Blue Sky Morning

By Jihyun Kim, translated by Polly Lawson. Floris Books, 2025. 36 pages. $18.99/hardcover.

This gentle book celebrates a child’s walk to school on a beautiful blue sky day. The narrative encourages the reader to do as Eunny does and linger for a moment before she gets dressed: “Wake up, sit for a moment and listen. Can you hear the town waking up too?” The watercolor and pencil illustrations show young boys chattering, a kid on a bike, and a guy talking on his phone; it is easy to imagine all the sounds that come in through the window.

When Eunny heads outside with her mother, “the air feels cool and fresh. Take a deep breath. Have you noticed the flowers?” In the picture, a child will have to hunt to find those pink flowers, as they are hidden in a wall garden.

The unusual second-person tense is interspersed with the third-person storytelling voice, allowing this book to gently invite readers to become part of the story by experiencing their own surroundings with as much attentiveness as Eunny does.

Jihyun Kim is well-known for her previous book, The Depth of the Lake and the Height of the Sky, which similarly encourages children to pay close attention to the natural world around them. This book is centered in a Korean neighborhood with delightful details including the toy vending machine and red-edged maple leaves. Blue Sky Morning could be part of a conversation about meditation, sensory presence, and mindfulness.

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Alison James is a member of South Starksboro (Vt.) Meeting.