Five Korean picture books have won the 2015 Bologna Ragazzi award, often dubbed as the “Nobel Prize of picture books.”



The 52nd Bologna Children’s Book Fair, set to be held in Bologna, Italy, from March 30 until April 2, has granted Joung Yumi’s illustrated book “My Little Doll’s House” the coveted Bologna Ragazzi award in the Fiction category.



Joung has now won the prestigious award for two consecutive years, after she grabbed the Bologna Ragazzi grand award in the New Horizons category last year with her illustrated book “Dust Kid.”

“The two award-winning books of mine were created in the form of animated movies at first, and were then turned into an illustrated version,” said Joung. “A series of modifications and editing work to the story during that process has surely reinforced the composition and design of the works. That’s made it possible for the works to become winners,” she added.



This year’s choice, “My Little Doll’s House,” tells the story of Yujin, a little girl who travels into a small box that she created herself. During the adventure, the girl encounters four small dolls, learning to get herself out of a limited, narrow world in which she has so far lived and to march into a bigger world, fully armed with confidence.

“With exquisitely crafted photorealistic illustrations, this daring book brings its readers into an uncomfortable series of psychological realities that deal with issues of self-identity and facing fear,” said the jury about the reason why they chose the book. “The unusual structure of the visual narrative reinforces the inner labyrinth of the unconscious.”



Another winner in the same category is Jee Kyung-ae’s “The Little Wall.” It personifies a little wall as a character that offers companionship to little children waiting for their mothers by holding their hands. The little wall also provides a sense of safety for the somewhat scared kids.

“Taking advantage of the wide landscape format, the quiet, but stunning expansive illustrations show poetic spaces rife with emotional charge,” the jury said.



Also, “A Dandelion is a Dandelion,” jointly illustrated by Kim Jang-sung and Oh Hyun-gyung, took a spot in the Non Fiction category. According to the jury’s comments, the book describes in a poetic manner the lifecycle of a dandelion, from seed to being dispersed in the wind. Delicate watercolor illustrations and the effective use of white space and minimal text help emphasize how the plant grows and survives in an urban setting, thus showing that small lives can thrive even in a hostile environment, it added.



In the New Horizons category, dedicated to creative works that help open up a new horizon in literature, Park Yeon-cheol’s “Teru Teru” was recognized for its graphic and editorial design.

The jury said that, “This book is a contemporary representation of a traditional Korean storytelling method. With careful attention to composition, balance, color and texture, ‘Teru Teru’ features photographic vignettes that create a theatrical mise en scène.”



Jung Jin-ho’s “Look Up!” was selected as a winner in the Opera Prima category that recognizes great first books. The story features a child confined to a wheelchair looking down from the balcony. The book shows what’s going on down there from a child’s perspective.

“The stark but moving narrative contrasts the movement of the people on the street with the stillness of the protagonist above. As the story moves along, a joyful relationship develops between them,” the jury said.

Two types of Bologna Ragazzi awards -- the grand prize and the runner-up prizes -- have been given to a select group of graphic works since 1966, part of the annual Bologna Children’s Book Fair, launched in 1964. This is the first time that Korean works were recognized in all four of the event's categories.

This year, a total of 1,455 books from more than 40 countries from around the world were nominated for prizes in the four sectors. The awards ceremony will take place on March 30, the day that kicks off the four-day book fair in Italy.

By Sohn JiAe
Korea.net Staff Writer
Photos: the 52nd Bologna Children’s Book Fair
jiae5853@korea.kr