About
Folktales of the world, told the Korean way
Glowwin Books is a small, independent picture-book publisher. We retell folktales for children ages 4 to 8 and the grown-ups who read to them, starting with the stories Korean children grow up with.
Why we started
Stories that were hard to find
Korean children have laughed at the same folktales for hundreds of years: clumsy tigers, clever rabbits, mischievous goblins, and kind-hearted heroes. Yet few of these stories are easy to find as English picture books.
We make them, one story per book, in simple English that is a joy to read aloud and pictures inspired by Korean folk painting. Alongside more Korean folktales, we will also share favorite stories from around the world, told the same way.
For everyone
For anyone curious about Korea
Kids everywhere are falling for Korean songs, shows, and food. Our books share something older: the folktales Korean children grow up with.
You don’t need to know anything about Korea to enjoy them. Whether your family knows these stories by heart or is hearing them for the first time, every book is written in simple English for reading aloud, with first Korean words and a note on the culture at the back.
How we tell a story
Six things in every book
- Read-aloud English. Short sentences and a refrain children can join in on, written so any grown-up can read them with confidence, native English speaker or not.
- Pictures in the spirit of minhwa. Bold outlines, flat colors, and playful, wide-eyed characters, inspired by Korean folk painting.
- True to Korea. Thatched roofs, stone walls, Korean pine trees, and hanbok drawn with care, so every picture is a small window into Korea.
- Gentle with the hard parts. Old tales can be frightening. We keep each story’s heart and soften the scary moments, so even the youngest listeners can laugh along.
- Culture at the back. Every book ends with the story behind the story, a pronunciation guide, questions to talk about, and first Korean words.
- One story, one book. Each book tells a single tale from beginning to end, so you can start with any book in a series.