Cartoon Saturday- A Sky of Paper Stars

Yi, Susie. A Sky of Paper Stars
September 26, 2023 by Roaring Brook Press 

E ARC provided by Netgalley

Yuna lives with her younger sister Mina and her parents in the US. Her parents have come to the US from Korea, and hold on strongly to their cultural ways. This irritates Yuna when her parents won't let her have a phone, have sleepovers at classmates' homes, and pack her lunches that children at school think are "weird". She has quite a fight with her mother, and tells her that she throws away the carefully packed lunches every day. Her grandmother, who is still in Korea, taught Yuna that if she folded 1,000 paper stars, she could make a wish. Yuna does this, and wishes to move back to Korea with her parents so that she is seen as normal, but shortly afterwards word comes that Halmoni has died. The family travels back for the funeral, and Yuna is consumed with the idea that she cause Halmoni's death. She hasn't seen Halmoni since she was young, and had some unpleasant interactions with her that come back to haunt her. She was fearful of the texture of Halmoni's hands, which felt like paper to her, and she feels herself slowly turning to paper as guilt consumes her. The family goes through all of the funeral proceedings, but Yuna decides that if she can fold another 1,000 paper starts, she can bring her grandmother back. Because of family obligations, she is unable to do this, so feels even more guilty. Eventually, she admits her feelings to her mother, who helps  her to understand that you can have disagreements with those who love you, and they will understand. 

Strengths: The death of a grandparent who lives far away is very traumatic, and this is a good description of how a family deals with returnin home to honor a deceased relative. I enjoyed seeing glimpses of Halmoni's life, and also Yuna's interactions with her grandmother. Yuna's feelings of not belonging in the US, and then of not belonging in Korea, will be interesting to readers who feel that way, and informative to readers who feel firmly identified with just one culture. The illustrations style is pleasant, and makes it easier to see as Yuna's "paper" skin takes over. I liked that instructions on how to fold the stars was given at the end of the book, along with some personal notes from the author. 
Weaknesses: While this seems solidly middle grade, it seemed odd that Yuna really seemed to believe that she could bring Halmoni back to life with her wish. This belief in magic usually ends in first or second grade, but Yuna really does seem to think that folding 1,000 stars will grant her a wish, and that her first wish resulted in her grandmother's death. 
What I really think: Comparisons to Chanani's Pashmina or Wang's Stargazing are apt, and this will also be appreciated by readers who like the history in Ahn's A Spoonful of Time.