SEOUL, 22 March (BelTA -Yonhap News). - Children's book illustrator Suzy Lee on Monday became the first South Korean to win the prestigious Hans Christian Andersen Awards (HCAA).
The International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) announced Lee is the 2022 winner of the illustration section for the biennial awards, one of the world's largest honors for kids' books and illustrations.
She is the only Korean to ever win a prize or be nominated at the HCAA. She was a finalist for the 2016 edition.
Lee competed with Beatrice Alemagna from Italy, Ryoji Arai from Japan, Iwona Chmielewska from Poland, Gusti from Argentina and Sydney Smith from Canada.
Named after the 19th-century Danish author of fairy tales, the HCAA was founded in 1956 to recognize living authors and illustrators for their "lasting contribution(s) to children's literature.
Born in 1974, Lee has written and illustrated a number of children's books, including critically acclaimed "Wave" and "Shadow" in the United States, both of which were selected as the New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Book in 2008 and 2010, respectively.
Her collaboration with American children's author Bernard Waber, "Ask Me," was one of The New York Times' Notable Children's Books of 2015.
Last month, her latest book "Summer" won a prize at this year's Bologna Ragazzi Awards.
