◇ From caterpillar to butterfly, cheering for my growth

Various caterpillars appear in "The Prize You Give Me."
A square caterpillar that tirelessly works hard at what it loves, a wiggly caterpillar that trembles and is scared but musters up the courage to avoid the grasshopper, a squirming caterpillar that eats well, plays well, and grows healthily day by day, and a sleepy caterpillar that never gives up and keeps challenging itself no matter how difficult it gets.
Although they are all different, they are all working hard and growing every day to become butterflies.

The process of growing from a caterpillar to a pupa to a butterfly is very similar to the way children grow through change and challenges.
Children who develop their sense of self by discovering what they like and what they are good at, understand the world, and grow into independent beings.
In them, we imagine a 'butterfly' spreading its wings and flying freely.

"A Prize for Me" is a picture book that encourages those children to fly high.

◇ Time to cheer yourself on, a reward for yourself

Developing positive self-esteem during childhood is the foundation of all development.
Valuing yourself and recognizing what you're good at is the beginning of self-esteem.
“The Prize You Give Me” is the book that takes the first step.
Even if it's not something great, it's a valuable activity that allows you to discover what you can do and celebrate that growth.

This activity is a way to acknowledge and encourage yourself without waiting for external recognition or reward.
'Rewards for myself' can be a tool to boost self-esteem and strengthen inner motivation.
Ultimately, this serves as a vital resource for living a better life.

This activity is not only important for children, but also for adults.
We often focus only on the outcome, but it's easy to forget how important it is to acknowledge and celebrate ourselves along the way.
Through 'The Reward You Give Me', we can develop the inner strength to continue to grow and live.
So, how about we all give ourselves a 'gift' right now?

◇ A gift born from a vivid scene: "My Own Award"

Author Lee Sook-hyun, who has been working with children in kindergartens for 20 years and has observed their growth, held a special event at the end of each year where children created and presented their own 'award'.
At this awards ceremony, rather than having awards for excellence or excellence decided by adults, the children reflected on what they had done well throughout the year, came up with an appropriate award name, and presented the award themselves.

For example, Yubin, who ran hard without giving up, won the 'Running Award', Hadam, who made a tank with Lego but vowed not to go to war, won the 'Lego Doctor Award', and Naeun, who never gave up on sewing until the end, won the 'Sewing Award'.
This activity was a valuable time for the children to reflect on their own growth process and discover their own strengths.
This valuable experience eventually led to the picture book, “A Prize for Me.”
This picture book, filled with the author's vivid experiences and genuine emotions, will convey a warm message to readers and the precious meaning of encouraging oneself.

◇ Vivid caterpillars drawn with crayons

Artist So-Min Ahn, who is attracting attention for her diverse illustration work and picture book creation, has breathed lifelike cuteness and energy into the caterpillar characters appearing in “A Prize for Me.”
The caterpillars are faithful to their real appearance, while naturally capturing the lively and energetic appearance of children.

In particular, we created a visually striking and attractive effect using crayons, a material familiar to children.
The vibrant colors capture the reader's attention, and the soft texture creates a warm and friendly feeling, helping children immerse themselves in the book.
In particular, the various awards and handwriting that appear to have been created by children themselves make them more familiar to readers and create a cozy and warm atmosphere.
These elements make it easy for children to relate to.

The caterpillars have various nicknames such as 'Saksa-Saksa', 'Ssuk-Ssuk', and 'Jam-Jam', but they are all characters based on the appearance of real caterpillars.
For example, the 'sagaksagak' caterpillar is the caterpillar of the blue-crowned crane butterfly, the 'jjukjjuk' caterpillar is the caterpillar of the Chinese magpie butterfly, the 'kkutteul' caterpillar is the caterpillar of the Chinese magpie butterfly, the 'ssukssuk' caterpillar is the caterpillar of the king-colored butterfly, the 'merong' caterpillar is the caterpillar of the tiger butterfly, the 'komkkom' caterpillar is the caterpillar of the four-legged butterfly, and the 'jamjam' caterpillar is the caterpillar of the black-faced butterfly.
The 'Caterpillar or Butterfly' that appears at the end was designed based on the appearance of the coral tiger butterfly caterpillar.
Children can enjoy the book even more by looking at the actual caterpillars.

In this way, author An So-min worked meticulously to ensure that readers could discover a variety of fun through “The Prize You Give Me.”
Picture books are filled with fun details that bridge the gap between imagination and reality, providing even more enjoyment for readers.