When I spotted that Maya and the Turtle was a Korean children’s fairytale passed down from mother to daughter, I was delighted to pick it up and listen in.

The short ‘picture’ story was tender and had a blend of courage, generosity, adversity, and magic which made for a good fairytale.  I didn’t have the illustrations of the picture book before me, but I was able to see brave, sweet Maya in my mind’s eye cling to the promise her mother made before she died and then do everything she could to save her father.

Maya and the Turtle left me with a stronger curiosity for more Korean folklore, more interest in Korean history, and the lessons learned from Maya’s actions.  I think children will love the whimsy of the magical turtle and villain caterpillar, the struggle of Maya and her reward.

The narrator, Talulah Shadrick, was a first time for me, but she was splendid as a little girl’s voice and the storyteller voice she adopted.  The production of Maya and the Turtle was superb.  The wedding march was an interesting sound effect for later in the story and I wish a Korean wedding piece had been played, but I get that this was translated for English-speaking listeners.  I enjoyed the author’s note at the end about the source of this story.