An author who illuminates and colors children's daily lives.

If stationery stores were like 'sparrow mills' to children in the past, convenience stores are probably that kind of space to children these days.
On the way home from school or on the way to the academy, I stop by for a snack and chat with friends… … .

Artist Kim Young-jin's "Convenience Store" series sheds light on the everyday lives of children and adds a touch of "magic."
Children who stop by the local convenience store on their way home from school encounter unexpected magic through snacks they pick up without thinking.
But the magic that happens at convenience stores doesn't come from snacks like Egg Joa, Nuclear Jjangseo, Minimon Bread, or Choppa Chups.
Snacks are simply a medium that awakens memories, courage, love, and conscience that lie dormant deep in a child's heart.

In the first book in the series, "Heart-Pounding Convenience Store," Hyunmyeong, who is annoyed by her annoying younger sibling, Minchae, who is upset by her teacher and friends who do not understand her feelings, and Inhae, who is angry because her father always breaks promises, encounter magic that soothes their wounded hearts.

In the second book, "Spooky Convenience Store," Mincheol, who steals for Minimon bread, Seongju, who buys a gift card with money left behind by someone else, and Boyoung, who stealthily grabs someone else's umbrella when it suddenly starts pouring rain, all encounter magic that will make them come to their senses.

In the third book, "Mongmong Convenience Store," Greenie encounters his father from his childhood.
Thanks to the convenience store's magic, Greenie and his dad are now on the same level and spend time together, laughing and running around to their heart's content.

In the fourth book, "My Convenience Store", Hansol, who is tired of hearing "No!", gets his hands on a magic Choppa Chups that allows him to do whatever he wants.
Instead of boring rice for dinner, I ate jajangmyeon, played games with my dad late into the night, and became the class president for the second semester…
But getting everything your way comes at a huge price.

The magic of convenience stores that embrace children's hearts

Kim Young-jin is a writer with an exceptional talent for illuminating children's daily lives and giving them special meaning.
That skill comes from observing the subject with sincerity.
This time, he spent a long time at the convenience store in front of the school to get a deeper look into the children's daily lives and the convenience store that is the children's sparrow mill.
And then we transformed this everyday space into a very special healing space.
The convenience store we always go to, the snacks we always eat, have been reborn as a magical space and magical items that soothe children's hearts.

Children's visits to convenience stores aren't just about finding something to eat.
I guess you want to find some comfort in your heart, no matter how small.
Author Kim Young-jin meticulously observed the hearts of these children and captured their innermost desires in this series.
Feelings of resentment towards family, friends, and teachers, the desire to ignore the voice of conscience at times, the desire to spend more time with parents, desires, the desire to do whatever I want.

Author Kim Young-jin has observed the lives of our children today more meticulously than anyone else and has vividly captured them in his picture books.
Children delight in discovering themselves, their families, friends, and neighbors in his picture books.
Such discoveries lead to understanding and empathy for oneself and others.
I hope that the bittersweet magic of this picture book will be felt by children who read it, and that their once-stiff hearts will soften and return to their daily lives.