VOL.93/2026.04

 

Storybowl

A bowl that holds thoughtful, heartwarming stories

 

2025.12.01

 

Everyone, at least once in childhood, would have imagined something like this: a drawing on a blank sheet of paper suddenly popping out and speaking to you. Picture book author Baek Hee-Na brings that very imagination into reality - she creates three-dimensional dolls of her characters and places them into her scenes. With her fingertips, she delicately builds the world of her stories, transforming imagination into something tangible. In 2005, she was selected as “Illustrator of the Year” at the Bologna Ragazzi Awards, gaining recognition not only in Korea, but also abroad. In 2020, she became the first Korean recipient of the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, often called the Nobel Prize of children’s literature. Storybowl, a publishing house Baek Hee-Na founded to ensure a more creative and independent environment, is expanding the artistic universe beyond Korea and into the world, and beyond picture books into animation, stage performances, and more.

 

* K-Book Trends Vol. 22 ? Check out the artistic world of picture book author Baek Hee-Na

 

 

It’s a pleasure to have you with us on K-Book Trends. Please introduce Storybowl to our international readers, including the company name.

 

Storybowl is the name Baek Hee-Na first chose when she created her own publishing house in 2011. It means “a bowl that holds stories,” reflecting the author’s love for both storytelling and food. Although the logo has changed since then, the original logo was literally shaped like a rice bowl. Storybowl aims to become a publisher that can hold the diverse stories and textures found in Baek Hee-Na’s artistic world.

 

The birth of Storybowl itself is also interesting. It first began as Baek’s one-person publishing house in 2011 and was later reestablished in 2023. Could you tell us more about the reason and the process behind that?

 

After publishing Cloud Bread (Hansol Soobook), Baek went through a difficult time due to a copyright dispute with the publisher, which forced her to stop creating works for 7 years. However, participating in the 2009 Bologna Children’s Book Fair reignited her passion, and she decided, “Let’s go independent.” That was the beginning of a new chapter. Through independent publishing, she released the picture book Moon Pops, personally visiting online bookstore MDs to promote it and delivering the books to bookstores herself. Thankfully, many readers loved Moon Pops, allowing her to resume her creative work.
Reflecting on “the childhood days of freely drawing on a blank sheet of paper,” Baek hoped to build a creative environment with true freedom, and to communicate more closely with her readers. With that vision, she reestablished Storybowl in 2023. Today, Storybowl is run by Baek Hee-Na and a team of five staff members. Although making books is demanding work, the company has already released 3 new titles since its founding.

 

 

Storybowl publishes exclusively the works of Baek Hee-Na, one of the most celebrated creators in Korean picture books. This must lead to a wide range of collaboration proposals. When you proceed with such collaborations, are there any particular considerations or principles you place special importance on?

 

Each collaboration requires a slightly different kind of attention and consideration. In the case of the short animated film Magic Candies, it was exciting to see the work produced by an overseas studio, but the production process also presented many challenges. Because Magic Candies has been deeply loved by so many readers, especially Korean readers, Baek did not want the story’s cultural identity to become ambiguous, and she asked the studio to be mindful of that. Toei Animation respected her wishes, investing a full year solely into creating the design concepts for the main character, “Dongdongyi.” To capture more realistic backgrounds, the director and production team even visited Seoul to film its streets and apartment complexes. Every aspect of the project received meticulous craftsmanship from these animation experts, and thanks to their efforts, the film was selected as a finalist for the 97th Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film in 2025.
At Storybowl, we believe that the process is just as important as the final result. We collaborate only after thorough internal discussions, considering how deeply the project has been thought out and how it can develop further in the future. Above all, we hold as our top priority the “preservation of the author’s artistic world.” We carefully examine how any collaboration might influence the picture book and how it will reach readers who love the story. In fact, we are often the ones who propose collaboration. Most recently, while producing the audiobook for Yeoni and the Willow Boy, we invited sorikkun (traditional Korean singer) Lee Ja-Ram as the narrator. She gladly agreed, and thanks to her, we were able to create a remarkable audiobook.

 

 

Storybowl’s picture books are created through an entirely handcrafted process, making dakjongyi (Korean traditional paper, known as hanji, made from the inner bark of the paper mulberry tree) dolls, clay figures, and other materials, then photographing them to complete each scene. Compared to typical picture books, the production time and cost must be much higher. What sets this method apart from picture books made through other techniques?

 

Baek Hee-Na constantly explores the formats and expressive methods that can best convey a story. To help young readers immerse themselves naturally and empathize with the narrative, Baek often uses three-dimensional techniques that closely resemble real life. In her working notebook, she writes down fragments of narrative ideas or character concepts as they come to mind. She imagines each character’s personality and often sketches detailed appearances that match those traits. Based on these ideas, she creates a dummy book, considering the background and setting together, to visualize the story as a whole. This working process was showcased in a small exhibition at the Jeonju International Picture Book Fair (JIPF) this past May.
Baek Hee-Na’s dummy books are almost identical to the final published book. After completing the dummy book, she creates the character dolls, constructs the sets, and, when necessary, photographs scenes outdoors. Even with the same set, the photographs can look entirely different depending on the weather, so she selects the shot that best aligns with the scene she envisioned. These images are then brought together into a finished book. This is the approach Baek Hee-Na prefers, as it reflects the depth of her thought and attention.

 

 

Storybowl seems to connect with readers through very direct and intimate methods - handcrafted production, direct trades with neighborhood bookstores, live streams on YouTube and social media, signing events, and more. At the 2025 Seoul International Book Fair (SIBF), where you participated for the first time, you even held Baek Hee-Na’s signing event and collaborated on special merchandise. What kind of energy do you gain from communicating so closely with readers?

 

A book is created by an author and many collaborators. At Storybowl, we work to ensure that Baek Hee-Na and all the staff involved can communicate constantly and work joyfully. Meeting readers with a finished book refined through that process is always exciting and gratifying. Although we are doing many things for the first time and inevitably going through trial and error, we approach everything with the mindset of learning as if it were our first day. By supporting neighborhood bookstores, creating fun merchandise, and hosting more live events and signing events, we hope to move closer to a warm and emotionally connected small community, one step at a time.
To be honest, many of us at Storybowl are introverts. That’s why online communication is incredibly valuable to us. Meeting readers face-to-face at book fairs or signings can be nerve-racking, but we prepare with great care and attention because we want the experience to remain a happy memory for them. Even after a book is released, continuing to share the making of the book and the heart that went into it with readers brings us tremendous joy. The stories we hear from readers onsite give both the author and our team strength and inspire us to dream of the next project. Creating something with sincerity, then meeting readers eye to eye with that work in hand - that is what excites us and leads us into the next story.

 

 

Creating works with sincerity and a kind, honest spirit,
and meeting readers through them -
that is what excites us and leads us into the next story.

 

 

You are also producing merchandise such as stickers, masking tapes, and music boxes, in addition to books. Several of your titles, including Magic Candies and The Bathhouse Fairy, have expanded into the fields of exhibition, film, and stage performance. How do you decide which works to develop into merchandise, and what guides your choice of field?

 

At Storybowl, we prefer to create merchandise that naturally expands the story. We aim to convey the mood and universe of the work seamlessly, even when presented through other media. Along the way, we have pursued a wide range of collaborations - goods, exhibitions, performances, and audiobooks - and have met many wonderful partners.
The musicals Magic Candies, The Bathhouse Fairy, and Moon Pops have been adapted into popular stage plays and have continued long-running performances. Some works have also received proposals from Japan and Germany to be developed further in the form of artistic theater, allowing us to explore new possibilities. While exhibitions and performances have so far been carried out mainly through proposals from performance companies, we hope to broaden our scope moving forward, exploring diverse formats both in Korea and abroad, while considering artistic quality, narrative integrity, and sustainable expansion along the way.

 

 

Baek Hee-Na’s global recognition continues to grow, and many of her works have been exported overseas. Among them, are there any titles that received particularly strong responses? And, is there a work that has not yet been exported, but you would especially like to introduce to international readers?

 

One work that received an especially positive response overseas is Ppiyak’s Mom. When we participated in the 2024 G?teborg Book Fair in Sweden, local readers reacted with remarkable enthusiasm. The book’s thoughtful portrayal of diverse forms of family, along with the rough yet delicate conte-style drawings, seemed to leave a strong impression. For readers who had previously loved the artist’s 3D doll-based works, this book showcased a completely different artistic texture, broadening the perception of her creative range among international audiences.
The Strange Mom also resonated strongly with readers overseas. We believe this is because it carries a deeply universal sentiment - “a sense of emotional encouragement for mothers across the world.” In addition, The Bathhouse Fairy, Moon Pops, and Magic Candies have continued to be loved not only for their fresh and distinctive visuals, but also for the universal appeal of their settings, such as bathhouses and apartment buildings, which are familiar regardless of cultural background.
As for the work that has not yet been fully exported, but that we would very much like to introduce to international readers, we would choose Yeoni and the Willow Boy, which draws on a traditional Korean folktale. Its calm tone and the beauty of its empty space evoke deep emotion, and we believe it has strong potential to expand into various formats, including pansori (traditional Korean form of musical storytelling performed by a vocalist and drummer) performances and media art exhibitions. Also, Happy Birthday has already been exported into several languages and is currently selling abroad, and we hope to see more opportunities in the English-speaking market as well.

 

 

You recently published Bird Cake - are there any plans for overseas sales? If there are other works currently being prepared for export, could you tell us about them?

 

Bird Cake was published in a small, limited run as a clothbound hardcover edition, with special focus on the tactile quality of its materials and finishing. We tested multiple types of paper to ensure readers felt a sense of warmth when holding the book. Because the original text was written in English, we hope the export process will proceed more smoothly.
Of course, we are also introducing many of Baek Hee-Na’s other works to international audiences. Storybowl’s website provides an English version, and our catalog is distributed in both Korean and English. We are also wide open to collaboration proposals from abroad. When overseas publishers invite the author to international book fairs, we often introduce the books at accompanying events, such as talks hosted by local libraries or by Korean Cultural Centers abroad. And beyond books, we also hope to meet international readers more frequently through musicals, performances, and exhibitions.

 

 

We look forward to Storybowl’s continued journey in delivering stories crafted with the same care and sincerity as your handmade creations. Could you please share your vision for the future?

 

We believe that very ordinary moments in daily life - a gentle smile, encouraging words, a good meal, a relationship that needs no explanation, a quiet gesture of solace - are profoundly important. This is also Baek Hee-Na’s philosophy. Picture books, we feel, are the first works of art a person encounters in life, and an art form they can continue to enjoy until the very end. They are easy to own, easy to revisit, and easy to understand. Going forward, we hope to place greater emphasis on expanding our stories in diverse ways, so that Storybowl’s stories can reach even farther into the world.

 

 

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