Kim Hyo-eun’s ‘I Am the Subway’ wins at the World Illustration Awards.
Dear friends,
We are thrilled to announce that I Am the Subway by Kim Hyo-eun and translated by Deborah Smith has won the highly prestigious International Illustration Award in their children’s book category. We are in awe of Kim Hyo-eun’s masterful watercolour artworks and her ability to capture gesture, movement, and emotion with such grace and detail. Today we’re raising a toast to an exceptional artist and a remarkable picture book!
We love this video showing Kim Hyo-eun's creative process in the making of this book (turn on Youtube’s autotranslate function for instant subtitles):
Here's a picture of Miri looking overjoyed at the Shanghai Book Fair in 2019, the day she saw and fell in love with I Am the Subway ... and here she is on that same day, taking a cheeky pic of the pages we've come to love and know.
It's such an honour to be able to share this book with English-speaking audiences, and we're so happy to cheer this book on as it rides this wave of well-earned success!
— Scribble
Author & Illustrator: Kim Hyo-eun
Translator: Aerin Park
AUS$19.99 | US$12.95
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★ STARRED REVIEW, Kirkus
★ STARRED REVIEW, Publishers Weekly
A groundbreaking accordion board book that captures babies’ journey from seeing the world to seeing themselves.
From award-winning creator Kim Hyo-eun (I Am the Subway and How We Share Cake), I Am Here follows babies through the remarkable developmental transition from understanding where things are to understanding where they are.
Beginning with “below” concepts read vertically—sun, clouds, rainbow, Mama—the book matches how babies naturally look up at their world. It then transitions to “beside” relationships read horizontally—grandfather, cat, ants, nature treasures—reflecting babies' growing engagement with their immediate environment. The journey ends with the profound moment of self-recognition: “me.”
The ingenious format mirrors how babies actually develop—looking up first, then engaging laterally with their environment. Perfect for tummy time with newborns, spatial learning with babies, early language development with toddlers, and as a keepsake that grows with your child. The accordion design allows traditional reading, wall display, or creative folding for new story combinations.
Through Kim Hyo-eun’s warm, humanistic illustrations, I Am Here creates an immersive reading experience grounded in developmental psychology and celebrating both the natural world and the parent-child bond. This innovative book celebrates the cognitive leap that transforms babies into confident little people who know exactly where they belong.
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Ages 0-3 | 18pp | CMYK | Accordion-fold Board Book
Australian Edition | AUD$19.99
Pub: 28 Apr 2026 | ISBN: 9781761382062 | 280mm H × 215mm W
North American Edition | US$12.95
Pub: 7 Apr 2026| ISBN: 9781964992419 | 6.5 in W x 6.5 in H
Rights Held: World English