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From Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)

In 12th-century Korea, young Tree-Ear is an orphan living with elderly Crane-Man. Crane-Man and the boy are both outcasts, but the two share a close and loving bond. Ch’ulp’o, where they live, is a village known throughout Korea and beyond for the lovely Celadon green glaze of the pottery created there. Tree-Ear is fascinated by pottery making, especially the work of potter Min, the finest in the village. When Tree-Ear accidentally breaks one of Min’s creations, he goes to work for Min to compensate the potter for his loss. Once the debt is paid, Tree-Ear continues working for the gruff and taciturn Min, hoping that he will eventually get a chance to create something at the potter’s wheel. In the meantime, he takes every opportunity he can to learn and experiences startling, and wonderfully evoked, moments of deeper understanding of the mysteries of the art. He also shares the benefits of his work, such as the daily meal provided by Min’s kind wife, with Crane-Man. A visit from the royal emissary, who has the power to assign coveted pottery commissions, ultimately has life-changing implications for Tree-Ear. Linda Sue Park’s novel is hard to put down. An author’s note provides additional historical information on the creation of Celadon pottery in Korea. (Ages 9–12)

CCBC Choices 2002 © Cooperative Children's Book Center, Univ. of Wisconsin - Madison, 2002. Used with permission.

From Publisher's Weekly

March 10, 2003

In a starred review of this Newbery Medal winner, PW
wrote, "The author molds a moving tribute to perseverance and creativity in this finely etched novel set in mid- to late–12th-century Korea. Readers will not soon forget these characters or their sacrifices." Ages 10-up.

From Publisher's Weekly

February 4, 2002
British actor Malcolm initially seems an odd choice of narrator for Park's novel set in 12th-century Korea, but he proves to be a compelling performer on this adaptation of the book that was recently named winner of this year's Newbery Medal. Tree-ear, a 12-year-old orphan, spends most of his time rummaging in trash heaps for food for himself and his friend and protector, the crippled Crane-man. But Tree-ear longs for much more; he wants to become skilled like the potters of his village, Ch'ulp'o, famous for its prized celadon ceramic ware. Tree-ear begins his path by accident, watching master potter Min in secret. Before long, Min grudgingly takes Tree-ear on as an assistant, having the boy fetch wood and do other menial tasks. Eventually Min entrusts Tree-ear with a most important job: delivering two specially crafted vases to the palace in hopes of securing a royal commission for Min's fine pottery work. The vases meet with disaster on Tree-ear's journey, but he persists on his mission, with only a single shard to show the royal emissary. Though Malcolm's performance slows a bit when reading passages describing the routines of the potters and Tree-ear's travels to the palace, listeners will likely be hooked by Tree-ear's perseverance and fascinated by a look into this craftsmen's colony from Korean history. Ages 10-14.

From Publisher's Weekly

Starred review from March 5, 2001
Park (Seesaw Girl) molds a moving tribute to perseverance and creativity in this finely etched novel set in mid- to late 12th-century Korea. In Ch'ul'po, a potter's village, Crane-man (so called because of one shriveled leg) raises 10-year-old orphan Tree Ear (named for a mushroom that grows "without benefit of "parent-seed"). Though the pair reside under a bridge, surviving on cast-off rubbish and fallen grains of rice, they believe "stealing and begging... made a man no better than a dog." From afar, Tree Ear admires the work of the potters until he accidentally destroys a piece by Min, the most talented of the town's craftsmen, and pays his debt in servitude for nine days. Park convincingly conveys how a community of artists works (chopping wood for a communal kiln, cutting clay to be thrown, etc.) and effectively builds the relationships between characters through their actions (e.g., Tree Ear hides half his lunch each day for Crane-man, and Min's soft-hearted wife surreptitiously fills the bowl). She charts Tree Ear's transformation from apprentice to artist and portrays his selflessness during a pilgrimage to Songdo to show Min's work to the royal court—he faithfully continues even after robbers shatter the work and he has only a single shard to show. Readers will not soon forget these characters or their sacrifices. Ages 10-14.

From AudioFile Magazine

With the fast pace of life today, it's not easy to slow kids down to the painstaking pace of a potter's village twelfth-century Korea. The rewards in this, the 2002 Newbery Medal winner, are great. Listeners will be moved by the struggles, triumphs, and sacrifices of the young orphan, Tree-ear; his protector, Crane-man; and the master-potter, Min. Graeme Malcolm has superb command of the story, unfolding it with skill and emotion that connect each character with the listener. Narrator Malcolm transports us to this unusual time and place and smoothly makes us understand, not just the customs and traditions, but also the universal lessons. Unforgettable. R.F.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award, 2003 Audie Award Finalist, 2003 ALA Notable Recording and YALSA Selection (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine