Creating Children’s Books About South Korea and the World

Kelly Burke-Betten
Oct 7
4 min read

Woman and boy smiling indoors, holding a book titled "Fun in South Korea" with a matching plush toy. Brightly colored room. — Author Kelly Burke-Betten with Illustrator Matthew Ayala

Writing children’s books is a hobby of mine, inspired by the people and places I’ve encountered throughout my life. Before meeting and marrying my military spouse, I spent over a decade as a global health professional and world traveler, living and working in four different African countries for a total of eight years. That time abroad, particularly my experience in Rwanda, led to my very first children’s book, The ABC’s of Rwanda. Now, while living in South Korea, I’ve recently published my fourth book: Fun in South Korea! With your friend, Kimchi.

Why I Create Children’s Books About South Korea for Military and Expat Families

Although I love being in different cultures, I know that for others it can be daunting. This book, Fun in South Korea! With your friend, Kimchi, was written with this in mind and had two aims; to share the fun things that are available for kids to see and do in South Korea, and to help others who may be apprehensive about moving to South Korea to understand that it really is a great place to be (and a place that I personally consider to be a ‘kids’ paradise’). South Korea is a new experience for many, and it is a great place to experience so many different things. From the foods, to the history, to the outdoors, temples, parks, beaches, mountains, and kids cafes…this book just scratches the surface!

Orange book cover titled "Fun in South Korea" with an illustrated bowl character holding a flag. Text by Kelly Burke-Betten, art by Matthew Ayala.

Publishing Fun in South Korea! With Your Friend, Kimchi

Not only is this children’s book special because it was inspired by living in South Korea, it is also the first time I have collaborated with a child illustrator. It was amazing! With each children’s book that I envision, I work with different illustrators. For this book, I chose to work with a military child, Matthew Ayala, who was a 2^nd grader at the time of illustrating. Matthew lives on Osan Air Base, where I also live. He is a member of Osan Elementary School’s Drawing Club and draws with colored pencils.

Blue plush toy with a smiling face and red tongue sits on a gray couch. Children play at colorful tables in the background. — Kimchi from the book, *Fun in South Korea With Your Friend, Kimchi*

We worked together to come up with ideas for the character Kimchi and each illustration. Matthew really brought the ideas to life with his personal touch! It is so nice to see South Korea through Matthew’s eyes. Matthew’s favorite part of illustrating the book was designing Kimchi. His favorite illustration is the beach drawing because it has sea creatures and a tide pool, which are some of his favorite things in South Korea.

Self-Publishing Children’s Books With Purpose and Passion

This book is published by Amazon, Kindle Direct Publishing, and is printed on demand when it is ordered. It can even be ordered through Amazon in the UK or Germany. Proceeds from the book are donated to local organizations. Donating the proceeds is very near and dear to my heart. Because creating stories for children is something I love, I use my books as a way to give back to the community. For this reason, I feel the need to use the books as a way to give back to others. Matthew and I are still working out where the donations will go as we decide who needs them the most in our local area and community.

Four children's books on a carpet: The ABC's of Rwanda, Teatime for Toni, On the Move, and Fun in South Korea, showcasing diverse themes.

From Rwanda to Korea: Global Inspiration for Meaningful Stories

Each children’s book that I publish is unique and special in its own way. My first book, The ABC’s of Rwanda, was inspired by the three years I spent working and teaching nursing in Rwanda. Rwanda is a beautiful country that many Rwandan children do not get to experience due to hardships. I wanted to share all of the amazing things Rwanda is known for in a book that also had children who looked like them. Often, developing countries receive book donations, but not all of them are relatable to the kids who receive them. They don’t see themselves reflected within the texts, making it difficult to relate to, but this book was written exactly for them.

My second book, Teatime for Toni…Around the World was inspired by a young neighbor of mine in Columbus, Georgia, who loved sweet tea. The character, Toni, goes on a dreamtime adventure around the world, trying different kinds of tea. Tea was used as a common theme to show that, although they were all different teas that she drank, they were all ‘yummy’. The lesson… Different is not bad. This is also a very useful lesson for anybody living overseas.

My third children’s book, On the Move, is about the process of moving, focusing on the good. Moving doesn’t have to be a bad or sad thing because new experiences always await. This is especially relevant to military children who often face move after move. Having a positive association with the move can make a positive impact on military families.

Books in the hands of children bring smiles to us all.

Children's book page with playful drawings. A building has a "Welcome to South Korea" sign. Text describes fun activities at kids' cafes.

Get in Touch and Support Diverse Children’s Books About South Korea and the World

The ABCs of Rwanda, On the Move, and Fun in South Korea! With your friend, Kimchi are all available on Amazon. Teatime for Toni…Around the World is already printed and available; please contact the author directly.

If you’d like to learn more about children’s books about South Korea or my other internationally inspired stories, feel free to email Kelly at kellymburke11@gmail.com.