The House Before Falling into the Sea

by Ann Suk Wang

Illustrated by Hanna Cha

Dial Books 2024

As war's shadow creeps over Korea, young Kyong's world is irrevocably altered. Afar, war sirens ring as travelers journey from all over Korea seeking refuge in the aptly titled The House Before Falling into the Sea, by Ann Suk Wang and illustrated by Caldecott-honored Hanna Cha (The Truth About Dragons).

During the Korean War in 1950, Kyong, our sensitive narrator, trepidatiously watches as acquaintances and friends arrive at her home. “I hid behind Appa as he gently smoothed down my hair. ‘Kyong, welcome our guests. They’ll be staying for a while.’” Cha’s watercolor illustrations of the calm blue ocean and wheat-colored fields reflect a safe place. Kyong's friendship with Sunhee, a fellow displaced child, offers a glimmer of hope amidst the chaos. Their bond solidifies when Sunhee, while sharing her last goguma (sweet potato), tearfully confesses that her Appa’s (father’s) fishing boat was stolen by “some men from the north,” forcing her family to seek refuge.

In a comforting gesture, Kyong gifts her friend a fish-shaped stone. As the house fills with strangers, Kyong's world shrinks, mirroring the growing conflict outside. Rather than bothering the guests indoors, she and Sunhee meet up outside, collect pebbles, and throw them into the sea—“plunk… plink… plop.” 

Suddenly, nearby sirens ring. Kyong’s family and guests scramble into their dark, underground hiding place, waiting for the danger to pass. Even after safety arrives, “the darkness” follows our protagonist as she confesses to her parents, “‘I want everything to go back… [to] before the sirens, before the strangers started coming into our home.’” Sunhee’s father gently explains that without Kyong’s home, the “soldiers might have chased us farther, until we fell into the sea.”

Bursting with bright pink flowers, the second-to-last spread shows happy children playing, noting that this was a time Kyong never forgot. The final spread ends with two friends walking hand-in-hand toward modern-day Busan, showing a seascape nestled up to a burgeoning city. Wang deftly explores themes of displacement, empathy, and resilience through the children's experiences. Hanna Cha’s illustrations, somewhere between Robert Andrew Parker and Winslow Homer, complement the narrative, depicting calm scenes in watery blue and fearful scenes in deep brown. The final pages include an author’s note, an illustrator’s note, questions to consider, a glossary, and explanations of Korean names.

Shelly Swearingen is an elementary school teacher currently living in coastal South Carolina. Her book discussions can also be found on her YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Shellyish