Every Moment Was You

Written by Ryu Hanwol, Illustrated by Ryu Minjeong

Synopsis

A butterfly emerges from nothing. The butterfly lands on a field of flowers and turns into a pretty pink and yellow flower. With the first rays of dawn, the petals gently flutter off into the sky and become a bird. After flying around the world, the bird sits on a branch and sings, until one day it becomes a forest. Through the forest, which is a harmonious mix of green, light green, and blue, a tiger appears, looking strong and brave. As it roars at the world, it becomes a huge, majestic mountain. The mountain becomes the wind, the wind becomes rocks, and the rocks become clouds. The clouds gather and rain down, and the world is filled with a calm sadness. The beautiful and innocent beings of nature continue in a rhythmic sequence of words. Where is the final destination of “you” that finally reaches the sun and descends back to the world?

This book shows how a life is born with the energy of the entire universe through beautiful nature and landscapes. As you follow the beauty of nature, you can also feel the changes in emotions and energy. A rainy scene conveys sadness, a vast blue ocean shows inclusiveness and endless possibilities, and a powerful breaching whale exudes the power of challenge and passion. After reaching the sun, which is the source of energy for the earth and humans, and then descending back down to earth, “you” is embraced by your mother for the last time after a long journey.

Author : Ryu Hanwol

Ryu was a software architect and currently focuses on the arts and culture, especially children's literature. He won the Dong-A Ilbo New Young Writers’ Prize in 2025 for Korean poem 〈Insulation〉. He won a silver prize from the Hansung Baekje writing contest, the President’s Award from The Academy of Korean Studies, etc.

Illustrator: Ryu Minjeong

Ryu participated in the residency program at Cite internationale des arts in Paris. She has held solo exhibitions in Korea and Italy, and her works that express the world through books have been exhibited at the National Library of Korea in Seoul, the Korean Cultural Center in Paris, and the Welt Museum Wien in Vienna. 《Every Moment Was You》 is her first picture book.