[New Book Information] "It's okay to be here, just as you are——🪨✨" A picture book for everyone who lives sincerely every day. "I Am Here" A quiet, powerful message from Korea.
Iwasaki Shoten is releasing "I Am Here," a picture book from Korea that gently yet powerfully conveys the importance of self-acceptance and living in one's own place, using a roadside stone as the protagonist. Written and illustrated by Yoon Hye-jung and translated by Nagi Yoshikawa, it is priced at ¥1,870 (tax included) and will be distributed on April 10, 2026, and released on April 14, 2026.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 14, 2026 at 00:00
- 🔍 Collected: April 13, 2026 at 16:35
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 16, 2026 at 02:01 (57h 25m after Collected)
It's okay to be here, just as you are——🪨✨ A quiet, powerful message from Korea.
"I am a stone."
A roadside stone that could be anywhere.
But—even if no one praises you, if you can think "I'm wonderful" yourself, that's enough.
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What it quietly speaks to is "living in your own place."
It's a book that gently teaches the importance of accepting yourself "here," even if it's the place you were born, the place you were put, or sometimes a difficult place.
📖POINT
A story that gently nurtures self-esteem
A theme that resonates with children and adults alike
A book that allows deep thought with simple words
Recommended as a gift
It's a picture book that makes you want to gently accept your current self.
I found the seed for this picture book during a period when I was thinking about the where people are. I was thinking about the places we protect in life, such as the place we are born into, a simply happy place, or a place where we must silently endure hardship. If it were only comfortable places, I would not have thought so deeply.
(From the afterword, "To our readers in Japan")
●Book Information
Title: I Am Here
Written and illustrated by Yoon Hye-jung / Translated by Nagi Yoshikawa
Publisher: Iwasaki Shoten Co., Ltd.
Price: ¥1,870 (¥1,700 + tax)
Format: A4 modified size, 32 pages
Target age: Approximately 3 years old to general readers
Distribution date: April 10, 2026
Release date: April 14, 2026
ISBN: 978-4-265-85253-6
Iwasaki Shoten product page: https://www.iwasakishoten.co.jp/book/b10159937.html
Product introduction video: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/tqkMo_YP3UY
●Author Introduction
Written and illustrated by Yoon Hye-jung
Born in 1982. After graduating from Hanyang Women's University, Department of Illustration, she worked at a securities company.
After retiring, she started creating picture books while raising children.
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Sincere people are strong and radiant.
I want to express my gratitude and respect to all who live sincerely in their respective places.
This is the first picture book I have written and illustrated.
Translated by Nagi Yoshikawa
Studied at Yonsei University Language Institute and Inha University, Department of Korean Literature (Ph.D. program) in Korea. Doctor of Literature.
Author of "Dada in Gyeongseong, Dada in Tokyo" (Heibonsha), translator of "Introduction to Literary Counseling" by Jin Eun-young and Kim Kyung-hee (Kurodori-sha), "My Neighbor Younghee" by Chung So-yeon (Shueisha),
"Toji" by Park Kyong-ni, "A Murderer's Guide to Memorization" by Kim Young-ha (CUON), and many others.
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Poet Shigeharu Tsuboi wrote, "Stones have lived silently for hundreds of millions of years."
Yoon Hye-jung seems to have written down the silent words hidden deep within the stone.
I would be happy if I could convey that faint whisper.