- Overview
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Set against a horse ranch, this is a tale of twin sisters whose parents are both jockeys. Their lives on the ranch, as well as their relationships to the horses, are described in vivid detail.
- Book Intro
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Legendary jockey Ma Hwarang is the proud father of twins Sena and Luna. Their mother is also a jockey, who received more fair player awards than outright wins, but who nevertheless loves horses and the racetrack. Sena, who has grown up with horses since she was a young girl, dreams of becoming a jockey herself and shares a deep bond with the family's horses; Luna however throws herself into her studies, vowing never to take up the jockey profession. One day, two young foals, Athena and Ares, are born on the ranch, and the family works to train them into the best racehorses. Can the foals, twins like Sena and Luna, both become racehorses? The horses' whinnies that usher in the dawn, the hardworking commitment of the ranch family, the work that goes into cleaning horseshoes, and the faithful diligence of the family give life to the ranch. By interacting with the horses, the children learn that they can communicate not just through words and language, but through gestures and expressions. Every day, they learn that humans aren't the only ones with feelings and hearts. The prose is solid and strong, and the characters are vividly realized. The racehorses, jockeys, horses, and people's lives are beautifully portrayed in a way that is approachable to readers who might not be familiar with the world of racehorses. As such, the book invites readers into a whole new world. Readers can hear the heartbeats of the horses as they run across the meadows. They will laugh and cry with Sena and Luna and take a big leap into the ranch where Athena and Ares were born.
- About the Author
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Shin Hyun
The author studied Korean language and literature in university. Shin remembers running through the hills and fields with friends after tossing their schoolbags aside, which has inspired most of Shin's work. For Shin's first work Athena and Ares, she received the 17th Ma Haesong Literary Award.
Cho Wonhui
(English) Cho Wonhui studied multimedia design at Hongik University and studied illustration at HILLS. She enjoys telling stories by drawing animals and small and yet important things in nature. In Charles, her pictures tell the story of an alliance between weak and marginalized beings to fight against colossal violence.
Her illustrated books include Ice Boy, You Have to Go Alone, Teeth Hunter, The Important Issue, There Is a Line!, and Crash! She won the Bologna Ragazzi Award in the fiction category for Teeth Hunter and the first Best Illustration Book Award from Woongjin Junior Publishers for There Is a Line!
You Have to Go Alone, Cho transferred schools twice when she was young. Each time, she felt an unknown feeling, a mixture of regret, sadness, fear and expectation.
(French) J'ai étudié le design du multimédia à l'université Hongik et l'illustration à HILLS. J'aime raconter une histore par la peinture à propos de la nature, les animaux, les émotions profondes à l'intérieur et les choses petites et précieuses. Il y a les livres écrits et dessinés "Le garçon de glaçon", "Il faut aller tout seul", "Mousieur. muscle et Madame. grosse" et "Le chasseur des crocs". Pour "Le chasseur des crocs", j'ai remorté le prix "Bologna Ragazzi" (Mention spéciale de fiction) en 2017.
- Award
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17th Ma Haesong Literary Award
- Recommendation
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Through Ares, young readers can learn that there are other paths in life than being a racehorse. This possibility itself can come as a comfort to children, who may be tired and weary from too much competition. - Lee Fong, Children and Youth Literature, Changbi Kids 2021 Fall Volume
- Selection
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ARKO Korea Fiction Selection, 2021 KBBY Children and Youth Book, Children's Reading Research Association Recommended Book
