Painting is an art form that stimulates imagination and creativity while fulfilling our aesthetic desires, enriching human life. That's why it's so important to give children the chance to appreciate and enjoy painting, and to help them feel close to it. Yet opportunities to view paintings—especially contemporary works—are rare, not just for children but even for adults. There are many reasons for this, but much of it comes down to the way art is distributed: aside from a one-time gallery visit or costly ownership, there's little way to truly experience a painting. Given this reality, we believe picture books are a wonderfully effective medium for letting many children enjoy paintings at little cost. Finding Pictures Within Pictures: ㄱㄴㄷ is exactly that kind of picture book—a 'small gallery within a book,' bringing together works by contemporary artists that would otherwise remain locked away in exhibition halls, studios, or private collections, out of children's reach. So what is the theme of this 'exhibition in a book'? A Picture Book That Builds a Love of Art Through Play. The most natural way for children to grow close to something is through play, and that's exactly what this book invites them to do: play joyfully with paintings. The 'game' is simply this—finding pictures within the pictures. The book features 14 paintings, each built around one consonant of the Korean alphabet, from ㄱ to ㅎ. For example, the painting for ㄱ depicts a train (gicha) traveling through cloud country (gureum), while the painting for ㄴ centers on a tree (namu) standing by a stream (naetga). Hidden within each scene are objects beginning with that consonant—for ㄱ: cat (goyangi), giraffe (girin), puppy (gangaji), bag (gabang), hedgehog (goseumdochi); for ㄴ: morning glory (napalkkot), butterfly (nabi), farmer (nongbu), parachute (nakhasan), fishing (nakksi), and more. Children delight in searching the paintings for objects starting with each sound, weaving their own stories along the way: 'The puppy, giraffe, hedgehog, turtle, and frog are riding a train through cloud country. A cloud that looks just like a cat drifts by below the train...' or 'Seven little dwarves are playing in the yellow tree by the stream. One drifted down by parachute and got caught on a branch, while another sits on a branch, fishing...' Of course, there's no single 'correct' answer required. Children can enjoy the game at their own level—younger ones might spot just 'tree,' 'butterfly,' 'parachute,' and 'camel' in the ㄴ painting, while older children might go further and find 'Nolbu,' 'nap,' and 'farmer.' A sharp-eyed child might even notice that the tree is yellow, or that there's a sickle (nat) lying by the stream. When children can play so joyously within a painting and grow to love it, everyone—the child, the artist, and the picture book itself—shares in that happiness. Poet - Lee Sang-gyo Teacher Lee Sang-gyo is a tall poet, as tall as a telephone pole, yet her heart is as pure and gentle as a little girl's. She adores small, delicate things like puppies, sparrows, and wildflowers, and has a wonderful eye for discovering beauty in life's smallest, most overlooked details. Her dream is to keep writing children's poems and spending time with children even when she becomes a sweet little old grandmother someday. Illustrator (ㄱ, ㅌ) - Ahn Yun-mo Teacher Ahn Yun-mo was born in Chuncheon in 1962. Believing that 'painting is play,' he strongly dislikes prejudice, restriction, arrogance, and anything else that gets in the way of true play. To keep experiencing 'fun and playful' moments, he often travels to unfamiliar places, capturing what he feels, thinks, and cherishes along the way through his paintings, so he can share them with others. Illustrator (ㄴ) - Park Hyung-jin Teacher Park Hyung-jin currently lives in Gyeongsang Province, tending an apple orchard together with her husband, a fellow painter, and her mischievous son Heegu, while continuing her art. The orchard is also home to Ttagu, a wonderful dog who watches over the apple trees. These days, much of her work draws inspiration from...