[Author's Note]
What do all parents in the world truly wish for their children? There are countless reasons, but if I had to sum it up in one word, it would be "happiness."
A happy child enjoys his precious childhood, which will never come again, and grows up believing in himself and the world.
So, parents also do their best to be with their children wholeheartedly for a year, a season, a day, and even a single moment that will never come again.
When the hearts of parents and children are completely connected, parents can also have happy times.
I hope this work touches the hearts of readers. _ Kim Se-sil

We know that longing for something is the beginning of everything.
I just hope the world my child lives in becomes a little bit better.
So today, I try to be a little better person.
One day, one month, one year... I drew this with the hope of making the world a little more beautiful.
I hope that these wishes will be conveyed to the readers of this book. _ Yeom Hye-won

Picture book therapist Kim Se-sil X world-renowned picture book award winner Yeom Hye-won
A fantasy partner with a shared heart and mind: our first collaborative picture book.

Kim Se-sil and Yeom Hye-won, two of Korea's leading picture book experts, have teamed up for the first time! Kim Se-sil, the author, has long been active as a child psychologist, picture book therapist, author, translator, and publishing planner, solidifying her position as a picture book expert.
The currently operating 'Mother Book Book Therapy Center' has established itself as a mecca for countless picture book lovers, and hundreds of people who have visited this center are now working as picture book therapists across the country.
The artist who painted the picture, Hye-Won Yeom, is a world-renowned illustrator representing Korea.
He has won prestigious international children's book awards, including the Bologna Ragazzi Award, the Ezra Jackets Award, the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, and the Charlotte Zolotow Award, and each new work he publishes attracts attention.

What is the secret to the popularity of these two picture book authors, who have built a solid foundation of impressive careers and awards? Above all, it's their deep understanding and empathy for children, their unwavering support and loving gaze, and their special affection for picture books.
The new picture book "What I Wish For" from 2025 is the first collaborative work between the two authors, but their similar and shared understanding of children and picture books makes for an even more fantastic synergy.


“What I really want is... that you be happy in every moment!”
A New Year's Wish for Our Beloved Child!

When you open the first page of the text, a family appears watching the sunrise with excitement and anticipation for the new year.
On the next page, the mother bends down, warmly cups the child's frozen cheek, looks into his eyes, and speaks to him.
From the next scene onwards, various families appear, and the parents' wishes for their children for the year are listed month by month, from January to December.
The caregiver, who is the speaker, gently and affectionately conveys his wish, saying, "January, February, March??? I hope you grow up like this."
In January, when sleet falls, we hope that the snow will not stop until our child has finished putting on his or her coat. In February, when the cold winds are strong, we hope that he or she will bravely overcome his or her cold. In March, when the new school year begins, we hope that new friends will recognize the good qualities of our child.
The work naturally weaves together the seasons that suit everyone, situations that everyone experiences, and special anniversaries by month, unfolding the dazzling world of our children growing up in the small, ordinary moments of everyday life.
With sincere support!

january
You're wearing a sweater and a hat
Until I put on my scarf and fur boots.
The sleet doesn't stop.
_From the text

July
(···)
The blue sky behind the dark clouds
Waiting with you.
_From the text

december
Loving the world as much as you have been loved.
_From the text

After reading the entire work, readers will be able to confirm that the healthy growth and happiness of children and parents are rooted in the time when children and parents share good experiences every day, build precious memories, and form a healthy attachment.


“Yesterday, today, tomorrow, I love you, I love you, forever!”
A prayer for happiness, a picture book that conveys love

"What I Wish For" is a fervent prayer for the happiness of children.
This is a love picture book that openly conveys parental love.
So, every page is filled with messages of unconditional love and blessings from parents towards their children.
Children who appreciate this book will feel reassured by the fact that a strong fence is always there to protect them, and they will deeply realize that they are loved, precious, and worthy of respect.
These valuable and precious experiences serve as great nourishment for children to grow into children who are more interested in the world and know how to love others.
You can also see it in the work.
The boy who watched the sunrise riding on his father's horse reappears in December, but the boy does not just pass by an abandoned puppy on the street.
On the next page, readers will learn that the child's family welcomed this puppy into their new family.
A child who has received an abundance of love is grateful for the love he has received, and he grows up to be a child who knows how to love the world, both physically and mentally!

Twelve months, a warm picture that captures everyone's happiness
A lively and lovely "high-concept" picture book of happiness by Yeom Hye-won.

Author Yeom Hye-won has been praised for effectively and attractively visualizing the abstract concept of 'happiness' through her picture book, Happiness Is Everywhere (written by Bruce Handy, illustrated by Yeom Hye-won, translated by Gong Kyung-hee, 2022).
The new work, "What I Wish For," also captures abstract emotions such as happiness, hope, and love contained in short texts, using the author's exceptional imagination and delicate observation skills.
The warm watercolor and colored pencil illustrations create harmony with the lovely characters, opening up the year with energy and warmth.
It also naturally captures the daily lives of diverse members, including multicultural families, single-parent families, people with and without disabilities, and pets, thereby presenting 'happiness' that leaves no one behind.
All the scenes depicting honest daily life with emotion according to the changing seasons are very attractive.


“What I wish for is...”
An interactive book that allows parents and children to communicate together.

"What I Wish For" is a picture book that allows parents and children to actively communicate and share emotional bonds.
Parents can share their feelings with their children by talking about what they want from them, and children can share their feelings with their parents by talking about what they want from them.
After reading and appreciating the book, I recommend looking at the children's drawings on the back cover and asking them what they wish for from their parents.


All I want is for our children's days to shine with wonder and love for the world! - Kim Se-sil

What I want is for children to think more, play more, and grow up straight and tall! _ Yeom Hye-won