Juna's Jar

Review
By Booklist

Losing a best friend is never easy, especially when there isn’t a chance to say good-bye. Juna and Hector use her empty kimchi jars to collect rocks and bugs, but when Hector suddenly moves far away, Juna’s jar seems especially bare. Her brother tries to help by getting her a fish to keep in the jar, and then, that night, Juna dreams of diving into the ocean and searching for Hector. The next night, a similar dream, set in a rain forest, involves Juna’s brother giving her a bean plant to fill the jar. On the third night, they put a cricket in the jar, and Juna dreams of riding it out of the city and onto Hector’s windowsill. Seeing him sleeping soundly reassures Juna and helps her open up to making a new friend. The story’s fantastical qualities are charmingly conveyed by the expressive pastel-watercolor illustrations. Bahk’s comforting picture-book debut, effortlessly multicultural, sparkles with the promise of imagination and friendship.