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Suzy Lee facts for kids

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In this Korean name, the family name is Lee.
Quick facts for kids
Lee Suzy
Suzy Lee (cropped).jpg
Born (1974-02-09) February 9, 1974 (age 51)
Seoul, South Korea
Occupation Illustrator, author
Language Korean
Genre Children's literature, picture books, artists’ books
Notable works
  • Mirror, Wave, Shadow
  • Open This Little Book, Lines

Suzy Lee (born February 9, 1974) is a famous illustrator and author from South Korea. She creates amazing picture books for children. Lee is known for her art that mixes the real world with fantasy and imagination.

Many of her books are wordless picture books, which tell a story using only pictures. She became world-famous for a series of three books called "The Border Trilogy". This series includes Mirror (2003), Wave (2008), and Shadow (2010). In these books, she cleverly uses the middle of the book, where the pages are bound together, to show a line between what's real and what's make-believe.

Her work has won many important awards. The New York Times named Wave and Shadow as Best Illustrated Children's Books. In 2022, she won the Hans Christian Andersen Award. This award is often called the "Nobel Prize for children's literature" and is a huge honor for an illustrator.

Early Life and Education

Suzy Lee was born and grew up in Seoul, the capital of South Korea. In 1996, she earned a degree in Fine Arts from Seoul National University. At first, she worked as an illustrator for different projects.

Soon, she discovered the world of artists' books and became fascinated with them. This led her to move to London, England. In 2001, she earned a Master's degree in Book Arts from Camberwell College of Arts. Her first published book, Alice in Wonderland, was actually her final project for her degree.

Career Highlights

Lee's career took off with her book Alice in Wonderland. She took a sample of the book to the Bologna Children's Book Fair in Italy. An Italian publisher loved it and published it in 2002. Another one of her early books was named one of "The Most Beautiful Swiss Books."

Her most famous works are the three books in "The Border Trilogy". These books helped her become a star in the world of picture books. She has held exhibitions of her art in many countries, including the United States, Sweden, Germany, Brazil, and Japan.

In 2013, she was chosen to design the official poster for the Library of Congress National Book Festival in the U.S. That same year, her book Open This Little Book won the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award.

Lee also started her own small publishing company called Hintoki Press. This allows her to create and publish her own experimental books.

Artistic Style

Suzy Lee believes that picture books are a powerful way to share simple ideas in a beautiful way. She uses many different tools to create her art. These include pens, pencils, charcoal, and paints. She also uses techniques like collage (pasting different materials together) and print-making.

A common theme in her books is the connection between fantasy and reality. She loves to explore the magical line where one world meets the other.

Major Awards

Suzy Lee has won many awards for her books. Here are some of the most important ones:

Selected Books

Suzy Lee has created many books on her own and has also worked with other authors.

Books by Suzy Lee

  • River (2018)
  • Lines (2018)
  • Shadow (2010)
  • Wave (2008)
  • The Black Bird (2007)
  • The Zoo (2004)
  • Mirror (2003)
  • Alice in Wonderland (2002)

Collaborations

  • See You Someday Soon (2022) with Pat Zietlow Miller
  • This Beautiful Day (2017) with Richard Jackson
  • Ask Me (2015) with Bernard Waber
  • Open This Little Book (2013) by Jesse Klausmeier
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