“The Cat Afraid of Dark Clouds” Picture Book

“The Cat Afraid of Dark Clouds” by Eunji Ryu.

This is an adorable little picture book by Korean illustrator Eunji Ryu. The story was inspired by a phrase she wrote in a notebook a few years ago: ‘a cat afraid of dark clouds.' She reflected on the dark clouds that can appear in anyone's life and how someone face these dark clouds.

Due to its very small size, many parts of the process couldn’t be done by machine, so half of the production was completed by hand. The book was hand-bound, given a hardcover, and finished with a gold-foil title. It’s a special book that she crafted with great love and care.

"On a day when the rain was pouring down heavily, the cat sat by the window and looked up at the sky. Dark clouds seemed to gradually swallow the sky. The cat was frightened by the thought that it might never see the blue sky again. She hid under the blanket and soon fell asleep..."

A few years ago, there was a time when my heart was filled with dark clouds. During that period, I wrote a note about a cat afraid of dark clouds. When vague fears overwhelmed me, and I didn't know how to fix my broken heart, I wrote to comfort myself. The story wasn't meant to find answers from the beginning. It was merely a story of that journey. As years passed, I occasionally read the note saved on my memo pad. Eventually, I decided to illustrate it.

Dark clouds appear over the heads of both children and adults. Are there dark clouds over your head right now? 

Published by Ghost Books - a small bookstore and publishing studio in Daegu, South Korea.

- 2.6" x 3.3" / 65 x 85 mm
- 48 pages
- Hand-crafted binding

Published in June 2024.