"Park (Seesaw Girl) molds a moving tribute to perseverance and creativity in this finely etched novel set in mid-to-late 12th century Korea. Readers will not soon forget these characters or their sacrifices." – Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Intrigues, danger and the same strong focus on doing what is right turn a simple story into a compelling read. Tree-ear's story conveys a time and place far away and long ago, but with a simplicity and immediacy that is both graceful and unpretentious. A timeless jewel." – Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"Like Park's Seesaw Girl and The Kite Fighters, this book not only gives readers insight an unfamiliar time and place, but it is also a great story. A broken piece of pottery sets events in motion as an orphan struggles to pay off his debt to a master potter. This finely crafted novel brings 12th-century Korea and these indelible characters to life."(A Best Book of the Year) – School Library Journal (starred review)
"This quiet, but involving story draws readers into a very different time and place. Though the society has its own conventions, the hearts and minds and stomachs of the characters are not so far removed from those of people today. Readers will feel the hunger and cold that Tree-ear experiences, as well as his shame, fear, gratitude, and love. A well-crafted novel with an unusual setting. " – Booklist (starred review)
"Park's story is alive with fascinating information about life and art in ancient Korea." – The Horn Book
"Despite the odds against him, Tree-ear becomes courageous, brave and selfless, a hero as enduring as the porcelain Park so lovingly describes." – New York Times
