The Turtle Ship

by Helena Ku Rhee, Colleen Kong-Savage (Illustrator)

Long ago in Korea, a young boy named Sunsin spent his days playing with his pet turtle Gobugi and dreaming of sailing around the world. As a poor villager, though, his dream to travel seemed impossible. Then one day, the king's court announced a contest to find the best design for a new battleship to defend the land from invaders. The winner would sail the ocean with the royal navy.

Determined to win, Sunsin attempts to build an indestructible battleship with a few found items. Each attempt fails miserably against the powerful sea, and with it Sunsin's dream also sinks to the bottom. Turning to Gobugi for comfort, Sunsin notices how his pet turtle is small but mighty, slow but steady, and impossible to sink. Suddenly, Sunsin has a great idea.

Loosely based on Admiral Yi Sunsin and the Turtle War Ship (Keo-Book-Sun), debut author Helena Ku Rhee and debut illustrator Colleen Kong-Savage introduce young readers to a fascinating episode in Korean history and naval engineering.

Genres: Picture Books, Historical Fiction, Childrens, War, Asia, Asian Literature, Fiction

32 pages, Hardcover

First published June 5, 2018

About the author

Helena Ku Rhee is a children’s book author & essayist based in Los Angeles. Her picture books include SORA'S SEASHELLS (illustrated by Stella Lim & Ji-Hyuk Kim), ROSA'S SONG (illustrated by Pascal Campion) and its companion book THE PAPER KINGDOM (also illustrated by Pascal Campion), which landed on many Best of 2020 lists, including NPR, BookPage, Parents Magazine, Kirkus, the Los Angeles Public Library, Amazon, and more.

Helena also wrote THE TURTLE SHIP (illustrated by Colleen Kong-Savage) as well as essays for publications such as the Los Angeles Times and Salon.

Listen to her 6-minute interview on NPR: https://www.npr.org/2020/03/14/815250...

Helena wrote the popular article for Salon, "Making sense of a senseless world: how children's books can mitigate the horror around us" -- https://www.salon.com/2022/06/14/maki...

Visit Helena at: http://helenakrhee.com/

Reviews

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Based on the life of the famous 16th-century Korean admiral, Yi Sun-Sin, who was never defeated in battle, and who is celebrated for his victory over the Japanese at Myeongnyang, this engaging picture-book offers an imaginative story about how the Korean Geobukseon, or turtle ship, was first designed. Opening in Sun-Sin's childhood, it imagines the young boy entering a ship-designing contest announced by the king. When his first ideas don't work, Sun-Sin is inspired by his turtle companion's steady dependability in the water, and offers him as an inspiration for the new design...

Although the historical Yi Sun-Sin is noted for his use and improvement of the Geobukseon, based upon earlier models, rather than for inventing it outright, Korean tradition still considers him the inventor of the ship, something reflected in debut author Helena Ku Rhee's engaging narrative. I appreciated the brief afterword, which gives more information about the subject, as I was not previously familiar with this important figure from East Asian history. It's fascinating to learn that the Geobukseon was the world'd first ironclad ship, as that claim had erroneously been made by scholars about the much-later ships of the American Civil War. I found The Turtle Ship both informative and entertaining, and I think young children will as well. The artwork, done by debut illustrator Colleen Kong-Savage in collage, is just lovely, with a textured feeling that is a pleasure to peruse. All in all, a wonderful picture-book, one which straddles the fiction/non-fiction line, but nevertheless offers an informative text exploring a subject too little-known here in the states.

[Ember Air · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an adorable imagining of the creation of the Turtle Ship! I loved that all the "for-sure" facts that we know about that time were included (considering there are so few)! This is a very powerful tale of the importance of endurance, and learning from nature; truly amazing!

[Meg · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author and illustrator of this beautiful picture book have created a historical fiction Korean tale about the design of ancient battle ships. Helena Ku Rhee's informative text was researched along with her illustrator, Colleen Kong-Savage. They imagined the childhood of a famous Admiral in Korean history (1500's) who created the design and led battles with ships that had similarities to a turtle. As the story proceeds, a boy wants to see the world and dreams of a plan with his pet turtle. After learning about a prize for a battleship design, Yi Sun-sin convinces his parents to take him to the king to explain his idea. Seeing the attributes of the pet turtle in action, the king agrees to design a ship with the strong qualities of the turtle shell. Yi does get to see the world and becomes a famous admiral. The illustrator uses cut paper designs with materials from all over the world! A bibliography is included about Admiral Yi Sun-sin's life. Highly recommended for students ages 5+.

[Peacegal · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a unique little book boasting gorgeous collage illustrations. Adults and young people alike will learn a bit about Korean history, and the boy's friendship and inspiration by his turtle friend is sweet.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sixteenth century Korean legend about the historical figure, Admiral Yi Sun-Sin, who designed a battle ship inspired by the body his pet turtle. The ship was hugely successful in fending off the Japanese. Definitely add to world culture children's collections. Illustrations in collage.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Would be a good tie-in to an engineering activity. Recommended for ages 5-7.

[Arminzerella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sun-sin dreamed of seeing the world, and when he learned that the the king was holding a contest to design a ship that would keep their people safe, he was determined to win. His first couple of ideas did not hold up to the powerful forces of the sea, but Sun-sin noticed that his turtle friend Gobugi, who was a passenger on Sun-sin's ships, never sank, never faltered in the water, and Gobugi became the inspiration for Sun-sin's ultimate design. He had to convince his parents to bring him before the king and because they were poor and Sun-sin was only a boy, they were ridiculed by other competitors and spectators. Still, Sun-sin presented his idea and Gobugi was there to prove its worth. The king was impressed and ordered his ship builders to make the new vessels accordin to Sun-sin's design, and Sun-sin and his family were well-compensated and Sun-sin was able to see all the places of which he had dreamt. This whimsical account of creation of the Korean battleships, called Gobukson, fictionalizes a piece of Korean history from the 1500s. An afterword includes more information about the facts that are known, as well as a photograph of an actual Gobukson.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

An enchanting story that will capture the imaginations of young readers. I love the creativity and perseverance of Yi Sun-sin. I was intrigued by the possible origin of the Korean battleships that were so resilient. Ships and turtles? Who would think they’d have a common thread?

I would be remiss to not call-out the artwork. The illustrator, Colleen Kong-Savage, uses a collage format to convey her images. Her paper-piecing technique is so subtle that I had to go back and look at the illustrations again after I read her illustrator’s note. I am wowed to say the least.

I’ve fallen in love with this publisher, Lee and Low Books (https://www.leeandlow.com/), and its imprints as they are actively #ownvoices. Their extensive catalog is a treasure and I will be sure to read more published by this group.

Book includes an afterword discussing the history, an author’s note, and an illustrator’s note. There also is a brief bibliography on the copyright page.

[Stephanie Bange · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rhee retells a fictionalized folktale of the invention of the Gobukson, or Turtle Ship. In 1500's Korea, a young boy is inspired by the strength in his turtle's shell and designs a sailing vessel to defend his country from invaders.

What an interesting story! This quiet tale would be great to read aloud during a unit on STEM -- about the creation of a floating device that is not destroyed in battle. It is difficult to find well-told Korean folktales. Rhee delivers a flawless tale.

Illustrated in collage by Colleen Kong-Savage, the color palette is pleasing, with emphasis on greens, yellows, blues and browns. Each person in the story has an expressive, unique look. Kong-Savage is careful to include traditional Korean dress -- the women and men are dressed in traditional hanboks, with men sporting small beards, topknots, and gats (Korean hats).

Backmatter includes history about the turtle ship, and both an author's and illustrator's note.

Useful for STEM, this would also be appropriate to use during a unit of study on Korea.

Recommended for grades K-3.

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is just an awesome children's book. It is based on historical facts, but is dramatized and thus a work of fiction. I had no idea that Korean ironclad ships pre-dated European ones by hundreds of years, but I'm not surprised. I highly enjoyed learning about how these ships came about and the life of Yi Sun-sin. This book is funny, inspirational, and creative. Also OMG the collage! I loved the illustrator's note about her process; this book opened up a whole world of collage possibilities for me.

[Zoey Wyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Paper collage illustrating! Fantastic, it was amazing and I appreciate how Sun-sin realizes the best joys are not always in a far off place.

[Miss Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A historical fiction picture book about ships created for the korea navy by a young boy. length is elementary and up

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting bit of history. I'd always thought the first armored ships were during the Civil War, but apparently that's YET ANOTHER THING western culture didn't come up with first.

[Jana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five stars for the illustrations.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Based on the true story of Admiral Yi Sun-sin of Korea, who invented the first iron-clad ship in the world (before the Europeans or Americans!), based on his observations of his pet turtle - at least we think that was his inspiration! The author's note in the back gives the facts that we know, and even shows a picture of a real "turtle ship".

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sun-sin spends his days with his turtle, Gobugi, and dreaming of traveling the world even though he knows his poverty makes those dreams unlikely. When the ruler of Korea announces a contest for a design for a battleship, the boy decides to try different designs so that he might win the contest. After several attempts, he realizes that his turtle may offer the best design. When the boy and his parents head to the emperor's palace for the competition, they are belittled by the others, and Sun-sin's parents are embarrassed. By chance, a cat attacks Gobugi, but the turtle is unscathed due to its shell and ability to retract its limbs. The king is able to see the possibilities in the way the turtle is designed and how a warship could be designed. As for Sun-sin, his dreams of travel do come true but he finds contentment at home as well. Since the story is based loosely on some events in Korean history, it becomes even more powerful and interesting to readers. The collage illustrations are outstanding, especially when showing what the ships designed by Sun-sin looked like or depicting the clothing worn by the characters. Readers won't want to miss the Afterword, or the notes from the author and the illustrator as well as the photograph of what the Turtle Ship looked like. It's pretty incredible and clearly hard to mount an attack against such a vessel.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nothing like succeeding in front of a bunch of naysayers.

[RWaggoner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m a sucker for collage illustrations and this book did not disappoint. Interesting story with historic information in the back.

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Overall, I really loved this book. I am totally blown away by the illustrations. It is definitely for older readers. My 12 year-old read it and gave it 4 stars.

[Susan K. · Rating 5 out of 5]

We choose this book for our school library and we love it! This book not only brings more diversity into our library but it also brings to life a part of Korean history to our diverse school population.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this mix of folklore and history, a young boy named Sunsin spends his days playing with his pet turtle Gobugi and dreams of sailing around the world. Then one day, the king's court announced a contest to find the best design for a new battleship to defend the land from invaders, and Sunsin comes up with the winning design.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's fun to think that a pet turtle could have inspired this, and that these ships were formidable for so long.

[Alyssa Gudenburr · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very inspiring story about a young boy, his pet turtle, and drive to travel the world.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the inspiring story and the collage artwork in “The Turtle Ship.” Most importantly, I learned a lot about Korea.

[Krista · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every so often I stumble across a book not knowing how I will feel about it. A young Korean boy named Sun-sin and his family travels to the castle for him to enter a contest for the best ship design. He had been inspired by his turtle, Gobugi, who was “strong and steady and never sinks”. At first he is ridiculed for his idea until the King sees a cat attempt to pounce on Gobugi. The flow of the story and the calming illustrations will captivate readers. Perfect for so many uses including storytimes, history or engineering program to build ships that will float. The Turtle Ship exceeded all my expectations and I’m looking forward to sharing this story and creating activities to support it.

[Marsha · Rating 3 out of 5]

With beautiful collages by Colleen Kong-Savage, Ms. Rhee has given us a slightly fictionalized origin story of some of the most powerful warships ever to sail the oceans. The collages, bold colors and patterns make for a memorable tale of a boy’s love for an unusual pet and how he brought his idea for ships to the king. It’s a great way to introduce children into an obscure bit of Korean history.

Since this story deals with a turtle, the impression of water is one that the illustrator must get absolutely right and Ms. Kong-Savage nailed it. What initially attracted me to this book was the image of water on the cover. It’s fluid with a pleasing juxtaposition of different shades of blue and white to attract the eye. Water also features inside the picture book and gives it different images to convey mood and setting.

This picture book is a splendid feast for the eye and includes a short afterword with more information about its subject.

[Fredpicks · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately, the book did not fulfill my expectations. I enjoyed the illustrations.

What I don't like;
It creates an entirely fictional event based on one of the most historically important Koreans. Not only developing a 'false' history, but failing to provide any meaningful history other than teaching the name of a famous Admiral.

The narrative; the book is based entirely on the child Sun Shin having wisdom that the adults don't have. Not only is it historically inaccurate to say Sun Shin designed the Turtle ship, the 'childs wisdom' strikes out against the Korean importance of the elders wisdom.

[Mother Goose Librarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sunsin and his pet turtle spend their days playing together. But Sunsin dreams of visiting lands far away. When he hears that the king is looking for ideas on how to design and build his ship for war, Sunsin attempts to build one. When he decides that it should be designed like a turtle, the kings men laugh at the idea, that is until they see how strong the turtle really is. Interesting tale and intriguing collage illustrations. Includes back matter. Author and illustrator notes are a must read. Highly recommended.

[Sophia Bill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Description: A young boy named Sunsin builds a legendary turtle ship to protect his kingdom from invaders, highlighting Korean history and heroism.

Note: This book offers opportunities for discussions about historical figures, cultural pride, and creativity in problem-solving.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cultural story of a boy who helped a nation by designing a ship inspired by his turtle.