This picture book, inspired by the traditional Korean folktale Samnyeongogae, takes this classic story and shares it with English speaking children. While the concept and message shine—emphasizing the power of positivity and the impact of mindset—the execution might have left a bit to be desired.

The illustrations are bright and colorful, which will appeal to younger readers, but they felt somewhat rudimentary and lacked the refinement often seen in modern picture books. This may not deter children, but adults might find the artwork less engaging. Additionally, the translation from Korean to English seemed like it might have lost some of the original charm or cultural nuance, because the narrative felt slightly forced in places.

That said, the book's ending is delightful. The granddaughter’s clever reinterpretation of the mountain’s legend not only redefines her grandfather’s outlook but also shifts the entire community’s perspective in an uplifting and thought-provoking way. It’s a great reminder of how a simple change in thinking can transform our lives.

Overall, this is a decent read for children and families, especially those looking to explore folktales with a meaningful moral. While it isn’t one of my favorite reads, its positive theme makes it worth a read. I think families will enjoy having this Korean folktale in their collections.

Review will be live on the blog in March 2025

Based on a traditional Korean folk story, this little tale illustrates how attitude is everything, and nothing is really pre-determined.

It takes the unexpected viewpoint of an intelligent granddaughter to change the mindset of her obstinate grandfather, and bring new hope into a fraught situation.

This is a charming take on an old story, delightfully told. It gets 3.5 stars.

Die aus Südkorea stammende Autorin und Illustratorin Dayeon Auh greift in „Ein Berg, ein Sturz, ein langes Leben“ ein traditionelles südkoreanisches Volksmärchen auf. „Samnyeongogae“ (Three Year Mountain Path) ist das Märchen vom verhängnisvollen Berg, auf dem man nicht stürzen darf, da man sonst nur mehr drei Jahre zu leben hat.

Auh nimmt eine Umdeutung der Angst vor. Nachdem der Großvater am Berg stürzt lebt er voll Angst, da er noch so vieles in seinem Leben erleben wollte. Doch nun verbleiben ihm nur noch drei Jahre.

Die drei Jahre vergehen und der Großvater wartet von nun an auf den Tod. Geschwächt von seiner Angst geht er zur Ärztin und erhofft sich eine Hilfe mit seinem Leid, doch auch die beste Ärztin weit und breit weiß keinen Rat. Denn sie kann keinen Grund für seine Krankheit finden.

Es ist die Enkelin, die die Lösung findet. Ein Sturz bedeutet, dass 3 Jahre zu leben bleiben. 2 Stürze müssen daher 6 Jahre bedeuten. 3 Stürze 9 Jahre….

„Wie schön doch das Leben ist.“, stellt der Großvater fest.

Das Buch greift das Thema Tod auf und nimmt die Endlichkeit und Angst ernst. Dabei fokussiert es auf die Zeit die bleibt und den positiven Ausblick darauf, was man alles (noch) erleben kann so lange man lebt.


Dayeon Auh arbeitet mit wunderschönen analogen Collagen.


Auf Deutsch erschien das Buch bereits 2024 bei NordSüd.

I thought that this story was great and really enjoyable.

I love this kind of book where traditional folk tales are told to a new audience. My daughter is also a fan of these books (probably as she tales after me) and this was a story that she really enjoyed.

The Three Year Tumble is a really lovely children's book that is based on a Korean folktale. I thought that the story was well written, it was a fun read and it was easy to follow and I loved the underlying messaging in the story too.

The illustrations in the book are lovely, they really help to bring the story to life.

It is 4.5 stars from me for this one, rounded up to 5 stars for Goodreads and Amazon - highly recommended!

This is a beautiful book all about perspective. It so true that perspective really helps our mindset on how we deal with the world and sometimes the tough things that we are facing. I think this is a beautiful lesson that kids need to hear. There are always two different ways to look at a situation.
Thank you so much to North South Books Inc and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title.

This folktale was told with a nice rhythm and cadance to instill a positive mindset and shows the power of our thoughts. Illustrations we on point and lively too! Excellent!

Thank you NetGalley and NorthSouth Books for this e ARC of " The Three-Year Tumble" by Dayeon Auh, coming out March 25, 2025!

I'm not familiar with the Korean Folktake that this is based on but I really enjoyed this story. The illustrations are great and the colors are beautiful. This would be a great book to add to a classroom library!

The art is really cute. It is a retelling of an old Korean folktale and I am a sucker for folktales. This was fun to read and I think the art really added to the story.

4 stars

Love the positive spin on this. “A Korean folktale about having the right mindset” is the perfect summary of this book. How quick we are to assume the worst and make ourselves sick with worry instead of embracing a more optimistic mindset.

I received an advance review copy for free from the publisher via Netgalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Very brief folktale about a supposedly cursed mountain the the clever little girl who teaches people to think of the curse as a blessing in disguise. The story is very short, almost too short for a story really, as it reads more like a paragraph than an story. The artwork is pretty basic as well. That being said, it would be a useful addition for any collection of international or multicultural picture books or folk tales.

Based on a traditional Korean folktale. Vibrant, animated art and a story that celebrates the power of the mind—both its effect on our health, as well as thinking outside the box when it comes to problem solving.

A great message with a happily-ever-after ending.

A classic Korean folktale made for children, this book was a gem. My 4 and 6yo loved this book. The illustrations are beautiful. Every page could be a framed piece of art.

A beautifully illustrated retelling of a Korean folktale. Children will enjoy the vivid colors. The moral of the story, to have a positive outlook, is a valuable lesson. Thank you NorthSouth Books for the ARC and opportunity to provide an honest review.

Thank you NorthSouth Books and NetGalley for the advanced electronic review copy of this great book. This Korean fable with a wonderful message about the importance of a positive outlook and colourful illustrations has a great appeal to the younger readers due to the crayon drawn, relatable illustrations. Looking forward to using it with my students and having discussions about the different points of view and the importance of having a positive outlook.

So first, I loved the pictures in this adorable book. This is based on a Korean folk tale, and the setting is gorgeous. A grandpa thinks he's cursed because he falls down a mountain, because the curse says he only has 3 years left to live. After 3 years, he's feeling ill and the doctor can't find anything wrong, but his clever granddaughter figures out a hilarious way to break the curse. I thought it was brilliant.
Thanks so much to NetGalley for letting me read this

The Three-Year Tumble is a short but powerful picture book by Dayeon Auh. As a translated work from German, some of the language felt a bit stiff, but the illustrations added life to the story with vibrant colors and texture. The story itself begins quite bleak, with the main character, Grandfather, thinking he is dying, but the arrival of his granddaughter brings the true meaning behind this Korean folktale.
Thanks to NorthSouth books and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book! A very clever story that I think readers will love. I had never heard this folktale before so I'm glad it's getting a new life in this book. I really enjoyed the art style as well. I would've loved even MORE story, even just a few extra pages. Still a very good book!

A very simple book about a grandfather that falls down a mountain and how a shift in mindset changes negative thinking to positive.

I love getting to read folktales from other countries, it's so cool to get to experience them. The illustrations here esp stood out to me!

The Three Year Tumble is a cute children’s picture book based on a Korean folktale. The story follows a grandfather whose superstitious nature overtakes his better judgement, so much so that he becomes ill in the process. But it is his granddaughter that becomes the voice of reason and planting a positive “seed” so that the grandfather overcomes his negative mindset, thereby healing him.

Filled with beautiful illustrations, The Three Year Tumble is a great book for early readers. The book provides excellent talking points about having a positive mental attitude and that superstitions are just that — unfounded beliefs or practices.

Although I enjoyed that book, I couldn’t help but feel that something got lost in the translation of it. The story didn’t flow as smoothly as I would have liked and at times felt “choppy.” Nevertheless, The Three Year Tumble was still an entertaining read. Four stars.

I was invited to read a DRC from NorthSouth Books through NetGalley. This review is completely my own and reflects my honest thoughts and opinions.