Rice from Heaven: The Secret Mission to Feed North Koreans by Tina Cho

Have I mentioned that I lived in Korea for five years? Have I mentioned that after all that time, I am more familiar with Korean holidays than American holidays? For example, after moving back to the US this summer, I completely forgot about Labor Day! It wasn’t until I was talking with a cashier at the drugstore that I remembered two things: 1) Labor Day is a holiday, and 2) People celebrate it. But one question remained…What is it exactly that people do to celebrate?

I’ve been getting used to feeling like a “foreigner at home,” and I laughed at myself on the way out the door for this latest lapse. However, I should also mention that Chuseok, one of the largest Korean holidays, has been written on my calendar for months! (This year it starts on Sunday, September 23.)

So, first things first, you should probably go find out more about Chuseok. Chuseok has been called the “Korean Thanksgiving,” and there are some similarities. But the longer I lived in Korea and the more I learned about Chuseok, the more I understood Chuseok’s unique traditions (and no, they don’t eat mashed potatoes with gravy).

Did you read more about Chuseok? Good! Okay, so now on to the main attraction. Today, in honor of Chuseok, I’d like to share a book with you that is very close to my heart.

Rice from Heaven: The Secret Mission to Feed North Koreans by Tina Cho is a picture book inspired by the author’s real-life experience. In the story, a young girl and her father release balloons carrying rice in an effort to feed North Korean children and families who don’t have enough to eat. This beautiful book is an incredible opportunity to look into a desperate situation through a child’s eyes, to talk about the disparities that exist in the world, and to encourage compassionate action around the world and in our own backyards.

Use It In the Classroom…

(L.4.5.A, L.5.5.A)

-Explore and explain similes and metaphors. Rice from Heaven is packed with figurative language. Read the story. Along the way, have your class listen for similes and metaphors. Then go back and look at a few. Ask questions like: “What two things are being compared?” and “How are these two things the same?” Here’s a freebie to help you along the way!

Rice from Heaven Similes and Metaphors Worksheet

-Learn about North (and South) Korea. After the story, there is a section with information about Korean traditions. There is also a brief explanation of the history of the North and South Korean conflict. Use this back matter to get your class thinking. Next, find North and South Korea on a map or globe. After that, the possibilities are endless! You could figure out how far away your class is from Korea. Research the Korean War. Research Korean holidays (like Chuseok and Seollal). Have your class start looking for North and South Korea in the news. Read stories from North Korean refugees or watch their videos. (*Teacher note: Always preview these! Given the nature of life in North Korea, some of these contain very heavy material. I have included some previewed resources at the end of this post that can get you started. As always, preview these yourself in case links or advertisements have changed.)

-Plan a reading unit. Linda Sue Park has some excellent historical fiction novels for your middle grade readers! Anne Sibley O’Brien is another author to look into (though, full disclosure, I’ve only read her picture books!). Allow students to choose between these and other books set in Korea and then have them report on the stories. Here are a few to choose from:

-Cultivate compassion. As your students learn about North Korea, encourage them to think about how their lives might be different if they lived there. How might they feel? Extend that conversation and ask children to think about people they see, know, or know about whose lives might be different from theirs.

-Act. Look for practical ways of putting compassion into action. I’m including a few links to additional resources below to get you started if your class is motivated to do something.

Use It At Home…

–Cultivate compassion and act as a family! (See above)

-Pray for North Korea, its leaders, and its people. Yes, it’s leaders, too. I always think of the book of Daniel as a I pray for Kim Jong-un. Remember how God placed Daniel in a position where the great kings of a nation got to see God’s power? Pray that God will place people who know and honor him around Kim Jong-un to reveal that God is the true ruler (and pray that Kim Jong-un will respond in humility and submit to God and his ways). I also think of Pontius Pilate’s wife who was given a dream that led her to try to persuade her husband not to sentence Jesus to death. Kim Jong-un’s wife is named Ri Sol-ju. Pray that God will also reveal himself to her and give her a voice into her husband’s life.

-Befriend North Koreans living in the US (or wherever you are). Are there any organizations that work with North Korean refugees in your area? Google is your friend!

-Go eat some Korean food! It’s delicious! Ask your server questions about the food and (if they’ve lived there) life in Korea.

-Learn some Korean words. There are lots of free resources online that you can use to get you started, but if you want something more comprehensive, check out Mango Languages.

Next week, I will be posting an extra special guest interview with Tina Cho, the author of Rice from Heaven. As a teacher herself, Cho has developed some accompanying teaching resources to be used with the book! I’ll be sharing those with you, too.

In the meantime, read Rice from Heaven and tell me what you think of it! I can’t wait to hear from you.

Organizations That Work with North Koreans and Other Children Living in Poverty:

Crossing Borders (faith-based organization that helps North Korean refugees and orphans)
Liberty in North Korea (organization that works with North Korean refugees and leads rescue missions)
Compassion International (faith-based organization that supports children and families living in poverty around the world, can sponsor individual children and write letters to them – NOT currently in North Korea)

Additional Resources:

News about sending aid in bottles (Article describing other methods of getting aid to North Koreans)
North Korean Defectors Speak about Change (North Korean defectors discuss how information is bringing change in North Korea. *Note: Video is unrelated.)
North Korean Defector Shares about Thinking for the First Time (Article about one defector’s experience of “practicing freedom” after growing up in a country where the government tells people what and how to think.)
North Korea’s Starving Children (Several things have changed since this video was filmed in 2011, which is itself an opportunity for discussion.)
Journalists Share about Life in North Korea (After living in North Korea and interviewing North Korean defectors, two journalists speak about the life of “ordinary” North Koreans.)
North Korean Defector Shares Her Story (Hyeonseo-Lee defected in 1997, so again, her experience may be different from the experiences of North Koreans today. However, her story sheds light on the history of North Korea’s dictatorship. Hyeonseo-Lee has shared extensively about her experiences in North Korea, and there are many other (longer) videos you can find online featuring her story. **Note: From 1:34-1:40, there is a graphic illustration of American soldiers sawing a Korean man’s head in two. Younger viewers may be troubled by this image.**)
Compassion Explorer (Compassion International shares about the lives of children around the world on a kid-friendly website and ALSO sends out free magazines with these stories. AND they have lesson plans for teachers!)

Your turn! What did you think of Rice from Heaven? How do you cultivate active compassion in your students’ and children’s’ lives?

P.S. Celebrate Life!

P.P.S. Don’t forget your freebie! Rice from Heaven Similes and Metaphors

Rice from Heaven: The Secret Mission to Feed North Koreans by Tina Cho

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