A Map Into The World, by Kao Kalia Yang and illustrated by Seo Kim, Assistant Professor of Illustration & Area Coordinator of Illustration from the Department of Art + Design, Art History, Art Education.

Synopsis: As the seasons change, so too does a young Hmong girl’s world. She moves into a new home with her family and encounters both birth and death. As this curious girl explores life inside her house and beyond, she collects bits of the natural world. But who are her treasures for?

Publishers Weekly Review: …In lovingly detailed spreads, Kim, making her U.S. debut, draws all the things that Paj Ntaub sees: gingko leaves (“yellow like apricots”), winter snow, a worm. When Ruth dies in the winter, and Paj Ntaub notices Bob grieving come spring, she chalks a wealth of previously regarded details on his driveway—“a map into the world,” she explains. Though age separates them, Paj Ntaub’s accounting of everyday details reaches Bob—and gives voice to the child’s experience, too. A distinctive story that weaves together threads of family life, community and culture, the natural world, and the power of stories.

Available for Purchase: AMAZON

 

BIOGRAPHY | SEO KIM

Seo Kim is an award winning illustrator, designer, educator and lover of all things natural, organic, and textural. Growing up, she bounced back and forth from Busan, South Korea and Durham, NC. After receiving her MFA in Illustration Practice from Maryland Institute College of Art, she began teaching illustration at MICA where she realized her love for teaching. Currently she is an Assistant Professor and Program Coordinator of the illustration department at Towson University in Maryland. Nature is her biggest inspiration, and she loves growing little jungles in her house. Seo loves children’s books, sour gummy worms, homemade banana pudding, and all things related to zombie apocalypse.