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Watermelon Pool
A glorious celebration of imagination and summertime in this Korean bestselling picture book, now available in English
When the summer sun is in full force, there’s only one way to beat the dive into a watermelon pool. After a large watermelon gets split in half, everyone in the village dives in, digging into the fruit and making slides from the rind while spending a joy-filled day together until nightfall.
Bonsoir Lune is a bestselling and beloved picture book creator working in Korea. Watermelon Pool was her debut picture book, first published in 2015. Translated by New York Times bestselling author Fraces Cha, Watermelon Pool is the perfect, refreshing read during any scorching hot summer.
When the summer sun is in full force, there’s only one way to beat the dive into a watermelon pool. After a large watermelon gets split in half, everyone in the village dives in, digging into the fruit and making slides from the rind while spending a joy-filled day together until nightfall.
Bonsoir Lune is a bestselling and beloved picture book creator working in Korea. Watermelon Pool was her debut picture book, first published in 2015. Translated by New York Times bestselling author Fraces Cha, Watermelon Pool is the perfect, refreshing read during any scorching hot summer.
60 pages, Hardcover
Published June 2, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
July 10, 2026
uhm this is the cutest thing ever
can I live here
can I live here
July 6, 2026
A visual and imaginative delight of a picture book.
July 25, 2026
Great idea, creepy execution. However, I liked the bright colors.
June 10, 2026
That's got to be the stickiest pool ever!
July 7, 2026
非常可爱的脑洞，我也好想在西瓜里游泳啊。适合夏天的一本书。
June 30, 2026
I just finished reading Make Believe: On Telling Stories to Children by Mac Barnett. It was in the news quite a bit and I figured it would probably behoove me to read the book in its entirety to see what was what. Originally published for an Italian readership (and subsequently picked up by other Western and Eastern European nations) the book offers a critique of contemporary American children’s book publishing. Considering the intended readership at the book’s start, this makes quite a bit of sense. American books have always been considered by Europe to be stuffy, moralistic, and to proselytize (we don’t even like to include boobs!). Mind you, one glance at Rainbow Fish (a Belgian spawn) and you can toss the whole American-books-are-the-only-didactic-ones idea right out the window. Neglected in this discussion, though, is the Asian book market. Books from Japan, China, Korea, Taiwan, and other nearby nations are far more likely to reach Barnett’s platonic ideal of fictional picture book perfection. Though they rate no mention in Make Believe (Barnett, while well-versed in the past, has not an equal footing in the contemporary children’s book scene), these countries are (in additional to a great many American creators) producing inventive, incredible, and innovative works. Suzy Lee! Heena Baek! To say nothing of the work of Taro Gomi, Shinsuke Yoshitake, Guojing, Akiko Miyakoshi, and countless others. Add Bonsoir Lune to that list, by the way. Not that she’s a new creator or anything. Back in 2015, she published a book in Korea called Watermelon Pool. Now, at a sloth-like pace, it has crawled its way to our American shores and bookstores. Utterly silly, kid-friendly, and downright delightful, it is precisely the kind of title to restore anyone’s faith in the state of modern picture book publishing today.
A single watermelon ripens under a blazing hot sun. All at once a crack appears, and the next thing you know it has deepened so much that the watermelon has fallen entirely into two separate pieces. “It’s opening day at the watermelon pool,” the text reads, and the first person there is an old man in a sun hat, who carefully leans his ladder against its side while remarking, “Hmm, looks like no one’s here yet.” After removing a large seed, he sinks down into the space it made commenting, “Mmm, nice and cool.” His placid solitude doesn’t last for long, though. Soon children and adults, young and old, clamber up the ladder, stalks, and leaves, to take advantage of the pool’s opening. A full day ensues of slides, stomps, and a bit of sinking into the cool watermelon flesh. And when at last the day is done, the pool is closed for the season. Just waiting until summer comes again.
In many ways, Watermelon Pool falls neatly into the category of picture books that fulfill children’s deepest fantasies of diving into enormous piles of food in some way. Consider Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs or The Giant Jam Sandwich or (a personal favorite) Who Made This Cake?. There’s some innate human desire in all of us to subsume ourselves in the edible. And one of the things I liked best about Watermelon Pool specifically was its logistics in this matter. One does not simply dive into a watermelon, after all. Its flesh may be permeable, but it's not fully liquid. Lune acknowledges this fact so that even when characters do dive in (feet first) there is this satisfying “PLOP!” that occurs when they pierce but do not sink. In many ways, the watermelon comes across as a kind of kiddie pool. And thanks to its own internal logic, we never bother to wonder about the logistics of where it came from and what it truly is. Admit it. On a hot summer’s day, would you worry about such things either?
So much of the book’s charm, though, lies in its internal logic. With very little effort, Lune has managed to think through the logistics of what a world filled with an annual watermelon pool might encompass. Two older folks walking down the road mention that the “coconut pool” in the next town is already open, so logically the watermelon pool must be opening soon. They kvetch, as old people are wont to do, about previous years when there were problems like too many seeds (followed by a silent two-page spread of some poor schmuck floundering amidst a sea of seeds). When the children get to the watermelon itself, they proceed to stomp their feet, and the text reads, “Everyone stomps together and the clear, crimson watermelon juice starts to pool.” Occasionally an adult will even carve a slide out of the outer rind from one half of the watermelon to the other. Somewhere amidst the images of kids patting watermelon flesh into snowman shapes you just have to stop and admire the creator’s imagination. Maybe she didn’t think of absolutely everything one can do with a giant watermelon, but she at least came pretty darn close.
Naturally, this brings us to the art itself. The publication page is nicely coherent about what exactly is going on here. It says, “The illustrator of this book created the art with colored pencil and drawing paper.” I think a lot about things that illustrator Shawn Harris has said over the years about illustrating books in mediums that kids themselves can use. Children have access to colored pencils sometimes, and to see Lune really going to town with them here is impressive. Admittedly, I can’t immediately imagine any kid looking at this book and realizing that they too might someday create art of their own with similar tools. Then again, it is easy for adults to underestimate kids. And this book has the potential to linger in the minds of its young readers for many decades to come.
Why would it take eleven years for this picture book charmer to finally arrive on American shores? Who’s to say? One thing I will point out, though, is that if you are looking for great summer books for your Fourth of July displays (and I’m looking at you, children’s librarians and bookstore workers) this title is a brilliant and obvious inclusion. It has a droll little attitude towards the illogically logical nature of its world. Charm is that ephemeral quality sometimes found in picture books, but impossible to teach. This book has an abundance of the stuff. Sweet, strange, and maybe the teensiest bit delicious, it defies categorization, managing to straddle that line between high quality literature/art and kid-friendliness. A book not to miss. A beauty to its core.
A single watermelon ripens under a blazing hot sun. All at once a crack appears, and the next thing you know it has deepened so much that the watermelon has fallen entirely into two separate pieces. “It’s opening day at the watermelon pool,” the text reads, and the first person there is an old man in a sun hat, who carefully leans his ladder against its side while remarking, “Hmm, looks like no one’s here yet.” After removing a large seed, he sinks down into the space it made commenting, “Mmm, nice and cool.” His placid solitude doesn’t last for long, though. Soon children and adults, young and old, clamber up the ladder, stalks, and leaves, to take advantage of the pool’s opening. A full day ensues of slides, stomps, and a bit of sinking into the cool watermelon flesh. And when at last the day is done, the pool is closed for the season. Just waiting until summer comes again.
In many ways, Watermelon Pool falls neatly into the category of picture books that fulfill children’s deepest fantasies of diving into enormous piles of food in some way. Consider Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs or The Giant Jam Sandwich or (a personal favorite) Who Made This Cake?. There’s some innate human desire in all of us to subsume ourselves in the edible. And one of the things I liked best about Watermelon Pool specifically was its logistics in this matter. One does not simply dive into a watermelon, after all. Its flesh may be permeable, but it's not fully liquid. Lune acknowledges this fact so that even when characters do dive in (feet first) there is this satisfying “PLOP!” that occurs when they pierce but do not sink. In many ways, the watermelon comes across as a kind of kiddie pool. And thanks to its own internal logic, we never bother to wonder about the logistics of where it came from and what it truly is. Admit it. On a hot summer’s day, would you worry about such things either?
So much of the book’s charm, though, lies in its internal logic. With very little effort, Lune has managed to think through the logistics of what a world filled with an annual watermelon pool might encompass. Two older folks walking down the road mention that the “coconut pool” in the next town is already open, so logically the watermelon pool must be opening soon. They kvetch, as old people are wont to do, about previous years when there were problems like too many seeds (followed by a silent two-page spread of some poor schmuck floundering amidst a sea of seeds). When the children get to the watermelon itself, they proceed to stomp their feet, and the text reads, “Everyone stomps together and the clear, crimson watermelon juice starts to pool.” Occasionally an adult will even carve a slide out of the outer rind from one half of the watermelon to the other. Somewhere amidst the images of kids patting watermelon flesh into snowman shapes you just have to stop and admire the creator’s imagination. Maybe she didn’t think of absolutely everything one can do with a giant watermelon, but she at least came pretty darn close.
Naturally, this brings us to the art itself. The publication page is nicely coherent about what exactly is going on here. It says, “The illustrator of this book created the art with colored pencil and drawing paper.” I think a lot about things that illustrator Shawn Harris has said over the years about illustrating books in mediums that kids themselves can use. Children have access to colored pencils sometimes, and to see Lune really going to town with them here is impressive. Admittedly, I can’t immediately imagine any kid looking at this book and realizing that they too might someday create art of their own with similar tools. Then again, it is easy for adults to underestimate kids. And this book has the potential to linger in the minds of its young readers for many decades to come.
Why would it take eleven years for this picture book charmer to finally arrive on American shores? Who’s to say? One thing I will point out, though, is that if you are looking for great summer books for your Fourth of July displays (and I’m looking at you, children’s librarians and bookstore workers) this title is a brilliant and obvious inclusion. It has a droll little attitude towards the illogically logical nature of its world. Charm is that ephemeral quality sometimes found in picture books, but impossible to teach. This book has an abundance of the stuff. Sweet, strange, and maybe the teensiest bit delicious, it defies categorization, managing to straddle that line between high quality literature/art and kid-friendliness. A book not to miss. A beauty to its core.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Summer is fast approaching and this creative picture book is a perfect choice to add to a young reader's bookshelf to think about cooling off this summer.
Young readers can read along to imagine what it would be like to jump into a cool pool made from a summertime favorite watermelon. Each colorful and creatively presented illustration depicts all of the fun that diving into a waermelon pool can bring to the summer. The watermelon pool brings everyone in the community together for a delightfully refreshing swim in this wonderful pool. The pool party is a great way to celebrate the summer for the people in this community.
Watermelon Pool is an award-winning and bestselling picture book in Korea. It has now been translated into English for young readers everywhere to enjoy and to imagine what summer could be like if everyone could have a watermelon pool.
Be sure to bring slices of watermelon for your young reader to enjoy after reading.
This delightful picture book will be on sale in your favorite bookstore on June 2, 2026. It has an ISBN of 979-8-217-11178-7.
Young readers can read along to imagine what it would be like to jump into a cool pool made from a summertime favorite watermelon. Each colorful and creatively presented illustration depicts all of the fun that diving into a waermelon pool can bring to the summer. The watermelon pool brings everyone in the community together for a delightfully refreshing swim in this wonderful pool. The pool party is a great way to celebrate the summer for the people in this community.
Watermelon Pool is an award-winning and bestselling picture book in Korea. It has now been translated into English for young readers everywhere to enjoy and to imagine what summer could be like if everyone could have a watermelon pool.
Be sure to bring slices of watermelon for your young reader to enjoy after reading.
This delightful picture book will be on sale in your favorite bookstore on June 2, 2026. It has an ISBN of 979-8-217-11178-7.
June 30, 2026
Grand kid appeal in this Korean import, it appears it is his first translated work into English; let's hope we see more. A watermelon splits in half under the summer heat leaving a perfect "pool" for kids and oldsters alike to spend a silly afternoon basking in the pink. How does one slip into a watermelon pool? Well, granddad removes a pit and slides into the just-right pocket left by the pit's indentation. Other ingenious "swimmers" build a water slide from one half of the watermelon into the other out of a slice of rind. It's just one day, ending with a lovely gentle sunset, but it's meditative in a kid-friendly fun format of silliness. Lune's palette is the most glorious shade of perfection in watermelon pink contrast with bold bright emerald green.
June 30, 2026
ST Watermelon or fruit. A giant watermelon becomes a swimming pool for a community. I went abck and forth between thinking it was gross and thinking it sounded fun. Sticky watermelon juice all over...? The images a re abit detailed for a a small ST but I think kids will really love this one. Such a fun idea for kids to think about.
July 21, 2026
5 stars. Whimsical and quirky at the same time! Who would think to go swimming in a giant split in half watermelon? What fun on a hot summer day. I keep telling my logical brain to just go with it. Logical brain says the watermelon flesh is bound to be warm and juice sticky. The end pages are green, the page edges bright pink - opening the book pages is like diving right into the watermelon!
July 26, 2026
Of course a watermelon pool sounds awesome in the middle of summer and that's just what they'll all enjoy. Dive right in and swim around. You can start with popping out one seed to make a little trough and then go from there. Everyone can enjoy young and old.
The kind of summertime read that is creative and inspires a snack or STEAM.
The kind of summertime read that is creative and inspires a snack or STEAM.
June 11, 2026
I'm so glad this was translated into English, because it is such a treasure. Totally imaginative and original, yet surprisingly accessible and sweet. Basically, a watermelon becomes the community pool for a season. A rind sliver is broken off for a slide. Shenanigans and sunbathing ensue.
June 17, 2026
I ordered this to use for the last week of school and someone stole it from my mailroom and yes I am still annoyed.
.
That said, it’s just as adorably fun and cute AND GORGEOUS (the art!!!!) as promised (another Colby Sharp recommendation) and maybe it’ll be my first Library readaloud next Fall!
.
That said, it’s just as adorably fun and cute AND GORGEOUS (the art!!!!) as promised (another Colby Sharp recommendation) and maybe it’ll be my first Library readaloud next Fall!
July 14, 2026
I can't remember now who suggested this to me. It was too weird for me. However, as I think of Caldecott criteria, it would probably be a contender. I'm curious how my students would react to this as a read-aloud.
July 20, 2026
Delightful. A surreal summer fantasy of watermelon pool perfection. Small/detailed illustrations warrant small-group reading ideally.
Themes: Swimming, Watermelon, Summer
Age range: Toddler-Early Elementary
Themes: Swimming, Watermelon, Summer
Age range: Toddler-Early Elementary
July 22, 2026
Genuinely curious if little me would have loved this story or never wanted to eat a watermelon again.
Fun, imaginative book with sweet illustrations. Definitely requires an imagination and a fun one at that!
Fun, imaginative book with sweet illustrations. Definitely requires an imagination and a fun one at that!
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
Fun and imaginative.
June 9, 2026
Delightfully whimsical and absurd
June 9, 2026
This is fairly bizarre. Or imaginative. Whichever you prefer to call it!
June 10, 2026
Whimsical and with no plot whatsoever. Kind of like a summer inspired fever dream.
The illustrations are cute.
The illustrations are cute.
June 19, 2026
A book about the short and sweet kiss of summer.
June 22, 2026
Whimsy personified!
June 23, 2026
Delightful and imaginative! This has a summery feel, lovely illustrations, and a quirky premise that kids and adults will enjoy together.
June 29, 2026
Unique and imaginative, an abstract imaginary setting well-executed in a way to lure readers further into imagination and fantasy.
July 6, 2026
Perfect summer picture book! The illustrations are delightful!
July 7, 2026
4 stars
When the summer heat is just so, it's time for the watermelon pool to open. Colored pencil makes the watermelon come to life as the little people swim through the pulpy goodness.
When the summer heat is just so, it's time for the watermelon pool to open. Colored pencil makes the watermelon come to life as the little people swim through the pulpy goodness.
July 9, 2026
If joy was a picture book
July 12, 2026
Oh my gosh, this is so silly and creative and full of imagination. After I got over the thought of how sticky this might be and let myself enjoy the story, I decided that yes, please, I would go swim in a watermelon and slide on that amazing slide. So fun.
July 13, 2026
Just a fanciful book about a group of folks playing in a giant watermelon. No plot, just fun.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews