Korean author/artist Jihyun Kim exquisitely transforms a child's ordinary morning into an appreciative meditation in Blue Sky Morning, her second picture book following her wordless 2022 debut, The Depth of the Lake and the Height of the Sky. Here Kim adds narrative text, gently translated by accomplished polyglot Polly Lawson.
Unlike most mornings, "you're not in a hurry today." A voice rings out over the neighborhood, the leaves just beginning to reveal fall colors: "Wake up, Eunny! It's a beautiful, blue sky morning." In her bright room, Eunny is rousing slowly. She sits "for a moment and listen[s]." Outside, "lots of people are starting their busy days"; Grandpa "is already back from his morning walk"; the kitchen is hustle-bustling with Grandma cooking breakfast; and Mama quickly drinks her coffee. Once Eunny is outside, though, the reminder to "take a deep breath" comes with the "cool and fresh" air.
Hand-in-hand, Mama and Eunny join the stream of hurrying children, but the blue sky slows time and they "stop for a moment, and look up." All around the duo, businesses are opening their doors, workers are delivering and sweeping, and people are talking on phones, but mother and daughter are having a moment, "talking about what [they'll] do today." Eunny leaves Mama at her bus stop, waves goodbye, and turns the corner toward school. There she meets friend Sohee and the two walk in together. The "beautiful, blue sky morning" continues to bring joy as warm light streams through the large windows of Eunny's quickly filling classroom.
Kim works in watercolor and pencil, using sublimely muted colors. Her focus on line, texture, perspective, and realism makes each piece of art a whimsical adaptation of what could be quotidian photographs. She misses none of the details: last night's socks on the floor, finished coffee drinks carelessly left behind, weeds pushing through sidewalk cracks. Kim's meticulous verisimilitude may result from the autobiographical aspect of the work; in an author's note she shares that the picture book was inspired by her "life with her young daughter Eunny," as well as her own childhood memories of Seongbuk-dong, Seoul, re-creating "the house, streets and places she once called home." The magnificent result is a daily reminder to welcome, enjoy, cherish, and share the simple beauty of the everyday. --Terry Hong
Shelf Talker: Jihyun Kim's glorious sophomore picture book, Blue Sky Morning, is a gentle reminder to appreciate and enjoy the simple, quotidian aspects of every day.