
Julie Kim
author and illustrator of the children’s books Where’s Halmoni? and Where’s Joon?
in conversation with series host
Michael N. McGregor
author of Pure Act and the forthcoming novel The Last Grand Tour
6 p.m., Thursday, February 13
Cascadia Art Museum, 190 Sunset Ave, Edmonds, WA 98020

(To order tickets through the Cascadia website, click here)
Julie Kim is an author and artist who graduated from the prestigious Rhode Island School of Design and gained attention as an illustrator of other people’s works before Little Bigfoot (a division of Sasquatch Books) published her first book, Where’s Halmoni?, in 2017. The book was an immediate sensation.
Kirkus Reviews, Publisher’s Weekly, Booklist, and the School Library Journal all gave it starred reviews, and the New York Times praised Kim’s “genius” way of making a “statement about the loss of culture among children of immigrants.”
Inspired by Korean folktales, the book follows young Noona and her little brother Joon as they pass through a fantastical land to find their missing Halmoni (“grandmother”). Each of the book’s three sections highlights lovable or distrusted figures from traditional stories who help or hinder the children as they search.
In choosing the book as its winner, the Cybils Awards committee praised it for its “visually stunning world,” and the School Library Journal called its artwork “jaw-dropping.” Booklist described Kim’s dialogue as “pitch-perfect” and Publishers Weekly said her “panel sequences teem with energy.”
Kim, who is from the Northwest and lives in Seattle with her husband and two children, published a sequel called Where’s Joon? in 2023. Once again, the praise was immediate and effusive. In its starred review this time, Kirkus Reviews called the book “a riotous and pleasurable treat.” Shelf Awareness declared that “Kim’s story is absolutely enchanting, but her stupendously vivacious illustrations prove even more memorable.”
In addition to publishing her own books and illustrating others, Kim has done projects for Seattle’s Wing Luke Museum and other non-profit organizations. She is currently working on an anthology of Korean folktales. While her work isn’t overtly set in the Pacific Northwest, it is informed by her lifelong connection to the area. It celebrates the rich cultural heritage shared by the thousands of Korean Americans living in the region.


You can purchase Julie Kim’s books online at the Edmonds Bookshop.
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About the Cascadia Writers-in-Conversation Series
On the second Thursday of each month, host Michael N. McGregor will bring one Northwest writer in front of an enthusiastic audience for a brief reading, a discussion of the author’s work, and a question-and-answer session with engaged literature lovers.
The series is intended to showcase the wealth of writing talent in the Pacific Northwest. To that end, it will feature writers from different genres at different stages of their careers who may have been overlooked rather than those readers already know.
Writers who appear in the series will be featured on WritingtheNorthwest.com.
This is a unique chance to hear talented writers speak in-depth about what it means to be an author in the Northwest and why and how they create their works of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. The conversations will all take place in one of Cascadia’s beautiful galleries, with Northwest art lining the walls.

Cascadia Art Museum is the only museum dedicated to artists and their works from the Pacific Northwest. Focused on visual art and design from 1860 to 1970, it is committed to the belief that recognizing previously neglected artists who made significant contributions to the region’s cultural identity gives us a fuller and more comprehensive understanding of Northwest art history. The Writers-in-Conversation series signals the museum’s desire to highlight underappreciated Northwest artists in literature as well. The series is sponsored by the Edmonds Bookshop and Holman.
Michael N. McGregor is Seattle-based author whose book Pure Act: The Uncommon Life of Robert Lax was a finalist for a Washington State Book Award. After living his early life in Seattle, he spent 17 years as an award-winning professor of creative writing at Portland State University, where he helped found the MFA in Creative Writing program. A former member of the Advisory Committee for the Oregon Book Awards and Fellowships, he holds a BA in Journalism from the University of Oregon and an MFA in Creative Writing from Columbia University in New York. His next book, The Last Grand Tour (a novel), will be published on January 28, 2025, by Portland publisher Korza Books.
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