Koreans and expatriates here can set off on a narrative adventure with the Danish tradition of storytelling in illustrated children’s books at five locations around the country this spring and summer.

The moving exhibition explores some 70 years of illustrated children’s books at five locations in Seoul, Gangwon Province and Busan until July 28.

The exhibition looks at children’s storytelling from the 1940s when the character, Pippi Longstocking, was conjured up by Astrid Lindgren to entertain her daughter home sick from school all the way to the present pantheon of talented Danish children’s book authors and illustrators. 

Starting off at the National Library for Children and Young Adults on April 2, the exhibition then moved to Gangwon Province for the sixth Nami Island International Children’s Book Festival where illustrator-authors Helle Vibeke Jensen and Rasmus Juul Pedersen will lead an illustration workshop from April 25 to May 25.

“Each location will host separate events such as workshops with Danish illustrators, storytelling sessions and screenings of Danish animated children’s movies, but most importantly it will give visitors the opportunity to get acquainted with some of the many great children’s books from Denmark,” the Danish Embassy said.

The embassy said the aim of the exhibition was to display books that both illustrate the Danish tradition of picture-book storytelling and also to show the development of the genre from the 1940s to today.

Otto Dickmeiss will lead an illustration workshop when the exhibition moves to ARKO Gallery in Seoul from June 7-22.

The exhibition then moves to the Metropolitan Library in Seoul from June 7 to July 22 and for its final stop at Shinsegae Centum City in Busan from July 12 to July 28 where Rasmus Bregnhoi will also lead an illustration workshop.

By Philip Iglauer (ephilip2011@heraldcorp.com)