The author talks about a children’s book about Yuna Kim

Ms. Dzidrums wrote “Canadian Ice Princess,” a children’s biography of Canadian figure skater Joannie Rochette. She said she was looking forward to trying to write another non-fiction book and chose Ms. Kim.

“I had so much fun researching and writing this book. And by the end, I had become a super fan of Yuna Kim,” she wrote on her website. “What an incredible athlete. What an incredible person.”

Koreans’ responses ranged from surprise to anticipation.

“It’s amazing that an American writer, not Korean, wrote Kim Yuna’s biography,” wrote a Korean netizen on a personal blog.

“Kim Yuna is a star who has overcome so many hardships from a young age,” wrote another. “I expect the upcoming biography to deliver many lessons.”

In South Korea, several self-improvement books have been written about Ms. Kim. And the skater herself published a book before the 2010 Winter Olympics. In the book, she confessed her anxiety about coping with the pressure and expectations that had built up before the Games. of Vancouver.

Of course, she won the gold medal at the Olympics. She plans to compete in the International Skating Union World Figure Skating Championship in Moscow in May. The event was supposed to take place in Japan last month, but it was delayed and moved after the earthquake and tsunami there.

We briefly interviewed Ms. Dzidrums via email. Here is what she said:

WSJ: What lessons can children learn from this biography?

M/s. Dzidrum: I hope my book, “Yuna Kim: Ice Queen,” inspires young children to pursue their own dreams in life, just like Yuna did. Despite so many setbacks in her career, especially at the beginning, Yuna continued to work hard and persevere until she achieved her dream. What a wonderful example not only for children but for anyone in life.

WSJ: Why do you like Kim Yuna as a skater and as a person?

Ms Dzidrums: I’ve always been a fan of skaters with great technique. Yuna’s technique is breathtaking. His pirouettes, jumps, footwork and ice cover are magnificent. Moreover, she is one of the rare champions of the sport to continue to surpass herself, not only artistically but technically. How many skaters have won a world title in such a dominant fashion and come back the following season as heavy favorites and debuted in even more technically demanding programs? You have to admire someone who does it for the sport, who is the standard of women’s figure skating and continues to try to elevate the sport. Of course, I also admire the class and integrity she has shown off the ice. It’s so admirable to see someone with so much influence use it in such a positive way, like she did with her charity work.

WSJ: What do you think of South Korea’s interest in your book, even before it was published?

M/s. Dzidrums: Honestly, I am overwhelmed by the positive response this book has already received. I would like to thank everyone who has already emailed me or left a message on my site expressing interest in the book. Working hard on something and seeing such a positive and enthusiastic response is a wonderful feeling. I really hope my young readers enjoy reading the biography because I enjoyed writing it so much. I’ve done my best to present Yuna’s incredible life story in a simple way while including fun anecdotes that would appeal to children.

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