Children's Corner — A Wonder in the World of Wonders
The Ajeeb character from one of the participants.
Every person has their very own world of imagination, but none so creative and massive and wild as that borne of the mind of a child. Theirs is a special world, where they talk to friends we cannot see, and build houses of pillows with bridges under which volcanoes and rivers pass.
Ithraeyat team met with guest of honor, Korean author Han Dam-hee, during her participation in the book fair, which was part of Ithra Children’s Festival. Han is known for her works that take place in imaginary worlds, capturing warm and touching moments, using digital tools as a primary means to create visual images that exude poetic beauty and delicate emotional touches. In 2025, her picture book "Uncle Star" won the prestigious BolognaRagazzi Award in the multimedia category, making her the first Asian artist to win this honor.
The picture book "Hang The Elephant," written by Park Jun-hee and illustrated by Han Dam-hee, was also selected for inclusion in the first-grade curriculum in South Korea in 2024, providing her with a deeper opportunity to connect with young readers. We had an inspiring conversation with her about imagination in children's literature and the motivations that led her to choose this creative path.
The author emphasized the vital role of imagination in children's lives, serving as a bridge to their dreams and nurturing their inner world. Han Dam-hee expressed her vision by saying, "Imagination, for me, is being free." She also shared her inspiration for choosing to write children's books, saying, "My family and I grew up in a small village where access to television and the internet was very limited, but we had many books, and I would spend my time drawing pictures. This gave me a sense of freedom, and I realized that drawing and writing for children was what would bring me happiness."
She also noted that her favorite childhood book was Ivan Tsarevich and the Storm Demon, due to its magical imagination that captured her young imagination. For her part, Woo-hyun Ok, CEO of Dreaming Kite Publishing, expressed her deep joy in publishing children's books, emphasizing that this mission gives her a sense of meaning and joy, as it provides an opportunity to positively impact the lives of children and encourage them to love reading.
The Ithraeyat team met with the Chargé d'Affaires of the Korean Embassy, H.E. Moon Byung Jun, who expressed his deep gratitude for this distinguished cultural cooperation, which provided an opportunity for Korean authors to participate in a unique experience that strengthens the bridges of cultural exchange between the two countries.
Han Dam-hee displays one of her works.
The illustrated book "Uncle Star," winner of the prestigious BolognaRagazzi Award in the multimedia category. Courtesy of the author, Han Dam-hee
As part of the Children's Festival, Ithra Center organized an interactive activity for children titled "Ajeeb in Wonderland." During this activity, children listened to an adventure story about "Ajeeb," a character who sets out on a journey in search of his family. Along the way, he encounters various characters who describe his appearance in different ways.
Here, the child's role is to imagine what "Ajeeb" looks like, draw his features, and then shape him using a variety of materials provided in the workshop.
In this activity, we witnessed many amazing creations and imaginative representations through which the children expressed their own vision of this character.
Now we leave you with the creativity of our little ones who participated in imagining the character "Ajeeb":
Ajeeb as imagined by Layan AlDosari.
Ajeeb as imagined by Maria Ali.
Ajeeb as imagined by Mohammed Al Aboud.
Ajeeb as imagined by Shaden Al Dosari.
Ajeeb as imagined by Intsar Ali.
Ajeeb as imagined by Jumana Loai.
