A Brush with Magic

by Flora Ahn, Jennifer Sun Bell (Narrator)

What if an ancient ink brush, oceans away in Korea, could unlock long-buried family secrets?

A heartfelt, magical middle grade adventure—inspired by Korean folklore and set in modern-day Seoul—about sisterhood and belonging, perfect for fans of Kelly Yang and Janae Marks.

It’s finally summer break, and twelve-year-old Yumi is headed to Korea with her older sister, Minji, for the very first time. She can’t wait to explore the city of Seoul together—but Minji has other plans. The moment they land, Minji ditches Yumi to hang out with their cousins, who are more fashionable, better at soccer, and all-around cooler than Yumi. Lost and alone, Yumi is stuck at home painting with her grandfather.

Everything changes when she finds an intriguing ink brush in a neighborhood art shop—and she accidentally summons a creature straight out of her grandfather’s retellings of Korean fairy tales. With a new friend by her side and an ink brush that has the power to bring anything she paints to life, Yumi feels unstoppable. From bustling street markets and ancient palaces to riding the subway, Yumi and her friend explore everything Seoul has to offer.

But when the magic takes a dark turn, Yumi must dig deep to hear her own voice and protect the family she loves—even if they don’t always understand each other.

Genres: Middle Grade, Fantasy, Adventure, Audiobook, Magic, Drama, Friendship

Audible Audio

First published October 22, 2024

About the author

Flora Ahn is an attorney by day and an author and illustrator by night. Her work includes A Spoonful of Time (Quirk), The Golden Orchard (Audible Original), a children's chapter book series, Pug Pals (Scholastic), as well as her popular blog, Bah Humpug. Raised in California by her Korean immigrant parents, Ahn lives in Virginia with her three pugs and practices law in DC. She is always looking for opportunities to further pursue her love of food, books, drawing, and writing, and is especially excited to find ways to combine them.

Reviews

[Sasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this middle grade and how the character development went. Fun and and some of the adventures were crazy!

[Lola · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was in the mood for a fun Middle Grade book when I bought this one and started listening to it. A Brush With Magic was exactly that. Yumi goes to spend her summer with her family in Korea, but her sister Minji is not spending as much time with her and she's feeling lonely. One day she finds a magical brush that summons a mythological Korean creature who transforms into human form and together they go on adventure in Seoul. Yumi calls her Dodo.

I had a great time listening to this book, I especially liked reading about Seoul and seeing Yumi explore Seoul with both her new friend and her grandfather. I liked looking up some of the places they visited to see what they look like. I especially liked reading about Cheonggyecheon stream. I liked reading about Yumi and Dodo's adventures, but also got a bit worried when things turn a bit more dangerous and chaotic. I wasn't sure how it al would play out. I also liked seeing Yumi spend time with her grandfather and listening to his stories, painting together and going to visit one of the palaces together

I found Yumi a relatable main character, she likes having plans and making sure what to expect. She also struggles with making decisions. Her new friend Dodo is more impulsive and pulls her along to do what she thinks Yumi wants. I didn't always like this dynamic as it reminds me of my own past, but I have to admit the way it played out in the end was super satisfying. I liked how all the characters had depth and their motivations came to light toward the end. And I liked seeing Yumi find her own voice and what she want. I was a bit afraid what would happen to Dodo who is a powerful Korean mythological creature and her magic is dangerous, but I liked how this got resolved.

The narrator was a new to me one. I liked her style for this book and the different voices. I also thought she pronounced the Korean words well as far as I could tell, I don't actually know the language. The only niggle I had was that sometimes the pause between dialogue and the text like she said behind it was a bit too long, making the flow feel a bit off.

To summarize: This was such a fun read. I liked spending time in Seoul with Yumi and Dodo as well as seeing Yumi spend time painting with her grandfather and visiting some places with him. I thought Yumi was a relatable main character with how she likes making plans and knowing what to expect and has trouble making decisions. It could feel a bit uncomfortable how Dodo would pull her along and made decisions for her and I was a bit worried how things would play out when they cause trouble with the magic. I liked the ending and how things got resolved and seeing Yumi find her voice and step up for what she wants. All in all I had a great time reading this one, it was a fun read and I liked learning a bit about Seoul.

[Susanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this e-ARC.

A Brush with Magic is a wonderful story. It combines real life and fantasy in Yumi and Minji's first trip to Korea.

I loved Yumi and really felt for her throughout the book. Her emotions and actions were those of a kid too young to understand everything but who wants to. I remember feeling like that (sometimes I still do!), and I think she's so cute.

Korea was described gorgeously - the food, the people, and the architecture. I loved seeing how the old had combined with the new as Yumi explored. Bucket list trip to Seoul, anyone?

Overall, I really enjoyed this story and it was a delight to read.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is felt a little bit slow at the beginning, and rushed at the end, but I think it's a really good book for it's target age group that deals with some of the nuances of growing up, wanting to be liked, and being true to yourself, as well as sisterhood and friendship. I appreciated that there's no true "villain," and no one person is "wrong."

[Sarah Ressler Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great r middle grade novel. Realistic and loved descriptions of Seoul and painting and focus on realistic fairy tales theme. I liked the resolution a lot.

[Skye Elder · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really good book!
It’s a really good story and the plot was crazy!
Totally recommend reading this! 📚

[Julia Pika · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley & Quirk Books for the copy in exchange for an honest review.

A pretty cute story with Korean mythology and history. I didn't really like the protagonist nor her sister that much but it was still a decent story.

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 3 out of 5]

Copy provided by the publisher

Yumi is excited to go visit her Harabujee (grandfather) in Seoul, Korea, especially since she is going with her sixteen year old sister, Minji. Minji hasn't wanted much to do with her younger sister, and unfortunately, is more interested in hanging out with her cousins Jia, Jiwoo, and Woojin, who are closer to her own age. Yumi does enjoy learning to paint with Harabujee, who introduces her to the joys of ink sticks and mulberry paper. When her grandfather has an appointment and Minji is out shopping, Yumi spends a morning painting, but runs out of ink. Unable to locate more in the attic, she heads to a local store called the Goblin's Treasure. She finds an interesting paintbrush, and the shop owner sells it to her, even though he doesn't remember having it in stock. The brush turns out to be in habited by a dokkaebi, who can take Yumi's pictures and bring them to life. This doesn't work well with food, since it still tastes like ink and paper, but that's not too big of a problem since Yumi and Dodo (the name the two pick) spend a lot of time traveling around Seoul enjoying the local cuisine. Dodo can take the shape of a little girl, sometimes looking exactly like Yumi, so Yumi even introduces Dodo to Harabujee. For a while, the two spend a lot of time together, seeing local sites, but after Dodo plays several rather nasty tricks on Minji (having birds poop on her and having a rooster attack her and her purchases), Yumi steps away. By this time, Dodo has developed fairly strong powers, and is unwilling to go back to staying trapped by the paintbrush. When a link to Harabujee's past is revealed, will Yumi be able to cut her ties with Dodo, re establish a relationship with Minji, and enjoy her time in Seoul with her extended family?
Strengths: Fans of this author's A Spoonful of Time will be glad to see this new book that has some of the same family connections and magic! I feel a little like I have spent some time in Seoul, being forced to eat breakfast by Harabujee and being able to traipse around to local parks and sites while having tasty snacks. There's plenty of local color, Korean folklore, and slightly suspicious magic. Dodo starts out as a much needed friend to Yumi, and while the dokkaebi becomes increasingly mischievous, there's nothing too scary about the pranks pulled. There's some nice sibling drama, and touching moments when Harabujee shares his love of painting with his granddaughter. This is best read with a snack of yakgwa or kkwabaegi nearby.
Weaknesses: I was expecting the dokkaebi to become really evil and take over Yumi's life, but I should have known from the cover that this was a bit happier.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who enjoy magic with some cultural connections, like Baptiste's Moko Magic or Young's Heroes of the Water Monster. It reminds me very much of Jane Louise Curry's 2002 The Egyptian Box with Korean rather than Egyptian folklore.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yumi has always been close to her four-years-older sister Minji. One of the things Yumi had been looking forward to when she and Minji went to Korea for a month without their parents, going to stay with their grandfather, had been having fun with Minji. From the start, though, Minji pushes Yumi away. When they arrive in Korea, Minji instantly bonds with their cousins, all close to Minji's age, and makes it very clear that Yumi is not wanted. Confused and sad, Yumi has nothing to do but stay home and paint with her grandfather. But then, one day Yumi comes across a most unusual ink brush. It turns out the brush houses a dokkeabi, a being from Korean folklore, who can bring to life anything Yumi paints with the brush. Dodo, the name they decide on, is at first a great friend to Yumi, as they start exploring Seoul on their own. But as Dodo grows more powerful, she starts playing dangerous, cruel pranks on Minji, and Yumi wonders what she's unleashed--and what she can do about it.

3.5 stars. I liked this one for all the wonderful descriptions of Seoul, with and its food and attractions. I thought the sibling relationship was completely believable, and while I can understand why Minji might want to spend time with people her own age, she was pretty rude about ignoring Yumi so completely. Though Yumi, once she had Dodo, wasn't much better in terms of spending time with her grandfather. So, lots of lessons to be learned about how you treat family and friends. What didn't work for me was Yumi's supposed age, which I believe was 12. I work with 7th graders every single day, and Yumi felt more like an 8 or 9 year old, making the book feel too young for my students. So, pluses and minuses, but overall enjoyable.

[R.C. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review is based on a free ARC.

"A Brush with Magic" was a total delight to read! Ahn balances a quick pace with an engaging protagonist while weaving a beautiful, convincing world around it all. One of the things I enjoy and look out for the most in a novel is a sense of place, and Ahn paints (pun intended) a Seoul that is both lively and lived-in, with a depth of the past and an eye to the future that had me as intrigued as young Yumi. That tug between yesterday and tomorrow is an omnipresent theme here, with Yumi wondering why, after years of being best friends, her older sister suddenly wants to either hang out with people her own age or be alone with earbuds in, screens on. Then there's Yumi's own personal identity crisis, as she figures out--due in large part to some inadvisable adventures with a mythical goblin shapeshifter--who she is. Is she the soccer player? The younger sibling with hair like her sister? The liar who does things she know she shouldn't, then covers her tracks (with increasingly difficulty)? There's a lot to untangle during her time in Seoul! But thanks to an incredible grandpa (who I felt so bad for; please someone just PAINT WITH HIM) and a brush-wielding dokkaebi, Yumi will go home with a few more things figured out.

The reason this lovely book isn't 5 stars is that the dialogue can occasionally come off as a little robotic (though this is a common pitfall of juvenile literature, so this might be totally intentional), which takes me out of the story and makes for some heavy delivery of the characters' learned lessons at the end. Regardless, it's a great book that I'll be recommending to my library's patrons at every turn!

[Charessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Quirk Books and NetGalley for the eGalley to review! I ended up checking the book out from a library to finish reading it.

And I loved it! It's an excellent story about how loneliness can make us susceptible to bad behavior and casting judgement on people that is mostly unfair. Yumi, our main character, is on a trip with her older sister Minji to their family's home country of South Korea to spend a month in the summer with their extended family. While there (and on the way there), Minji spends more time with their cousins than with Yumi, who takes to spend time with their grandfather. It is through painting with him that she ends up introduced to a mythical being while out shopping for more art supplies, who ends up being a bit more chaotic for Yumi's good.

What I love most about this story is the ending is resolved in a healthy, productive manner. Past issues were resolved, apologies are issued, and real action is taken to patch things up. There is compromise and no one gets left behind anymore. I really love this for the kids who are going to read this. Yumi is already feeling like an outsider being Korean in the United States but then she felt like an outsider in her own family. She has an incredibly tough time making her own decisions and she ends up learning really helpful things about herself and her situation to get out of that perpetual cycle of exclusion, inaction, and self-sabotage. The lessons learned in this story are so ubiquitous and the way they're handled here is following a wonderful trend of thoughtful communication, empathy, and self-care that we're seeing in this new generation of books for kids. I highly recommend it.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Brush with Magic is a fun, sweet middle grades fantasy- probably ideal for 5th/6th graders.

It’s summer break, and Yumi is excited to spend time with her older sister (Minji) as they visit their grandfather and explore Korea. Minji quickly ditches Yumi for some older cousins, and Yumi feels left out. Instead, Yumi spends meaningful time with her grandfather, and they share a love of art. As they paint, her grandfather also shares Korean fairy tales with her.

Yumi accidentally summons a dokkaebi from a magical paintbrush, and she finally has a friend to hang out with. As they explore the area and play pranks on others, Yumi has to face her own moral compass, the source of her frustrations, and her own priorities on her summer break trip and family connections.

There are fun connections to folklore (and great dialogue about fairy tales), and this book is a great representation of the hero’s journey for a younger audience. I think Yumi will be a relatable character for many early middle grade audience (especially younger siblings!) I particularly love her relationship with her grandfather. Overall, though, I’d definitely add this to my classroom library and present it as an option during our fantasy unit.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

[Glenna Coleman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yumi is excited to visit her relatives in South Korea for the first time, even if at the last minute, her parents couldn't go with them. Yumi hopes that this trip will help her bond with her older sister Minji, but that isn't what happens. Minji spends all of her time with their older cousins who are Minji's age and enjoy shopping and soccer just like Minji. Instead, Yumi spends time with her grandfather practicing traditional brush painting and listening to Korean folk stories, which is great, but Yumi wishes for a friend her age. When Yumi stumbles across a traditional paintbrush in an art store, a strange creature appears from the brush, summone by Yumi, the creature claims. Together, they explore Seoul and have a wild time. Yumi finally feels like she has a friend, and even more exciting, one who can do magic. But Yumi feels more and more uneasy about the type of magic that Dodo performs--it seems designed to create chaos and maybe even someone will be hurt. As Yumi begins to deal with the problems she and her new friend are causing, she learns more about herself and finds a surprising solution to a series of problems with the help of her older sister and her grandfather. I enjoyed Flora Ahn's previous book, A Spoonful of Magic, and liked this book even more.

[Justine Laismith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This young middle-grade book is about an American girl who stumbles upon a magic paint brush while visiting her Korean family in Seoul

As soon as they arrive in Seoul, Yumi is abandoned by her older sister Minji. Her grandfather takes her under his wing and teaches her how to paint. Yumi decides to buy her own ink and paintbrush in an old shop. She falls in love with a paintbrush tucked away in a corner of the shop. Yumi soon finds out that it is home to a dokkaebi, a Korean Goblin. When Yumi uses the paintbrush, it is is able to bring her drawings to life.

This book is perfectly pitched for young middle-graders who are struggling with their changing relationship with older siblings. I like how the authors has combined the Persian's genie lamp with the Chinese's magic paintbrush to bring this Korean mythical creature to life. I also enjoyed learning about the places to visit in Seoul.

Opening lines: Yumi leaned toward the window and gazed at the cars whizzing by. The trees in the distance moved slowly, but the cars in the nearby lane blurred. In the next second she tilted in the opposite direction and crashed into her older sister, Minji.

[Donna Metler · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recieved a free eARC of this book. Thank you for the opportunity to read it,

Yumi is excited to spend summer vacation with her extended family in Seoul, and to spend more time with her sister Minji, but Minji wants to spend the time with her cousins and regularly leaves Yumi out. While Yumi is enjoying learning ink painting and spending time with her grandfather, she feels alone...until she finds a magic paintbrush which summons "Dodo", a character straight out of Korean mythology.

This is a fun book which will appeal to kids who enjoy mythology infused stories such as Rick Riordan's books. I enjoyed the Korean culture woven throughout, without feeling forced. With Yumi, we are able to explore Seoul and learn about her heritage...and with her, watch as she learns that legends often can get pretty dark and scary. The outcome is predictable, but that doesn't detract from the story.

This is an enjoyable book that definitely deserves a place on school and library shelves.

[Gem · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was lovely! I enjoyed reading about different areas in Korea (some that I visited too!). I liked how the relationship between the sisters resolved. I love that Yumi loves Korean food and that this book had both sisters excited to visit Korea. I appreciated that both sisters adjusted to daily Korean life well and that this wasn't a story about not fitting in.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was cute! I enjoyed getting into middle school mode by reading this adorable realistic fantasy story. The story felt a little slow and then a little rushed at the end. It was a fun pre bed read and I will recommend it to my future middle school students. Thanks Melanie for the advance reader copy.

[Bibliohiker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me review this book. Yumi and her sister are going to South Korea to visit their grandfather,cousins along with aunts and uncles for the summer. Yumi finds a magical paint brush and gets more than she bargains for.

[nunu_readz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a cute cute book!! This was so very enjoyable and had the entertaining magical setting and moments that every one would want to experience as a child! I loved the mentions of Korean culture throughout the book; it made the characters and history that much more memorable and interesting✨🤩🧞‍♂️

[Miranda Leybourne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book so much. As I was reading it, I kept looking up places and things in Seoul. Now, I really want to go! I enjoyed this so much. The ending felt a little rushed, but maybe that's just because I wanted to stay in this world with these characters so much!

[Ms. Nigeria Nigeria Parker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Something about this story reminded me a lot of Aladdin

[LS Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had just finished reading "The Magic Paintbrush" by Zhang. It's good to find Korean Mythology and stories in middle grade literature so readily.

[Raven Savage · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute book that incorporates Korean culture and folklore in a style that is engaging for young readers!

[Kourtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not the target audience and the main character is a little annoying (but what 12-year old isn't at times really?) but I really enjoyed reading this.

[Naomi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a cute story of sisters and magic! Saving this one for my granddaughter.

[B Maestas · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very good book about friendship, sisterhood, and Korea 😊

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think it was a very charming book. Some parts were a tiny bit scary but it was very cultural and mostly about Korea which I liked since I don't know much about it.

[Shug · Rating 4 out of 5]

What could be more entertaining than a colourful romp through historic Seoul? An adventure with a mischievous fairy-tale creature leading the way of course.

[Robyn Johanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book, it was entertaining and kept my interest, I would recommend the books to others, but I probably wouldn’t read it again.