Corner

by Zo-O

Overview

A quirky and relatable story about balancing creativity and connection

A crow finds itself in an empty corner and begins to make the space its own. First, it furnishes the corner with a bed, a bookshelf, a rug, even a potted plant. In the newly decorated space, the crow reads and eats, listens to music and waters the plant, but something’s missing. What is it?

The crow decides to decorate more, drawing geometric patterns on the walls in yellow. The corner is filled with color and shapes, but something is still missing. The crow adds a window, and finally discovers what it needed all along—a way to connect with the world outside and to make a new friend.

This highly original, almost-wordless picture book is the first title by award-winning Korean author and illustrator Zo-O to be published in English. Soft, detailed illustrations of the cozy corner will inspire kids to express themselves in their own spaces, and the crow’s problem-solving skills encourage readers to think about how they can comfortably step outside of their comfort zone.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781771475327
Publisher:	OWLKIDS BOOKS
Publication date:	03/14/2023
Pages:	64
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 11.20(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	AD120L (what's this?)
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

ZO-O studied at HILLS, an education course for illustrators. Since winning the 3rd Creative Picture Book Collaboration Award for her debut book, Hello, Mllie, Zo-O has worked as an author/illustrator. She lives in Gunpo-si, South Korea.

Editorial Reviews

★ 01/16/2023

This mostly wordless picture book opens as a black, crow-like bird contemplates the empty corner of the title, which fits neatly into the gutter between the pages. The floor is gray and the walls are high, white, and blank, an effect amplified by the book’s long, tall trim size. First staring up at the utterly bare corner, the bird gets to work, moving furniture and personal effects into the space—a bed, a rug, a bookcase, then a lamp and small green plant. “Hello?” it greets the plant. For the first time, the bird seems to relax, reading near the foliage, then pouring water over it and tucking in to sleep nearby. “Hmm. What else?” it asks. Soon, other ideas take shape, and the figure begins an ambitious mural that requires a handful of other objects: a radio, spare art supplies, and an increasingly tall ladder. South Korean creator ZO-O draws the corner from precisely the same angle throughout, the better to emphasize its transformation. It’s a cleverly wrought tale of growth, inventiveness, and how an impulse to nurture brings life into a space, allowing a being to thrive. Ages 3–7. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

"The charming illustrations look as though they are done in colored pencil, with lots of texture and homey, hygge details. This would be a great book for discussion and predicting."

Youth Services Book Review

"The soft coloured pencil illustrations in Corner are subtly textured, and the crow’s gestures make the story easy to follow despite the almost complete lack of words. Children can easily relate to the crow, and the story encourages all of us to think about what we would do ... Zo-O suggests that satisfying the need for food and shelter is not enough; like the crow, we need creativity, and we need companionship to feel contented."

Canadian Review of Materials

"Exploring themes of growth, trying new things, and broadening one’s view, this understated story uses ever-expanding visual images to skillfully convey layers of meaning."

Booklist

"The ending is just right and will bring huge smiles to those sharing this almost wordless, very telling story."

Sal's Fiction Addiction

"[A] quiet book about identity and adapting one’s environment ... This thoughtful picture book would make a nice addition to a story time featuring characters who strive to make a house into a home."

Children’s Literature Comprehensive Database

12/22/2023

Gr 1–3—In this largely wordless picture book, a crow is attempting to make its own room in a corner. The corner is gray and drab. The crow starts out with a bed, a plant, and a bookshelf; it gradually expands to fill the space with additional artwork and objects. However, the crow still feels lonely and in the ending pages, cuts a window and meets another bird. The drawings are sparse; shading and cross-hatching in color pencil add a charming element to the illustrations. The few sentences are simple short phrases showing the progression of the crow realizing that it isn't more objects it needs, but companionship. VERDICT Recommended purchase for those looking for high design and charming picture books about friendship and community-building.—Vi Ha

School Library Journal

★ 2023-02-08
In this South Korean import, a crow ponders two white, empty walls of a room—and then takes action.

Relocating to the corner, the restless black bird tries various positions on the softly textured, gray floor. The image of the creature lying on its back, feet spread on the walls, will elicit giggles of recognition. The bird brings over a bed, a bookcase, a rug, and a lamp, adding color and interest, and addresses a small potted plant with an inquiring “Hello?” Children will relate to the crow’s subsequent attempts to pass the time: reading, sleeping, watering the plant, eating what appears to be a bowl of cereal. The problem-solver then turns to art, creating elaborate yellow patterns on both walls that require increasingly larger ladders to reach. Music and dance fill a void as well, and the plant is thriving under the crow’s care, yet “Something is still missing.” Covering the furniture with drop cloths (a delightful detail), the industrious soul applies a circular saw to a wall. The resulting window yields the best result yet: a potential friend, a white bird whose existence is possibly foreshadowed on the cover. This enchanting, nearly wordless title allows space for viewers to construct their own narratives, imagining how they would feel—all alone in an empty room—and what they would need or do to feel complete. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A quirky, thought-provoking, and stunning reminder that a house is not a home. (Picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews