Jihyun Kim

’Astonishing to behold.’ --The New York Times

It’s summertime and a boy and his dog are leaving behind their apartment in the busy city.

His grandparents’ home in the countryside feels like a different world. From the window, the curious boy sees a path leading enticingly into the forest. He can’t wait to explore.

At each bend in the trail the boy discovers more wonders of the surrounding natural world, from towering trees to a still, silent lake. He can’t resist diving down, down into the cool water and greeting the fish below. Then later, when boy and dog have been warmed by the gentle sunshine, they wander back, contentedly, to their family. But before they go to sleep, nature gives them one last dazzling show: they look up, up to a night sky awash with stars.

Without a word, The Depth of the Lake and the Height of the Sky tells the heartfelt and uplifting story of a child’s independent discovery of the natural world. Kim Jihyun cleverly captures excitement, wonder and joy in intricate illustrations using a deceptively simple color palate.

This is a beautiful wordless story about allowing ourselves to be present in the moment and see the world afresh.

Kim Jihyun is an illustrator and picture book creator from South Korea. Jihyun studied Design and Illustration at the University of Brighton, UK, and Seoul National University, South Korea. Her first picture book, The Depth of the Lake and the Height of the Sky, evokes the feeling of being surrounded by the vast natural world; a stark contrast to her life in a busy city. Jihyun lives in Seoul with her partner and their young daughter.