The front cover of "If You Want to Eat a Red Apple" is seen in this image taken from the BolognaRagazzi Awards website. Newsis

The South Korean picture book "If you Want to Eat a Red Apple" has won a prestigious BolognaRagazzi Award for debut works, the award's website showed Friday, making it the first recipient of the highest honor in the category.

Written by Jin Joo and illustrated by Lee Ga-hee, the book won in the Opera Prima category, which recognizes debut works by authors and illustrators.

Published by Finger Publishing, the picture book is based on photographs taken with a film camera and depicts two children waiting for a red apple against the backdrop of a uniquely Korean environment. Its warm, nostalgic imagery captures the scene with a gentle and affectionate lens.

Meanwhile, another Korean book, "Star Papa," written by Han Dam-hee and published by Book Gorae, was named the winner in the CrossMedia Projects section.

It is an interactive adaptation of a picture book about a farmer who grows stars, offering an immersive experience where readers can explore the story through tactile interaction, voice activation and sound effects, according to the website. (Yonhap)