The Ocean Calls, Tina Cho
The Ocean Calls, Tina Cho
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The Ocean Calls
A Haenyeo Mermaid Story

Author: Tina Cho

Narrator: Jeena Yi

Unabridged: 15 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 01/19/2021

Synopsis

A breathtaking book featuring a Korean girl and her haenyeo (free diving) grandmother about intergenerational bonds, finding courage in the face of fear, and connecting with our natural world.

Dayeon wants to be a haenyeo just like Grandma. The haenyeo dive off the coast of Jeju Island to pluck treasures from the sea--generations of Korean women have done so for centuries. To Dayeon, the haenyeo are as strong and graceful as mermaids. To give her strength, Dayeon eats Grandma's abalone porridge. She practices holding her breath while they do the dishes. And when Grandma suits up for her next dive, Dayeon grabs her suit, flippers, and goggles. A scary memory of the sea keeps Dayeon clinging to the shore, but with Grandma's guidance, Dayeon comes to appreciate the ocean's many gifts.

Tina Cho's The Ocean Calls is a classic in the making.

About The Author

Tina Cho teaches at an international school and writes for the children's and educational markets. Though she grew up in Iowa, she now lives in South Korea. In her free time, she enjoys playing her electronic piano, careful not to bother her many neighbors in the high-rise apartment building she lives in with her family.Jess X. Snow is a queer migrant Asian Canadian artist, filmmaker, and Pushcart-nominated poet based in Brooklyn. They are working to build a future where migrants and people of color see themselves as heroes on the big screen, city walls, and pages of children's books and feel empowered to create their own art. By merging community arts activism, healing practices, and film in their stories, Jess hopes to encourage others to discover sanctuaries inside themselves.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Elizabeth on March 24, 2025

I didn’t know about these women but I glad I am now.......more

Goodreads review by Maureen on November 12, 2021

Informative and beautifully illustrated. I was intrigued when I saw this book because I loved The Island of Sea Women. Great to see that they have a book about the Haenyeo lifestyle for children.......more

Goodreads review by Sally on June 02, 2021

Haenyeo are ' "sea women") are female divers in the Korean province of Jeju. whose livelihood consists of harvesting a variety of mollusks, seaweed, and other sea life from the ocean.' This picture book shares a girl's wish to follow her grandmother's profession. She takes her first dive. Backmatter i......more

Goodreads review by Andrew on May 08, 2020

Dayeon wants to be a haenyo like her grandmother someday-- a skillful diver that hunts for mollusks and other gifts from the sea. However, she's a bit frightened of what lies below the waves; there's sharks and other strange creatures swimming down there. Working together, Dayeon's grandma shows her......more

Goodreads review by Shaye on December 31, 2020

What a fascinating look at haenyeo through the relationship of a young girl and her Grandma! I especially liked the reference to mermaids due to the relationship with the sea. The back matter shares more about this practice, so don't miss the extra reading! For more children's literature, middle gra......more

Quotes

Fall 2020 Kids’ Indie Next List 
Kirkus Best Children's Books 2020
Junior Library Guild selection
2021-22 International School of Beijing Panda Book Award
Freeman Award Honor
MARYLAND Black-Eyed Susan Book Award
VIRGINIA Reads
WASHINGTON DC Capitol Choices
WISCONSIN Picture This!
     
“Use this sweet story about family tradition, trust, and confidence to support STEM units on weather and tides, sea life, and ecology.” —Booklist, starred review

“In Cho and Snow’s celebration of this fascinating tradition, the risks and rewards are given only to the worthy—which takes practice, courage, and a grandmother’s love.” —Kirkus, starred review   

“Sturdy prose by Cho (Rice from Heaven) highlights a segment of Korean society whose women preserve a vibrant tradition of enterprise, stamina, and cooperation, and Grandma shines as a kind of generous real-life superhero.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review  

”[A] must-have for any collection.” —School Library Journal, starred review

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