Kim Hyo-eun's delicious How We Share Cake, her second Korean import after the award-winning I Am the Subway (also translated by British polyglot Deborah Smith), focuses on the pursuit of familial fairness. "We are three sisters and two brothers," begins the second sister, serving as judicious narrator. "This is a story about how we share cake... and everything else."
For every item--apples, milk, roast chicken--five-way division is a must. "Sometimes, sharing is easy," because who wants broccoli? "Other times, it's hard"--because cotton candy! Each sibling has preferred implements to claim his/her share: a spatula, a fork, or an oversized ladle to grab every drop. Uncle-sharing, too, is mandatory, especially when he visits with his scooter. Twenty-four minutes is the max ride time allotted per child, until second sister's crash lands her in the hospital. The children, despite their worry, quickly calculate their longer scooter access (30 minutes). Meanwhile, second sister basks--temporarily--in being the one and only, enjoying a snack just for herself, then choosing a birthday cake of her very own.
Kim (who also had to "share everything" in her youth) charmingly recounts here the sibling negotiations necessary to maintain family peace. Her stylized pencil, watercolor, and collage illustrations--outlined in black and white, strategically enhanced with detailed colors and patterns--are reminiscent of comic panels with their generous use of white space, whimsy, and humor. She most often depicts the quintet as crowded together--a squished-in car ride, the malodorous single bathroom--because, with family, sharing is indeed caring. --Terry Hong