Sojung Kim-McCarthy
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creativesojung.bsky.social
Sojung Kim-McCarthy
@creativesojung.bsky.social
1.1K followers 900 following 270 posts
Author-illustrator 🇰🇷🇬🇧 She/her

Agent: Susan Hawk | Upstart Crow Literary

BINNA’S DALGONA out now!
tinyurl.com/3m7bpcd3

World Illustration Awards 2021
Advert Category Winner

instagram.com/creativesojung
sojungkimmccarthy.art
sojungkimmccarthy@gmail.com
Posts Replies Media Videos
creativesojung.bsky.social
#FolktaleWeek Day 7: Dawn

Governor of Cheolsan was found dead in his bed one morning. Same thing happened to his replacement, and to the next, and to the next... When no one wanted to be the new governor, a civil servant called Jeong Dong-woo volunteered. (1/?)

#BasedOnTrueCrime
Two maiden spirits appeared in front of the new governor of Cheolsan
November 26, 2025 at 5:35 PM
creativesojung.bsky.social
#FolktaleWeek Day 5: Charm

Cheoyong, son of the dragon that ruled the East Sea, was given a high position in the King Heon-gang’s government in Shilla. The king also matched him with a bride who was famous for her beauty. One night, Cheoyong came home to find her in bed with the god of plague. (1/)
Drawing of Cheoyong mask that is used for Cheoyongmu
November 25, 2025 at 12:29 PM
creativesojung.bsky.social
#FolktaleWeek Day 4: Book

There was a dutiful son whose mother fell gravely ill. He tried everything to get her better, but to no avail. All he could do was pray. One night, he met in his dream a mysterious old man who said that the mother would be cured if she ate 100 small animals. (1/?)

#kidlit
The dutiful son is turning into a tiger with the power of the magic book he was given in his dream
November 20, 2025 at 11:57 AM
creativesojung.bsky.social
#FolktaleWeek Day 3: Rain

This young blue frog did everything the opposite way his mom said. If she told him to go right, he would go left. If she said stay in, he would go out. (1/?)

#KidLitArt #KoreanFolktale
The blue frog crying next to his mom’s grave by the river
November 19, 2025 at 4:03 PM
creativesojung.bsky.social
#FolktaleWeek Day 2: Echo

There was once a new king in the ancient kingdom of Shilla. His ears started growing bigger after the coronation, and eventually became like those of the donkeys’. The king was so flustered snd embarrassed by this phenomenon that he kept it a secret. (1/?)

#kidlitart
The king in the palace is embarrassed by his big ears. His master of crowns and hats is letting the secret out in a bamboo forest.
November 18, 2025 at 12:21 PM
creativesojung.bsky.social
#FolktaleWeek2025 Day 1: Night

There used to be no sun or moon in the sky, and the nights were darker and scarier. One of those nights, a tiger caught a woman who was walking home from the market by a lonely mountain path. She begged for her life, offering a rice cake from her basket. (1/?)
Evil greedy tiger falling from the sky because he’s got a rotten rope from heaven
November 17, 2025 at 12:07 PM
creativesojung.bsky.social
Post your space art ⭐ 🌏 ⭐
Childrens giving a hug to the earth in space, over a hand written sentence “There is no planet B”
November 5, 2025 at 4:50 PM
creativesojung.bsky.social
Happy #NationalRedHeadDay from Zack, my sweet ginger boy from BINNA’S DALGONA
Zack offering a cupcake he made to Binna Zack looking up at Binna on a beach picnic Zack licking a dalgona Zack giving Binna an apology card
November 5, 2025 at 1:47 PM
creativesojung.bsky.social
New PB storyboard sent to agent & I was free to mess around in the afternoon ✨

#drawing #kidlitart #fairy
Two drawings of fairies with butterfly wings. Sennelier oil pastels on canvas
November 4, 2025 at 9:02 PM
creativesojung.bsky.social
Happy Samhain! Here’s one from a few years ago 🎃

#KidLitArt
Children’s book style illustration of mum & daughter witches snuggled up on a sofa with hot drinks in their hands. They’re cozy, surrounded by family - a black cat asleep in a pumpkin-shaped house, a ghost playing hide-and-seek, and another black cat trying to catch a spider in a corner. There’s a ghost wearing a mask outside the window.
October 31, 2025 at 10:25 AM
creativesojung.bsky.social
Happy #PortfolioDay! I’m a Korean illustrator based in the UK. I illustrate PB-MG & would love to work on stories about ordinary brave girls✨Finding & helping community✨Folktales!

Repped by Susan Hawk @ Upstart Crow Literary

🖼️ sojungkimmccarthy.art
✉️ sojungkimmccarthy@gmail.com

#KidLitArt
October 14, 2025 at 8:53 PM
creativesojung.bsky.social
I’ll leave this here in case anyone needs autumn greetings cards… Comes in pack of 1 or 3 🍁 🍂 sojungkimmccarthy.bigcartel.com/product/wood...

#kidlitart
October 14, 2025 at 9:54 AM
creativesojung.bsky.social
It’s #WorldHomelessDay & I thought I’d share a few of the Soup Kitchen Portraits series that I’ve been making. These sitters are all clients I’ve met at my local community kitchen & have experienced homelessness & food poverty. They’re going through tough times, yet they give me the best smiles💖
October 10, 2025 at 7:33 PM
creativesojung.bsky.social
Happy Chuseok! In Korea, we make songpyeon instead of mooncakes for the Mid-autumn Festival. Making rice cakes is a fun activity you can do with kids. Hope you try this recipe 💖

#kidlitart #kidlituk #chuseok #koreanfood #midautumnfestival
October 6, 2025 at 8:45 PM
creativesojung.bsky.social
Hi #KidLitArtPostcard day! I’m a Korean illustrator based in the UK. I illustrate PB-MG, & love working on folktales, food, and stories about finding a new home & friends.

Portfolio: sojungkimmccarthy.art

Email: sojungkimmccarthy.gmail.com

Agent: Susan Hawk (Upstart Crow Literary)
New agent announcement illustration in traditional Korean minhwa style. A Korean girl in hanbok riding on the back of a roaring tiger is greeting a three-legged crow on a pine tree. The writing in a red square in traditional stamp style says “Repped by Upstart Crow.”
October 2, 2025 at 1:57 PM
creativesojung.bsky.social
Have you ever made a dalgona? (Yes, that thing you’ve seen on Squid Game 🦑) There’s a recipe in my picture book BINNA’S DALGONA if you want to try this super sweet Korean treat for this ESEA Heritage Month💖

uk.bookshop.org/p/books/binn...

#kidlit #kidlituk #ESEAHeritageMonth
September 24, 2025 at 12:20 PM
creativesojung.bsky.social
Hi Brian, thanks for the opportunity & also your ongoing support for the kidlit community here!

sojungkimmccarthy.art
September 18, 2025 at 8:03 AM
creativesojung.bsky.social
📣 Thrilled to announce that I’m now represented by Susan Hawk at Upstart Crow Literary 📣 Can’t wait to send new stories out to the world with her! We’ve already started working on some very exciting stuff, so watch this space 🤗

My portfolio: sojungkimmccarthy.art

#kidlit #kidlitart #kidlituk
New agent announcement illustration in traditional Korean minhwa style. A Korean girl in hanbok riding on the back of a roaring tiger is greeting a three-legged crow on a pine tree. The writing in a red square in traditional stamp style says “Repped by Upstart Crow.”
September 17, 2025 at 7:34 PM
creativesojung.bsky.social
What are these guys doing on my apple tree?
Two ladybirds on my apple tree. Small one is on top of bigger one.
July 10, 2025 at 7:24 AM
creativesojung.bsky.social
The verdict is in! A starred review of BINNA’S DALGONA on @slj.com 🥹

“A beautifully told and illustrated story about resilience, identity, and the power of encouragement. A thoughtful addition to classrooms and libraries alike.”

www.slj.com/review/binna...

#KidLit #KidLitUK
School Library Journal review of BINNA’S DALGONA: K-Gr 4–This debut offers a heartfelt and honest look at the emotional challenges of starting over in a new place. Inspired by the author’s experience, the story follows young Binna as she adjusts to a new school, learns a new language, and tries to hold on to the familiar comforts of her cultural identity. Binna is proud and excited after making dalgona all on her own. But when she tries to share her joy at school, the words get stuck; English doesn’t come easily for her yet. This moment of frustration and embarrassment is rendered with care, both in the storytelling and in Kim-McCarthy’s expressive illustrations. The imagery of jumbled words and confused emotions adds depth to Binna’s experience and will resonate with anyone who has ever felt lost for words or out of place. With gentle encouragement from Unnie, Binna begins to see that she is capable, and that the challenges she’s facing don’t take away from everything she’s already accomplished. Kim-McCarthy’s authentic voice makes the story feel deeply personal, while her art enhances understanding of Binna’s journey in a way that is emotionally powerful. It introduces big feelings without being overly simplified or sentimental. Grounded in a specific cultural context, the book offers a universal message: it’s okay to struggle, and growth takes time. VERDICT A beautifully told and illustrated story about resilience, identity, and the power of encouragement. A thoughtful addition to classrooms and libraries alike.
July 9, 2025 at 7:46 PM
creativesojung.bsky.social
This page is basically a giant food court of kidlit 😋 Delighted to see BINNA’S DALGONA included in this Social Justice Books “Food As Culture” list alongside with so many delicious books!!

Check it out here: socialjusticebooks.org/booklists/fo...
Screenshot of Food As Culture book list on Social Justice Book website
June 5, 2025 at 3:11 PM
creativesojung.bsky.social
Binna’s Dalgona is longlisted for World Illustration Awards 2025 in the Children’s Publishing category 🥴

www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/749060...

#kidlitart
World Illustration Awards 2025 longlist announcement with a scene from Binna’s Dalgona, my picture book about a Korean girl who just moved to a new country. In this scene, she’s holding up her cut out dalgona on a beach surrounded by her new friends.
June 2, 2025 at 9:37 PM
creativesojung.bsky.social
I wrote a guest post for @yabookscentral.bsky.social about how I came to make Binna’s Dalgona, my relationship with food & how it provides a sense of home. Read the whole article & enter our giveaway here tinyurl.com/bddzvj3s

#kidlit #picturebook #koreanfood
I wasn’t always this obsessed with food. Rather, you could say I was a reluctant eater. My mom hated cooking and instead prided herself on being good-looking. In Korea, a woman can’t look good without being slim, and my mom (and my dad, when he was around) would openly comment on other people’s looks in front of me. I guess that’s how I learned at a young age that being skinny was more valuable than eating well. So I didn’t understand the joy of eating, which meant I didn’t understand the joy of eating together. I never understood the joy of cooking, either. Which is one of the reasons I thought I would do well studying for a Master’s degree in illustration in the UK, because I wouldn’t fall into the agony of missing Korean–or mom’s–food, like many people point out as the biggest hardship when living abroad.
May 21, 2025 at 9:53 PM
creativesojung.bsky.social
Lovely review of Binna’s Dalgona & other foodie PBs💖 tinyurl.com/yc32yczy

#KidLit #PictureBook #RepresentationMatters #Korean
Exploring the World of Food in Picture Books by Wendy Rancier MLS. If you watched the popular Netflix show Squid Game, you may remember the Korean sweet treat of dalgona. Dalgona is a retro street food that is still enjoyed and is made by melting sugar and adding baking soda to make a toffee-like treat. The sugary mixture is poured onto a flat surface and stamped with a cookie cutter to imprint an image. The fun continues as you try to trim away the outline of the sugar without breaking the picture. A fragile and tasty game. Korean-British author and illustrator Sojung Kim-McCarthy explores dalgona and the challenges of being an immigrant child in Binna’s Dalgona. Binna is starting to feel grown up and getting used to her new school and life away from Korea. She is slowly learning English and getting better every day, but when she finally masters making dalgona she can’t wait to share it with her friends. Using speech bubbles to convey Binna’s frustration, her excited words don’t come out right and she feels overwhelmed and embarrassed that she can’t communicate how to make her Korean treat with her classmates. With the help of her older sister, she realizes these things take time and will get easier. Her classmates also support her and come over to make dalgona together. This book sweetly conveys a supportive environment for a classmate who is still learning language, and how even these small communication hiccups can be very emotionally difficult for a child. A recipe for dalgona is included in the backmatter, and you will be tempted to try it out.
May 19, 2025 at 6:16 PM
creativesojung.bsky.social
🎂Happy book birthday to BINNA’S DALGONA 🥳 My author-illustrator debut PB about making new friends in a new country is out today @penguinkids.bsky.social!

“A delightfully gentle tale of navigating language barriers” - Kirkus Reviews

tinyurl.com/3m7bpcd3

#kidlit #kidlitart #aapiheritagemonth
May 13, 2025 at 3:17 PM