Written by Tina Cho
Illustrated by Jess X. Snow
August 4th, 2020
48 pages
ISBN: 978-1-98481-486-9
The Ocean Calls is a story about the loving family bond between a Korean girl and her grandmother forged in the deep seas. Her grandmother is a haenyeo, a woman from generations of divers along the Coast of Jeju Island who recovers items from the sea. The girl looks up to her grandmother as a heroine of the sea, one day wishing to emulate her strength. When the girl dives for the first time with her grandmother, she is unable to recover anything from the bottom of the sea except for some of her greatest fears. However, her grandmother shows support in her journey and growth, and helps her find many things to appreciate in the ocean.
Tina Cho’s prose, combined with the colorful, fluorescent, and vivid art of Jess X. Snow, captures a beautiful portrait of brave women, wonder, and a grandmother’s love for her granddaughter. Dayeon’s grandmother strongly juxtaposes the stereotype of strict parental figures in recent popular literature by and regarding Asian and Pacific Islanders. Even more recent hits like Crazy Rich Asians were not free from this stereotype. Readers see a loving, supportive grandmother who is interested in the growth of Dayeon and encourages her to pursue her dreams of diving into the sea together. They see an open-minded woman who, even when her granddaughter struggles with her time in the sea, still stays by her side through the journey.
This leads to a very affirming element of The Ocean Calls. Even if things do not go as expected, it does not mean it is a failure to the protagonist. There is a sense of accomplishment at the end of the tale. When Dayeon struggles in the story, her grandmother does not see it as a point of shame, but rather growth. There are plenty of stories out there pushing for the “perfect” outcome for a happy conclusion. While some have their place, a story where people learn to be happy even if things do not go where they expect is a perfect story (no pun intended) for children of all ages and backgrounds.
I recommend this story for both the quality of the storytelling and the educational element it brings to modern literary works. Even though it takes place in Korea and not in North America, APALA communities will appreciate this book as it is spreading awareness about the haenyeo, especially those who have relations overseas. Also, there are not a lot of stories about the haenyeo written by Asian or Pacific Islander authors. As an Asian American author, Tina Cho illuminates and centers the story with a narrative that reflects the daily lives of the haenyeo. This is an important cultural and historical work as much as it is a light-hearted yet compelling tale of a girl diving into the sea. The Ocean Calls raises important life lessons that can be learned and taught across regional and cultural spheres. It is a gift for anyone who can open the book and dive into its prose.
Review by Arya Hackney. Editing assistance by Danica Ronquillo.