Picture Book Monday (on a Tuesday...): Il Sung Na

This week I'd like to focus on one author, instead of just one title.
Il Sung Na has only published two books up to now, so I thought it'd be best to feature both of them.
His debut, Zzzzz - a book of sleep , is a true piece of art. It won me over immediately, with just one glance. Just take a look at some examples and judge for yourself:





He uses a mix of manual and digital media to create a unique decorative effect which is just stunning. I love the way he draws flowers everywhere, on elephants, whales, birds and fish. It looks like he doodled all over the pages, with spirals and prints and random decorations, but instead of looking messy, the result is really stylish and personal.

Even though I think this is his best work, his second book is great too.
It's called The Thingamabob, a funny tale of an elephant who finds a strange looking object and can't figure out what it is for...until it starts to rain!


This book is packed with elephant-y cuteness. It uses lighter tones of colours and it's less detailed than A book of sleep, but it still has all its charm and originality.





Click on the pictures to enlarge them and have a better look. It's worth it.

I'm so glad there's artist like Il Sun Na around. They definitely raise children's picture book onto a higher level. Children deserve to be exposed to these kind of beautiful works. I believe it helps expand their visual imagination and develop their artistic souls.
Sometimes I hear people saying "ah yes, this is great but would the kids understand it? Isn't it too advanced/complicated/more for adults than for them?". It's like saying when something is good than it's not for children.
And that goes to show how many times people tend to underestimate kids and toddlers.
I'm not saying this for Il Sung Na's books in particular. It's just something that bugs me a lot, since I've been working in bookshops and I've been dying to say it!
So, give children the best books. Expose them to art and beauty. Let them play freely with colours and paint and most importantly scrap all those dreadful narrow-minding colouring books!!!