With children patiently gathered in front of her, Lucy Cho, 14, reads in Korean Rainbow Fish, a book about a fish that learns how to be generous and forge friendships, written and illustrated by Marcus Pfister.
Lucy, a Glenbrook North High School student, was one of four teen volunteers who helped lead Korean Storytime in the Northbrook Public Library's Youth Services Activity Room on June 8.
"This program was born out of patron demand by a group of Korean-speaking parents who were looking for ways to better promote Korean literacy to their children," said Kelly Durov, Youth Services department manager.
Song Sujin, a book club member who went on to organize Korean Storytime explains, "Before the library’s first Korean Language Storytime program took off in the spring, a group of Korean-speaking parents had formed a book club that discussed Korean-language picture book recommendations for their children. Some parents send their children to Korean language classes on weekends, but we felt it was not enough. So that’s how storytime started.”
"The library was an obvious spot for gathering; it’s easy for most to find and is a central location for all participants," said Katherine Lee, a book club member and storytime volunteer. “It’s great to have a chance to introduce our culture and language to the library like this.”
Kelly and the Youth Services staff assisted Sujin with some storytime training, and had her attend Librarian Anna Fillmore’s storytime events to help to better understand the structure and criteria for presenting a storytime at the Northbrook Public Library. The format used in Korean storytime mirrors the format for the library's preschool storytimes.
“We recognize that it’s important for kids to read—and be read to—in their native language,” Kelly said. "These storytimes have proven to be better than I ever thought it'd be. They're amazing. Aside from hearing stories read in Korean, children get to learn songs and make crafts tied to the story. Children also have a chance to interact with their peers speaking Korean which is so important for them to maintain their Korean language skills."
Lee Jungeun, mother of two children, said she's impressed with the overall storytime structure, which includes craft activities, and notices new faces show up at every Korean Storytime.
