I’m so thrilled to connect with you through my book! Persimmons hold a special
place in my heart. They can be enjoyed in various forms—fresh, dried, frozen, and
ripened. My favorite is the most ripened persimmon, called hongshi.

My grandmother makes the best hongshis with the freshest persimmons. When I
was little, whenever I visited her during Chuseok, the fall harvest festival, she would
welcome me with her hongshis. They may look mushy and wrinkled, especially
when ripened at home, but once you peel away the skin and scoop inside the fruit,
you discover a sweet, juicy, jelly-pudding-like treat. Our fond memories of enjoying
hongshis together inspired me to write and illustrate The Most Perfect Persimmon.

A few years ago, I lived in Korea for an extended time and spent a lot of time with
my grandmother. We enjoyed teatimes together, shared many stories, and went for
walks. I realized I had a deep longing for moments like these in my life. I channeled
my emotions into Joo Hong’s story as she eagerly waits for Grandma with her
persimmons.

By the end of the book, Joo Hong learns that things sometimes don’t go exactly as
planned—but her journey was meaningful in its own way.

I hope you enjoy reading this book and meeting Joo Hong, her family, and her
persimmons.

Warmly,

In this charming author-illustrator debut, a Korean American girl harvests a perfectly ripe persimmon that she can’t wait to share with Grandma. 

When Joo Hong harvests a beautiful persimmon from her mom’s garden, she can’t wait to give it to her Grandma who is visiting from far away. However, the days leading up to her arrival feel like forever—and the persimmon is looking less and less perfect as time passes by. What can Joo Hong do to make sure it’s perfectly ripe—and not mushy and wrinkly—for Grandma’s visit? A tender story about three generations of Korean women and one perfect persimmon, this debut from author-illustrator Hannah Chung shows that even when things don’t go as planned, something even better may be in store.