SUN, MOON, AND STAR

A resourceful trio of sisters confronts a cunning tiger in this inventive retelling of the Korean folktale “The Three Little Girls.”

A mother’s simple warning sets the stage for a tense showdown between clever children and a menacing predator. Before leaving for the village, Eomma gives each of her three daughters a gift and tells them to watch over one another. When a hungry tiger shows up at the door, the girls must outmaneuver the interloper, with help from the Sky God, who lowers a rope from the heavens; the creature attempts to climb it, to its detriment. With reverence and a modern touch, Miller reimagines a centuries-old tale. Loaded with detail and brimming with charm, her meticulously constructed cut-paper images are the book’s standout feature. Watercolor depictions of the characters are positioned among tiny hand-crafted sets created from clay, paper, wood, wire, and moss and then photographed. The orange tiger blazes across one double-page spread, while the rope glows against a dusky sky. In her backmatter, Miller notes that she drew influence from Korean folk arts and crafts and discusses honoring the source material while making carefully thought-out changes (for instance, giving her female cast more agency and character development).

A visually rich and respectful retelling that breathes new life into a timeless tale.