both the boy and his master are profoundly changed by a single shard from a broken celadon pot. This novel draws the reader into a compelling story set in a rarely explored era and setting.

Lovely story about a boy who becomes a potter's apprentice in medieval Korea. The few characters in the book are well-drawn and memorable, and there's a lot of good messaging here without being too didactic. A nice, fast read.

We heard this on audiobook and loved the story and intro to Korean historical life/ pottery. Both my kids, aged 5 and 7 at the time enjoyed it.