Hanna Kim

Ben is thrilled when his mom signs him up for taekwondo--especially when his best friend, Emilio, signs up too. During their first class, it becomes clear that Emilio is a natural. Ben, meanwhile, struggles to keep up. He is frustrated and embarrassed . . . until he runs into Mr. Wiz, the mysterious janitor from his school, at the studio. Mr. Wiz gives Ben a black belt, and suddenly Ben's skills start to progress. What's behind the sudden improvement? And will the black belt help Ben come out on top when he and Emilio face off? Or will it cost him his best friend?

Ben is thrilled when his mom signs him up for taekwondo--especially when his best friend, Emilio, signs up too. During their first class, it becomes clear that Emilio is a natural. Ben, meanwhile, struggles to keep up. He is frustrated and embarrassed . . . until he runs into Mr. Wiz, the mysterious janitor from his school, at the studio. Mr. Wiz gives Ben a black belt, and suddenly Ben's skills start to progress. What's behind the sudden improvement? And will the black belt help Ben come out on top when he and Emilio face off? Or will it cost him his best friend?

Fourth-grader Ben Lee is anxious to make new friends at his new school in Michigan. But on his first day, things take a turn for the worse. The other kids act grossed out by the homemade kimbap in his lunch box. Embarrassed, Ben makes an impulsive wish, and soon strange things start happening. A ham sandwich appears in his lunch box inside instead of Mom's homemade mandoo. At first, Ben is thrilled. But soon the magical switcheroos start happening regularly and to other things--like Ben's favorite Korean cartoon, Tobot V. And the special pencils his grandma sent from Korea. How far will the lunchbox magic go? And how far will Ben go to set things right?

Fourth-grader Ben Lee is anxious to make new friends at his new school in Michigan. But on his first day, things take a turn for the worse. The other kids act grossed out by the homemade kimbap in his lunch box. Embarrassed, Ben makes an impulsive wish, and soon strange things start happening. A ham sandwich appears in his lunch box inside instead of Mom's homemade mandoo. At first, Ben is thrilled. But soon the magical switcheroos start happening regularly and to other things--like Ben's favorite Korean cartoon, Tobot V. And the special pencils his grandma sent from Korea. How far will the lunchbox magic go? And how far will Ben go to set things right?

"This compelling book developed by one of the world's leading actors on statelessness, demonstrates the cost of collective apathy and marginalisation on real lives. Can you stand for the erasure of identity? Will you turn away because it does not concern you? Or will you take a stand with those that work to hold power accountable?" Joshua Castellino Executive Director, Minority Rights Group International "The world was full of shapes..." Welcome to a world in which every shape has its rightful place, fits in and conforms. Until they no longer do. Shapes also move around, explore, fall in love with other shapes and create a more interesting world, in which identity and belonging are no longer strictly defined by shape alone. A messier world, in which some shapes are erased and are made shapeless by powerful shapes. These shapeless shapes are denied their basic rights and are excluded. They are cast out. But some of them come together to fight back, demanding their rights and the recognition of their shapes. Shapeless Shapes is a graphic novel about identity, belonging, history, freedom, discrimination, injustice, activism and statelessness. The book adopts an allegorical approach to exploring some of the most pressing contemporary challenges we face. This beautifully designed book provides much food for thought on racism, xenophobia and populism, and the role of activism in calling out and confronting injustice. Shapeless shapes is a fairy tale, a history book, a call to action to shape our future It tells a story of a world that was, is and can be. Shapeless Shapes was imagined into existence and designed by artist and social justice advocate Hanna Kim, with words by human rights advocate Amal de Chickera. It is a publication of the Institute on Statelessness and Inclusion (www.institutesi.org), which is the first and only human rights NGO dedicated to working on statelessness globally and promoting inclusive societies by realising and protecting everyone's right to a nationality .