I am the Subway by Kim Hyo-eun translated by Deborah Smith

"I rattle and clatter over the tracks. Same time, same route, every day."

"The Seoul subway network is one of the longest in the world and reaches far beyond the city limits. ... It carries an average of 7.2 million people per day ... "

It is so wonderful to open this book and see the way Kim Hyo-eun breaks one of the "picture book rules" by starting his book with six pages (three double-spreads) of the story before we reach the title page. And the words on the title page are actually part of the narrative. You can see art from this book at Seven Impossible Things before Breakfast. 

Over time the subway (our narrator) can now recognise and name 'his' passengers and from the way they walk or run, the things they carry or their demeanour 'he' can also gauge their mood and even their back story. Mr Wanju is running late but once he sits on the train he can calm down and relax. In the alternating page we know Mr Wanju is late because he was spending time with his daughter. 

At the next station we meet Granny. She is bringing fresh seafood to her family in Seoul. Then we meet Mr Jae-sung the shoe repair man; young Na-yoon heading to her after school class; and Mr Gu the glove salesman. 

Even though this story is set in Korea - it has a truly universal appeal. It would be fun to read this after taking your child for a ride on the subway or other train network in your city. 

This book is just perfect in so many ways. The water colour art is created with enormous skill; each character on the train has a distinct personality, and of course this book comes from a unique point of view - the subway itself. Take a minute to view this very special video based on the art in this book.  I also need to mention the scrumptious end papers beginning in the very early morning and ending as the sunsets. I am the Subway is one of those truly special books you can share with a young child and also with older students as a way to explore art techniques and book design. I can imagine a deep discussion over one of the pages near the end of the book where we see three pairs of shoes. This image is repeated on the back cover:

"a gentle afternoon light that washes over everything - old shoes, new shoes, clean and dull shoes."

With echoes of Korean cinema style, this book captures the ordinary of each day. The exquisite illustrations are created in watercolour. This is a book not to be missed. Kids' Book Review

A contemplative, poignant rendering of everyday journeys. Kirkus Star review

Kim’s author’s note mentions how her father taught his children to see many things; those details – “things not visible to the eye but still significant” – are exactly the elements that stupendously enhance each page: different gaits of people in motion, phones galore, bags and packages, and various expressions. Lucky readers, climb aboard: extraordinary explorations await. Smithsonian

Thanks to the subway train’s musings, readers gain poignant glimpses into the joys, sorrows and hopes of these passengers. The train’s voice is tender and compassionate, and the sound of its movement, “ba-dum, ba-dum, ba-dum, ba-dum,” is a refrain that anchors the book.  BookPage

If you want to look at another book where we see inside a daily transport system try to find this wonderful wordless book:

Illustrator: Julie Volk Title: Good morning, little Tram! Guten Morgen, Kleine Strassenbahn!

AND if you want to explore point of view I highly recommend:

A page in the wind