An introduction to Korean

Transcription

An introduction to Korean Children's Book
Contents
ABC
Agape | 6
Alma(Munhakdongne Publishing Corp.) | 7
Applebee Publishing Co. | 8
Baram Public | 9
Bear Books | 12
Betterbooks | 14
BIR Publishing Co., Ltd. | 15
Bookstory | 23
Bori Publishing Co., Ltd. | 24
Borim Press | 26
Changbi Publishers, Inc. | 31
CheoEum Junior Publishing Co. | 36
Choroki | 37
Chosunbooks | 38
Chungnyunsa Publishing Co., Ltd. | 39
DEGH
Dahli Children’s Books Inc. | 42
Danielstone Kids Publishing Co. | 43
Dasan Books Co., Ltd. | 44
Daseossure Publishing Company | 45
Eorinreuni | 46
Gilbut Children Publishing Co., Ltd. | 47
God’s Win Publishers, Inc. | 56
Hangilsa Publishing Co., Ltd. | 57
Hankyoreh Children’s Books | 59
Hansol Education Co., Ltd. | 60
Hanulim Publishing | 63
Hanuribooks | 64
Hollym Corp., Publishers | 65
Houyhnhnm | 66
Hyeonamsa Publishing Co., Ltd. | 68
Hyoreewon | 69
An introduction t
IJLM
NPRS
Iandbook | 72
I-seum | 73
Izzle Books | 77
Jaimimage Publishing Co. | 79
Jakeunchaekbang | 81
Jakkajungsin Publising Co. | 82
Jangsoohanulso | 83
Jigyungsa Ltd., Publishers | 85
Joongang M&B | 87
Kookmin Books Co., Ltd. | 88
Little Mountain Publishing Co. | 90
LITTLE ONE AHyun | 92
Maeng & Aeng | 93
Marubol Publications | 94
Mirae Media & Books Co. | 95
Miseghy Children’s Press | 99
Moonji Publishing Co., Ltd. | 102
Munhakdongne Publishing Corp. | 103
Nonjang Publishing Co. | 108
Nurimbo Publishing Co. | 109
Prooni Books | 111
Prunsoop Publishing Co., Ltd. | 112
Pulbit Publishing Co. | 116
Randomhouse Korea | 118
Safaribook | 121
Sakyejul Publishing Ltd. | 125
Sam&Parkers | 130
Samseongdang Publishing Co., Ltd. | 131
Sanha Publishing Co. | 132
Scope (Book-Ocean) | 133
Sigongsa Co., Ltd. | 134
Silvertuba Co. | 145
Sonamoo Publishing | 146
StoryBowl | 147
Sun & Tree | 148
TUVWY
Think House | 150
Tindrum Publishing Company | 151
Totobook | 152
Truebook Sinsago Co., Ltd. | 156
Urikyoyuk Co., Ltd. | 158
Voozfirm Publishers | 160
Wisdomhouse Publishing Co., Ltd. | 161
Woongjin ThinkBig Co., Ltd. | 162
YeaRimDang Publishing Co., Ltd. | 172
to Korean Children's Book
A
Agape
Applebee
Alma
B
Baram
C
Changbi
Betterbooks
Bear Books
Bookstory
BIR
Choroki
CheoEum Junior
Borim
Bori
Chungnyunsa
Chosunbooks
Agape
The Art Gallery Is Alive
-Cartoon Bible through Masterpiece Paintings
Based on the main characters’fantastic adventure, this cartoon bible unfolds biblical tales
through masterpiece paintings. On their various adventures, Eunyul, his sister Seonyul and his
girlfriend Daseul, enter the masterpiece paintings that depict biblical scenes and explore the
world of the Bible. Eunyul loves his sister but finds her bothersome from time to time. One
day when his sister upsets him yet again, he wishes she would disappear. When he finds out
that she has indeed disappeared, he sets out with his girlfriend to find her. After they are pulled
into a painting hanging at an art gallery, they encounter biblical stories and figures, as they
travel through the masterpieces that depict scenes from the Bible. Volume One deals with the
Creation and the Great Flood, Volume Two, with Abraham, the ancestor of religion, and
Volume Three, with Jacob who wrestled with an angel. Though he has never enjoyed going to
the church, Eunyul begins to develop his faith as he meets various biblical figures and finally
lets God deep into his heart. This is a color cartoon with detailed descriptions of “biblical
masterpieces” such as Michelangelo’s “Creation of Adam.”
By Choi Hyunmee
Copyright Agent : Bang Jaekyung
[email protected] +82 2 522 5148
www.iagape.co.kr
The Art Gallery Is Alive-Cartoon Bible through Masterpiece Paintings
(Misulgwani Saraitda-Myeonghwawa Hamkkehaneun Seonggyeong
Manhwa)
Mouseion
Agape
2009, 224 pages
ISBN 978-89-93524-23-9
6
LTI Korea
Alma
Where Did She Fly Without Any Wings?
This book tells the stories of two girls based on the epic poems by Jeong Yak-yong (17621836), a leading Silhak scholar of the Joseon Dynasty, and Kim Ryeo (1766-1821), a poet
from the late Joseon era. “A Bride Who Was Sold” is based on Jeong’s poem
“Doganggogabusa”
and unfolds the unfortunate life of a woman who was
married to a blind old man at the age of 18. Deceived by the matchmaker, the father of the girl
marries his daughter off to the old man. The old man, who has already been married twice and
has three children, abuses his young wife verbally and physically. Unable to endure such
cruelty, the young wife runs away to the mountain, shaves her head and becomes a Buddhist
nun but is soon caught and returned home. “The Song of Bangju” is based on Kim Ryeo’s
poem “Bangjuga”
, which sings of a beautiful and smart girl named Bangju, whose
family belongs to the lowest class. One summer, a man of high status stops on his way and
asks Bangju for a bowl of water. Immediately taken by Bangju, the man asks Bangju’s father
to give her away as his daughter-in-law. However, in the Joseon period when yangban and
lower-class families did not marry across class lines, the father is shocked and refuses the
offer. This book portrays the sufferings of women and lower-class people who lived through a
time of strict gender and status discrimination.
By Choi Hyunmee
Copyright Agent : Jeon Sanghee
www.munhak.com
Where Did She Fly Without Any Wings?
(Nalgaedo Eopsi Eodiro Naraganna)
Jeong Yak-yong & Kim Ryeo
Alma(Munhakdongne Publishing Corp.)
2009, 144 pages
ISBN 978-89-9252-567-1
7
Applebee
Good Kid
When do parents say “good girl!” or “good boy!” to their children? When they get up in the
morning and wash their faces, when they get dressed by themselves, when they share their
food with friends, when they clean up after playing with toys, when they greet politely, when
they get along well with friends without fighting, when they brush their teeth and when they
go to bed early. All of these situations can be found in this pop-up book. Eight different
behaviors of children such as washing face, getting dressed and greeting politely unfold
charmingly on each page. Upon turning the page, a pop-up attracts the reader’s attention and
large-font text describes the children’s behavior. “Good girl!” or “Good boy!” is added next to
the pop-up image of the child. Parents can tell the story using the guidelines on each page.
Compliments exert a very powerful effect on children. When the parents encourage them with
positive reinforcements, they are more likely to grow up to be confident leaders. They also
help turn desirable behaviors into regular habits. This book is ideal for parents who
compliment their children regularly and children who behave themselves.
By Kim Jung-mi
Cpyright Agent : Cristine Yi (Yu Ri Jang Literature Agency)
www.applebeebook.com
Good Kid
(Ai Chakhae)
Choi Jiwon
Illustrator : Kim Jaewon
Applebee Publishing Co.
2008, 12 pages
ISBN 978-89-2620016-2
8
LTI Korea
Baram
No Way, No Way in the World!
No Way, No Way in the World! (Cheonmanui Malsseum Manmanui Kongtteok) is a story of
cartoonist Yi Samil who thinks it is more natural not to bathe or clean. He is second to none
when it comes to laziness. One day, he witnesses the miracle of a chick hatching from his
boiled egg. The chick grows quickly and becomes a hen in just two days. Yi hopes that this
miraculous hen will lay golden eggs but soon finds out that all the eggs are ordinary. Still
uncertain, he cracks tens of eggs to make sure but they are, in fact, all ordinary. The next day,
the hen suddenly dies. After he buries the hen, Yi conceives the idea to draw an interesting
cartoon about a chick that hatched from a boiled egg.
The author has modified and incorporated some famous fairy tales such as Heungbu and
Nolbu, Jack and the Beanstalk and the Golden Goose into his story. Such familiar tales, which
are entwined with Yi’s story told in a colloquial style, make this book much more fun to read.
In particular, the chatty narration that incorporates various proverbs, maxims and detailed
explanations is the finest aspect of this book. The main character who constantly daydreams is
disgraceful and farcical yet pitiful. Though there is no child character in the story, No Way, No
Way in the World! is a book children will be able to enjoy very much.
By Choi Seongkyu
Cpyright Agent : Nam Kyungmee
cafe.daum.net/barampub
No Way, No Way in the World!
(Cheonmanui Malsseum Manmanui Kongtteok)
Yang Ji-an
Illustrator : Kim Jung-seok
Baram Public
2008, 187 pages
ISBN 978-89-9087-870-0
9
Baram
The Last Event
This is a novel for children by children’s story writer Yoo Eun-sil, who has been well received
by both literary critics and readers for her sensitive and affectionate look at aspects of
children’s lives. It is a story of a boy who expands his understanding of life and death through
his experience of the death and the funeral of his grandfather, his favorite person in the world.
The father of the main character Yeonguk always calls his son “useless.” He also ignores his
father, who is very close to Yeonguk. However, the relationship between Yeonguk and his
grandfather ends abruptly because of the latter’s sudden death. The scenes of the funeral
unfold through the eyes of a child. Even though the funeral is characterized by a strict
formality and burdensome traditions, strange and funny incidents also take place, as rather
shameful truths of life are revealed at the same time. Throughout the funeral, Yeonguk finds
himself crying for his grandfather, deep in his own thoughts and laughing at certain things. At
one point, the special event planned by the grandfather before his death takes everyone by
surprise. The book talks about the meaning of forgiveness and reconciliation through a
person’s death and the ritual of death.
By Choi Hyunmee
Copyright Agent : Nam Kyungmee
The Last Event
(Majimak Iventeu)
Yoo Eun-sil
Baram Public
2010, 208 pages
ISBN 978-89-90878-92-2
10
LTI Korea
Baram
I’m Not Going Home
This book discusses children’s wants and psychology through the story of two daughters who
decide to run away from home and their mother who tries to find them. One day, the main
characters Mijin and Yeonjin decide to run away from home: Mijin is upset because her
mother would not let her play with her best friend and the younger sister Yeonjin has been told
to ask her mother to come see her teacher because she has not been paying attention in class.
But rather than asking them how they feel, their mother simply forces private tutoring and
after-school classes on them. In response, the girls decide to run away. However, they send her
hints about their location in riddles and wait for her: “The place where Mom called me an ugly
duckling, the place where she stroked my head while I counted to ten and the place where I
said ‘Mom, I’m happy.’” Even though the girls are worried that she might not remember the
memories they share, she eventually shows up. Watching their mother from their hiding place
as she approaches them, they are moved to tears by seeing a side of her that they had not
known. The story of love between the mother and the children is heartwarming. This is the
first book by the author.
By Choi Hyunmee
Copyright Agent : Nam Kyungmee
I’m Not Going Home
(Jibe An Deureogam)
Yi Yeonoo
Illustrator : Bae Hyun-jung
Baram Public
2010, 128 pages
ISBN 978-89-9087-855-7
11
Bear Books
What We Should Know About
Preventing Abduction & Abuse
There are terrible things that should never happen but still take place from time to time. This
book was written to prevent crimes, sex abuse and kidnapping that target children. It explains
in children’s language ways to protect their own precious bodies. Citing specific examples,
such as an attractive offer of a gift from a stranger, request for help from a stranger, getting
lost and separated from parents in a crowded place, kidnap scenario in which the child is taken
to an unfamiliar place, and someone touching a child’s body, the book provides detailed
precautions against such incidents. It approaches these serious topics with familiar and
pleasant drawings that are easily accessible for children. It also tries to facilitate children’s
understanding by arranging the contents of the book to make it look like a magazine with the
use of interviews and surveys. It would be a good idea for parents and children to discuss the
contents of the book, as they read the book together. The children will be able to develop
healthy habits and the ability to respond to emergency situations. This book is ideal for
children who will encounter myriad people in an increasingly larger world and parents who
have to protect their precious children.
By Kim Jung-mi
Copyright Agent : Choi Hyunkyoung
[email protected] +82 2 332 2672~3
www.bearbooks.co.kr
What We Should Know About Preventing Abduction & Abuse
(Sojunghan Nae Momeul Kkokkkok Yaksokhae)
Park Eungyung
Illustrator : Kim Jinwha
Bear Books
2009, 42 pages
ISBN 978-89-9-324208-9
12
LTI Korea
Bear Books
Watch Out for the Cookie Witch!
This book talks about how bad snacks with preservatives, coloring and artificial sweeteners are
for children through a fun character called the Cookie Witch. The Cookie Witch asks the
magic mirror, “Who is the most beautiful person in the world?” The magic mirror then
answers, “You are the most beautiful right now but when healthy children grow up, they will
be much more beautiful than you.” Angry with the answer, the witch reflects carefully on how
to ruin the children and decides to bake cookies that can make children fat and harm them.
Using flour from a faraway country that is sprinkled with a lot of pesticidesin the cookie
dough, she adds heaps of white sugar that can rot children’s teeth, along with “no-rotting
medicine” (preservative), “multicolored powder” (coloring), “sweet and sour powder”
(flavoring) and “scary fat” (trans-fat) and then bakes the cookies. The witch’s story makes us
reconsider the harmful effects of instant snacks enjoyed daily by children on their health.
Information on the dangers of snacks and processed foods is included for the children readers
at the end of the book. The book also offers recipes to bake easy and healthy cookies at home.
Humorous illustrations of the unique looking witch as she bakes the cookies add to the fun of
the book.
By Choi Hyunmee
Copyright Agent : Choi Hyun Kyoung
[email protected] +82 2 332 2672~3
www.bearbooks.co.kr
Watch Out for the Cookie Witch!
(Gwaja Manyeoreul Josimhae)
Jung Hee Jae
Illustrator : Kim Young-Su
Bear Books
2010, 40 pages
ISBN 978-89-9324-225-6
13
Betterbooks
The Footprints of Mr. Thief
This book tells a story on the importance of care and concern among family members. A thief
has broken into Doyeon’s house. He has taken Doyeon’s emergency fund of 10,000 won she
has hidden from her parents, mint candies that help her dad quit smoking, frozen fried rice for
times when cooked rice is suddenly needed, and a family photo. While checking for things that
have been stolen, they realize that something so important that it should never go missing has
in fact gone missing: Doyeon’s younger sister Sangyeon. According to Yeonggi, Sangyeon
who has lost her keys tried to enter the house through a small window in the kitchen, broke the
glass and ran away. The family searches the entire village to find Sangyeon. In the process,
long-standing dissatisfactions that have been hidden away come pouring out and secrets are
also revealed. The family finally finds the dog they used to raise as well as Sangyeon. Now
they can fill the family photo frame again. It is a moving story of how the unexpected
disappearance of an eight-year old Sangyeon ends the absence of communication in the family.
This book is ideal for third- and fourth-grade elementary school children who are loved by
their families.
By Kim Jung-mi
Copyright Agent : Sangmee Kim
www.betterbooks.co.kr
The Footprints of Mr. Thief
(Dodungnim Baljaguk)
Hwang Seon-mi
Illustrator : Choi Jung-in
Betterbooks
2009, 108 pages
ISBN 978-89-848861-8-6
14
LTI Korea
BIR
The Magic Pot
The Magic Pot (Yosul Hangari) gives a modern twist to an old Korean children’s tale with an
entertaining writing style and humorous drawings. While working in the field, the farmer
accidentally comes across a magic pot. Whatever the farmer puts in the pot is multiplied
tenfold and he soon becomes a very wealthy man. Upon hearing this news, a greedy rich man
in the neighboring village becomes very jealous and comes to visit the farmer. He makes an
unreasonable argument and snatches the pot from the farmer. Happy that he has the magic pot
now, the rich man keeps the pot by his side and continues to put his valuables in it until he
falls asleep. However, fortune does not come easily to those who are wicked and greedy. The
father of the wealthy man, while taking a look inside, falls straight into the pot. What happens
next? Well, the father comes out of the pot but he is followed by another father, followed by
yet another. More and more fathers come out and each argues that he is the rich man’s real
father. The pot breaks in the midst of the argument and the rich man now has to live with 527
fathers. The combination of abundant colloquial expressions and drawings enliven this old folk
tale. The book is ideal for children over 4 years old who are already thinking about what to put
in the pot.
By Kim Jung-mi
Copyright Agent : Song Jung-ha
[email protected] +82 2 515 2000 (Ext. 207)
www.bir.co.kr
The Magic Pot
(Yosul Hangari)
Lee Soo-ah
BIR Publishing Co., Ltd.
2008, 30 pages
ISBN 978-89-491-9129-4
15
BIR
How to Catch a Tiger
Tigers are one of the most popular characters in Korean folk tales. This book introduces five
ways to catch a scary and strong tiger using exceptional wit. The story of big tigers falling for
a hoax devised by shrewd people will make readers burst with laughter. An old lady living in
Gangwon-do province catches a tiger as follows: she gives over-ripened and sour kimchi to the
hungry tiger that descends to the village for food. The pungent sourness of the kimchi makes
the tiger sway from side to side and at that moment, the lady strikes the tiger’s tail with a big
wooden mallet. When the shocked tiger hurriedly escapes naked, the old lady is left with the
tiger’s skin. In another episode, a brother and a sister living in an isolated house blow a horn
whose sound beckons the tiger to come down to the village. Scared of the unidentified object
that makes such a loud noise, the tiger enters the house bottom first. The siblings seize this
opportune moment to stick the horn into the tiger’s bottom. From then on, the horn sounds
whenever the tiger moves and it eventually exhausts the tiger. Apart from these methods, a
mayfly, a puppy and a drunken man also manage to catch tigers in their respective unique
ways. This book is ideal for imaginative children aged 4 and over who would love to think of
other ways to catch a tiger.
By Kim Jung-mi
www.bir.co.kr
How to Catch a Tiger
(Horangi Jamneun Beop)
Lee Yoonjeong
2009, 36 pages
ISBN 978-89-491-0121-7
16
LTI Korea
BIR
I Am a Cuckoo
I Am a Cuckoo won the Children’s Fiction Award hosted by a children’s book company in
Korea. It is a story of friendship between a lonely boy who lives at his uncle’s house and
“goose dad,” (gireogi appa) who lives alone after sending his family to the US. Goose dad is a
term that designates a man who is left behind in Korea while the rest of his family lives abroad
for the children’s education.
Eleven-year-old Dongjae has been living with his uncle’s family since he was six because his mother
practically abandoned him. But Dongjae applies himself at school. One day, Dongjae makes a new
friend, a man who has moved in next door. Upon learning that Dongjae is living with his uncle’s
family, the man calls him a “cuckoo.” However, the man is also a “goose” who is lonely without his
family. As they recognize each other’s wounds, the abandoned child and the lonely man become
friends despite the age gap. The man gives Dongjae the code for his door lock and tells him to come
by any time, and one day Dongjae even saves the man who was lying unconscious in his living
room. The man also takes Dongjae to his mother who lives far away. The book paints a good
contrast between the man who drinks and laments his situation, and Dongjae who is lively and tries
to do his best as much as possible.
By Choi Hyunmee
www.bir.co.kr
I Am a Cuckoo
(Naneun Ppeokkugida)
Kim Hea-yeon
Illustrator : Jang Yeonju
2009, 215 pages
ISBN 978-89-491-2110-9
17
BIR
Ninja Girls
This fiction portrays high school girls who rebel and stand up against the school system, which
focuses on studying and grades, in order to achieve their dreams. 17-year-old Go Eunbi is a
first-year student at Moran Girls’ High School. Though she wants to be an actress, she has
never passed an audition because she is fat and ugly. Meanwhile, Eunbi’s mother wants Eunbi
to study medicine because she is good at mathematics. One day, Eunbi finally passes an
audition and earns a part in a play for the first time. However, the time of the performance
overlaps with the supplementary lecture session for Moran Class, an intensive after-school
course offered only to students with good grades. After lengthy reflection, Eunbi begins a
campaign to close down Moran Class. She buys a charm from a fortuneteller and spreads
rumors that ghosts appear in Moran Class. She also posts complaints on the official websites of
the Office of Education and the Blue House about intensive after-school classes. However, her
efforts have all failed and Eunbi’s performance is a day away. As a last resort, Eunbi and her
friends decide to stage a suicide attempt. Donning Ninja Turtle masks on the roof, they
threaten to jump if the school does not shut down Moran Class. Teachers and parents arrive
and the police are called in. In an enjoyable manner, the book portrays the reality of youths
who endure the grueling preparation for university exams, often referred to as the “hell of
university entrance examinations,” but also captures the teenagers’ dreams and secrets.
By Choi Hyunmee
www.bir.co.kr
Ninja Girls
(Ninja Geolseu)
Kim Hyejung
2009, 258 pages
ISBN 978-89-491-2091-1
18
LTI Korea
BIR
Big and Small
This is a science picture book that explains the concept of “big and small” with humorous
illustrations. The opening page shows a drawing of a big older brother and a small younger
brother and states, “My older brother is big, I am small.” The next page makes another
comparison by saying, “But standing next to grown-ups, my older brother is small and I am
small, too.” This is followed by another comparison with a puppy, “Next to the puppy, my
older brother is big and I am big, too.” By comparing the sizes of people and various objects
around us, the book provides a comprehensive explanation on the concept of sizes and shows
that sizes are a relative concept that can be understood through comparison. It follows the two
brothers’ day as they greet their house guests, play with the puppy, measure their height, swap
clothes and shoes, get scolded after breaking a pot, receive their punishment in the living room
and play until bedtime. Over the course of their day, clear and brief sentences explain the
varying degrees of “big and small.” The book ends by pointing out that “though the older
brother may be big and the younger brother may be small today, this may not always be the
case.” The supplementary section on how to make easy comparisons for the concept of “big
and small” is designed to help the parents. The bright-colored illustrations outlined in black,
which appear as though they were done by children, will feel familiar to the young readers.
By Choi Hyunmee
www.bir.co.kr
Big and Small
(Hyeongeun Keuda Naneun Jakda)
Park Jung-sun
Illustrator : Kim Young-soo
2009, 28 pages
ISBN 978-89-491-5174-8
19
BIR
Give Me Two Pieces, or I Will Eat You
This is a “mathematics picture book” that explains the principle of mathematics through
storytelling. Having worked as a secondary school math teacher for decades, the author uses an
old Korean folk tale to explain the multiplication table. An old rice-cake seller is climbing
Gugugogae, a mountain pass with nine hills. When she reaches the top of each hill, a tiger
appears and says, “Give me a rice cake, or I will eat you.” Every time she climbs a hill, she
hands over one rice cake to the tiger. She sets out to trick the tiger by making the rice cakes
smaller, but the tiger soon catches on and begins to increase his demands: “give me two pieces,
or I will eat you”; and later, “give me three pieces, or I will eat you.” At this point, the reader
is asked, “how many rice cakes will the tiger have had if he is given two rice cakes at each
hill?” and then cuckoos appear and sing the two-times table. In this way, the book helps
readers learn the multiplication tables, 2 through 9. The repeating refrains are rhythmic and the
illustrations full of satire and humor breathe life into the story. Humorous characters like the
wrinkly old lady with white hair, the tiger with spinning eyes, the singing cuckoos and the pine
tree with twisted branches, set against a simple background, make each page look like a
traditional Korean folk painting.
By Choi Hyunmee
www.bir.co.kr
Give Me Two Pieces, or I Will Eat You
(Tteok Dugae Jumyeon An Jabameokji)
Lee Bum-gyu
Illustrator : Kim Yong-chul
2009, 44 pages
ISBN 978-89-491-0107-1
20
LTI Korea
BIR
The Tale of Altair and Vega
This picture book tells the story of an old Korean folk tale on constellations. Jingnyeo is a
weaver and the granddaughter of the King of Heaven. She falls in love with a cattle herder
named Gyeonu and marries him. When they neglect their work because of their love, the King
of Heaven separates them and allows them meet only once a year. When it becomes difficult
for them to meet even on this one day because of the Milky Way that separates them, crows
and magpies form a bridge with their bodies and let the lovers reunite. In fact, Altair (Gyeonu)
on Aquila and Vega (Jingnyeo) on Lyra are the brightest stars to be seen in the summer sky
and they do seem to meet only once a year. Also, it tends to rain quite heavily on the seventh
day of the seventh lunar month, which is when they meet; according to the tale, the raindrops
are the lovers’ tears. The sad and beautiful love story between Gyeonu and Jingnyeo has long
been part of Korea’s folk culture and has also been published as many picture books. This
book, however, is unique in that it is realized artistically in the illustration. Children’s story
writer Kim Hyang-e, who has been awarded several times for her children’s books, weaves a
beautiful story with lyrical phrases and descriptions, while illustrator Choi Jeong-in fully
captures the emotions in delicate lines and elaborate colors.
By Choi Hyunmee
www.bir.co.kr
The Tale of Altair and Vega
(Gyeonu Jingnyeo)
Kim Hyang-e
Illustrator : Choi Jeong-in
2009, 44 pages
ISBN 978-89-491-0123-1
21
BIR
Yum Yum
Yum Yum is a collection of poems for children on food written by Ahn Do-hyeon, Korea’s leading
modern poet and a bestselling children’s author. The poems explore various topics related to food
such as its taste, shape, color, smell, ingredients, nutrition, cooking method and utensils. The author
makes the readers laugh by using humor and wit to depict certain characteristics of food with which
children come into contact every day. For example, spicy food is compared to a fire engine, round
radish, to the full moon, and wavy noodles, to curly hair.
“Have you tried the cloud? / What does it taste like? / Soft, sweet and nutty / If you think it can’t be
eaten / The cloud is hard and tough to chew. / Instead of a meat patty / I put a cotton cloud in my
burger! / What does it taste like? / You’ve never tried it? / If you think it can’t be eaten / You’ll never
know what the cloud tastes like.” (“Cloud”) As such, the author uses food as the medium of his
expression but he also unleashes his tremendous imagination which goes beyond food. The lively
rhyme and rhythm make the poems even more interesting when they are read out loud. Finally, the
illustrations mimic the style of children’s drawings add to the humor and wit of Ahn’s poetry.
The poet has explained that he “wanted to let children know that the rice is as valuable as the sky and
help them appreciate every spoonful of rice.”
By Choi Hyunmee
www.bir.co.kr
Yum Yum
(Nyamnyam)
Ahn Do-hyeon
2010, 88 pages
ISBN 978-89-4918-166-0
22
LTI Korea
Bookstory
A Barefoot Dream
A Barefoot Dream, adapted into a children’s book from a 2010 film directed by Kim Tae-gyun, is
based on the true story of the football coach Kim Shin-hwan who led a team of East Timorese
children to win the International Youth Soccer Tournament in 2004. Once an aspiring soccer player
in Korea, but now just a former star with hard luck Kim arrives in East Timor, a country marred by
the scars of civil war, in the hopes of turning his life around. After noticing children kicking around a
ball barefoot on the hard ground, he opens a soccer equipment shop to sell them soccer shoes. Since
they cannot afford to pay in full, he gives them the shoes and tells them to pay him one dollar a day
for the next two months. Initially, many children sign up for this payment plan, but they soon realize
that a dollar a day is an impossible promise for them to keep and eventually return the shoes. But
Kim comes to realize their profound love of soccer, which awakens in him a new dream: he creates a
youth soccer team for the local children.
However, East Timorese children are victims to the scars of the deeply divisive civil war; during the
practice, they refuse to even pass the ball to each other. After days of reflection, Kim sets the goal of
entering an international tournament and begins to build teamwork by uniting the team under the shared
goal. The process of healing historical wounds through soccer is shown through this beautiful story.
By Choi Hyunmee
Copyright Agent : Kim Dong-geun
cafe.naver.com/b00kstory
A Barefoot Dream
(Maenbarui Kkum)
Joo Kyoung-hee
Illustrator : Han Jae-hong
Bookstory
2010, 183 pages
ISBN 978-89-9348-055-9
23
Bori
Grandma, Where Are You Going?
I’m Going to Gather Chestnuts!
This is the autumn part of the Story of Ogi (Ogine Iyagi), which depicts the story of Ogi who lives freely in
nature with her grandmother. The spring, summer and winter parts of the Story of Ogi series have also been
published. Seven-year-old Ogi lives with her grandmother in the countryside. Enjoying herself in nature and
eating well, Ogi is healthy and completely different from city children who grow up in concrete buildings
burdened with excessive competition. Ogi’s strong grandmother, who is always cheerful and fun, seems to
represent the vitality of the countryside.
The picture book is about “Ogi and her grandmother who, on an autumn day when wild geese are singing,
go to the mountain and to the waterside in search of ingredients for delicious side dishes.” One day, when
Ogi starts crying because she misses her father, her grandmother takes her into the forest to gather chestnuts.
Together they enter the thicket to find chestnuts and afterwards the grandmother makes sweet rice cakes to
sell at the market. At the market, the grandmother buys a set of traditional striped Korean clothing for Ogi.
The two of them catch crabs at the shore to make crabs marinated in soy sauce as well as goby to boil in
sauce, fry or cook in soup. Through the story of people who live happily in nature, the author gives us a
chance to reflect on how our children live these days and how they should live. The unique illustrations
make us smile and laugh throughout the book.
By Choi Hyunmee
Copyright Agent : Jeon Beom-jun
www.boribook.com
Grandma, Where Are You Going? I m Going to Gather Chestnuts!
(Halmeoni Eodigayo? Bam Juureo Ganda)
Cho Hye-ran
Bori Publishing Co., Ltd.
2010, 64 pages
ISBN 978-89-8428-626-9
24
LTI Korea
Bori
Unending Winter
The peace activist author, who has been working to resolve the comfort women issue, has
written this story about Japanese military comfort women for children, based on the stories she
has heard directly from the comfort women. The author wrote this book thinking about Kim
Sun-deok, who gave testimonies of her life as a comfort woman through paintings, and Bae
Bong-gi, who lives in Okinawa, Japan and revealed for the first time in the 1970s that she had
worked as a comfort woman. In the book unfold the stories of now old ladies who were
forcibly taken and suffered as Japanese military comfort women and who, even after returning
home, lived hard lives. Though Korea was liberated in 1945 following Japan’s defeat in World
War II, the war has not ended for these women because of the lasting physical and
psychological wounds. For a long time, many comfort women had to hide the terrible things
they had endured during the war.
Lee Dom has melted wax paint on paper and scratched it with a stencil pen to create
illustrations that revive a painful chapter of history. Based on thorough historical research, Lee
Dom’s illustrations accurately portray the comfort stations and the ships used to transport the
women.
By Choi Hyunmee
Copyright Agent : Jeon Beom-jun
www.boribook.com
Unending Winter
(Kkeunnaji Aneun Gyeoul)
Kang Jesuk
Illustrator : Lee Dom
Bori Publishing Co., Ltd.
2010, 48 pages
ISBN 978-89-8428-625-2
25
Borim
Alamsahaba, the Kingdom of Cloud
The sun is blazing over the Alamsahaba desert and merchant Adil is on the way to the market
to sell some of his merchandise with his camel, his long-time fellow traveler. Then, all of the
sudden, a big heap of cloud falls from the sky and lands on the desert. Soon reporters,
scientists and tourists come from afar to see the mysterious cloud. When traders join the crowd
to make a profit, the desert turns into a busy market. As neighboring countries invade to take
possession of the cloud, war breaks out on the quiet Alamsahaba desert. Once the upheaval
dies down, however, the mysterious cloud simply disappears.
This curious incident that takes place in the desert shows how people’s greed spreads even
when it concerns an obscure object like a mysterious cloud. Crowd psychology, i.e. following
what others do without thinking, public authority that exercises violence, war without cause
and the consequences of such farcical disputes are all objects of Yun Jeehoe’s satire. However,
children will have an opportunity to reflect on the proper way of life by observing Adil, who
simply continues to do his job despite the chaos around him. Combining vivid colors and cute
pictures, this book successfully provides both fun and a valuable lesson to children.
By Choi Seongkyu
Copyright Agent :
www.borimpress.com
Alamsahaba, the Kingdom of Cloud
(Gureumui Wangguk, Alamsahaba)
Written and Illustrated by Yun Jeehoe
Borim Press
2008, 48 pages
ISBN 978-89-4330-750-9
26
LTI Korea
Borim
Half a Loaf
Banjjogi is a child with one eye, a half-mouth and half-nose, one arm and one leg. Though he
does not look perfect, he is stronger and wiser than anyone. A lady who could not have
children for a long time finally gives birth to three sons after ardent prayers. The first and the
second sons look like other children but the youngest has only half of every feature. However,
Banjjogi has accepted the way he looks and is without any complaints. In fact, he was more
kindhearted than his brothers and no one could match his strength. He was so strong that even
when he was tied to a huge rock or an even larger tree, he could uproot both of them. One day,
on his way home carrying captured tigers, Banjjogi meets a rich man. Envious of tiger skin,
the rich man proposes a bet: if he wins three janggi games, he gets to take the tiger skin but if
Banjjogi wins, he can marry the rich man’s daughter. Though the latter wins all three games,
the rich man refuses to give up his daughter. However, Banjjogi eventually marries her, thanks
to his shining wisdom. Repeated structure that rouses interest and witty illustrations harmonize
well in this book. This book is ideal for children over 4 years.
By Kim Jung-mi
Copyright Agent :
www.borimpress.com
Half a Loaf
(Banjjogi)
Lee Miae
Illustrator : Lee Ukbae
Borim Press
1997, 32 pages
ISBN 89-4330-263-0
27
Borim
Adventures of a Blue Crab
Adventures of a Blue Crab is a fun picture book that shows the life forms living in tidal flats.
Tidal flats are an important part of the Earth and provide abundant food and oxygen to marine
life. In particular, tidal flats in Korea are one of the world’s five best tidal flats. What creatures
live there? This picture book answers the question. When the rolling seawater ebbs and vast
tidal flats appear, creatures of the flats begin to appear one by one. Blue crabs go on an
adventure to capture the cloud while gobies totter across the flats. Seabirds fly above and
scared lugworms disappear into the flats. The book reminds us how important tidal flats are for
all these creatures. Soon the water flows back and fills the flats. This book also presents other
sea creatures such as sea squirts, sea anemones, octopuses, shrimps and fish living in the sea.
The book is a bestseller that has sold over 200,000 copies in the Korean market and has
received the first prize in the arts at the Children’s Culture Awards. Borim has published two
more picture books on sea creatures apart from Adventures of a Blue Crab. One of them is
Flowers Are in Bloom at the Shore (Kkochi Pieosseoyo, Badatgae), a picture book on plants
found in tidal flats and the shore; and the other is Flowers on Sand Dunes at Sinduri, Taean
(Taean Sinduri Morae Eondeoge Pin Kkot). The latter is a documentary-style account of plants
that live on a sandy beach where the heat is as high as in the desert.
By Choi Hyunmee
Copyright Agent :
www.borimpress.com
Adventures of a Blue Crab
(Gaetbeori Joayo)
Yoo Aero
Borim Press
2006, 46 pages
ISBN 978-89-433-0598-7
28
LTI Korea
Borim
The Lost Land
Extraordinary place: the DMZ, a 4km wide, 249.4 km long line that divides the North from the
South. In July 1953, the soldiers on the two sides waged a fierce war that lasted for over three years.
It didn’t seem that the war would ever end, despite the growing casualties. Finally, the UN stepped in
to arbitrate, proposing a ceasefire. As a result, the soldiers on the two sides called a truce on the
battlefield, and raised 1,292 signs between Paju, Gyeonggi-do province, and Goseong, Gangwon-do,
indicating a military demarcation line. The DMZ, a “land of tragedy,” came to exist. How has the
place changed in 50 years? Choi Byungkwan, the photographer, asked the same question. For two
years, he traveled through every nook and cranny of the place with a camera, and found out firsthand
that the Korean peninsula is still engaged in a war. The DMZ was still not a place one could visit
freely, and the soldiers on both sides still had their rifles pointed at each other. Gun shells and
punctured steel helmets from years ago were scattered around the fortress-like barbed wires.
Despite the possibility of military conflict, however, there was more than just sorrow and tension
there. With no humans coming and going for half a century, the place had become a paradise of flora
and fauna, with a beautiful forest, f lowers, and birds and goats that travel freely. The author presents
the beauty of the place through photographs, and states that it should be preserved as a scene of
history, even if reunification takes place. He suggests that the vestiges of the war, such as the rusted
bullets, steel helmets, barbed wires, and the ruined trenches, should remain untouched so that our
posterity may learn of the tragedy of war. Each photograph holds a powerful message. The barbed
wires that stand between the South and the North create a feeling of tension, as well as sorrow, and
the wild chrysanthemums blossoming up from under the iron fence are resplendent in their beauty.
By Oh Yunhyun
Copyright Agent :
www.borimpress.com
The Lost Land
(Uljima, Kkotdeura)
Choi Byungkwan
Borim Press
2009, 96 pages
ISBN 978-89-433-0772-1
29
Borim
If the Wind Stopped Blowing
This picture book portrays how a selfish child named Bomi learns about the world through the
wind and grows up in the process. Bomi is taking a walk wearing her favorite hat. Suddenly
the wind blows and takes the hat away. Bomi is so upset that she shouts at the wind to
disappear. Her wish comes true and the wind simply stops blowing. When the wind stops,
however, the windmill, the village, the ship and the world all stop at once. Bomi looks around
and realizes what she has done. She apologizes to the wind and asks it to come back.
The simple and vivid colors of the blue clothing, the red hat and green grass catch our eyes.
The positioning of the characters and the compositions, in particular, and the way the child’s
emotions are reflected plainly on her face are all visually attractive. For example, Bomi
appears with her head held high wearing an expression of arrogance and selfishness on the first
page; but later the same girl crouching in the corner against a blank background shows how
sorry she is to the world. Her face turns happy when she greets the wind back into the world.
By Choi Hyunmee
Copyright Agent :
www.borimpress.com
If the Wind Stopped Blowing
(Barami Buljianeumyeon)
Seo Haneol
Borim Press
2010, 32 pages
ISBN 978-89-4330-806-3
30
LTI Korea
Changbi
I Want to Be a Star
This picture book talks about life and death by briefly explaining the burial customs of the
world including water burial in Polynesia, sky burial in Tibet, cremation in India, open-air
burial in Mongolia, the Native American tree burial, and interment in Korea. The author has
struck an unusual balance by compressing the descriptions to one or two lines and instead
supplementing them with telling, evocative pictures. The first character is Kaiwai, a girl from
Polynesia who loves the ocean. Following the short sentence “Kaiwai grew up looking at the
sea,” pictures depict in detail her busy life of growing up by the sea. Then another short
sentence “Kaiwai lived in gratitude and became the sea” is accompanied by a painting of
beautifully dressed Kaiwai on a beautifully decorated boat drifting in the sea. The same
structure is used to unfold stories of a Tibetan boy who dreamed about his future while looking
at birds, a beautiful Indian girl, a Mongolian boy who roamed around with the wind, a Native
American boy named “Fast Foot Under the Tree” who became a part of the forest after his
death, and Manhui who was buried in the rice field where she had worked. Each story has been
assigned its own color scheme in accordance with its theme. By discussing various funeral
customs, the author expresses his understanding of nature, life and death: people are born in
nature and return to nature at death.
By Choi Hyunmee
Copyright Agent : Lee Soonhwa
www.changbi.com
I Want to Be a Star
(Byeori Doego Sipeo)
Yi Min-hui
Changbi Publishers, Inc.
2008, 42 pages
ISBN 978-89-364-5421-0
31
Changbi
The Divine Bicycle Tour
This is a coming-of-age story of a 13-year-old boy who opens his eyes to his self and the world
through a 1,100-kilometer bicycle tour. The bicycle which cannot move forward unless he
keeps on pedaling is a metaphor for the life that he has to realize himself. When his parents
decide to get a divorce without even asking him, 13-year-old Hojin runs away from home to
his uncle’s. He thinks that his uncle, who does what he wants without keeping a regular job,
would be able to understand him. His uncle asks Hojin to join him and nine other people on
their 11-day cross-country bicycle trip. Hojin rides in the rain, climbs up the hill to the point
his heart is about to burst and opens his eyes to life by sharing his stories with the other
participants. Believing that cycling can also help his parents change by encouraging them to
share their thoughts, he suggests a bicycle trip to his parents. The story is written by a young,
active author who has received various literary prizes awarded by children’s book publishers.
By Choi Hyunmee
www.changbi.com
The Divine Bicycle Tour
(Bullyanghan Jajeongeo Yeohaeng)
Kim Nam-jung
2009, 229 pages
ISBN 978-89-364-4250-7
32
LTI Korea
Changbi
A Mouse without a Tail
This book won the grand prize at the Good Children’s Book Competition organized by
Changbi, one of Korea’s leading publishers. An elementary school teacher, the author was
inspired to write this book by an incident that took place in her class last year. The book shows
children’s imagination and power of deductive reasoning surrounding a hamster that suddenly
appears in the classroom. The main character is a mouse called Quick Feet whose tail is bitten
off by a cat. Quick Feet takes refuge in the school in order to avoid the cat. The children think
Quick Feet is a hamster because of his short tail and give it a home in one corner of the
classroom. Quick Feet enjoys his time at the school free of cats and plentiful of food.
However, it soon learns that at school there are strong and mean “superior mice” and
powerless “inferior mice” that are ruled by the former. After becoming friends with Gray Eyes,
one of the inferior mice, Quick Feet decides to challenge the tyranny of the superior mice.
Even though he is missing the end of his tail, Quick Feet embodies a little hero in pursuing a
better, just world with confidence and bravery.
By Choi Hyunmee
www.changbi.com
A Mouse without a Tail
(Kkori Jallin Saengjwi)
Kwon Yeong-poom
Illustrator : Lee Kwang-ick
2010, 124 pages
ISBN 978-89-3645-125-7
33
Changbi
Smack
As the title suggests, this picture book for babies is about kisses. The only text in the book is the word
“jjok!” which is the Korean expression for the sound of a loud kiss. The baby in the book confirms the
existence of objects and living beings around her by kissing them and thus forms an emotional bond with
them. The book begins as the baby who has just woken up from a nap finds her teddy bear lying in the
corner of the room and gives it a kiss. She grabs the balloon floating around the room and kisses it and goes
on to kiss a picture book, her bedding and a smiling Matryoshka doll. She then kisses her puppy, the fish in
the fish bowl, the clouds and the scenery outside the window.
After the baby kisses her own reflection in the mirror, the doll, the clouds, the balloon and the characters of
her picture book who have all become friends after her kisses appear from behind the mirror. The teddy bear
is wearing a ballerina dress and the snowman inside a glass ball breaks out of it and walks around with snow
swirling around him. Meanwhile, the baby’s bedding turns into a magic carpet and flies around the room
and the pair of fish in the fish bowl are dressed in a fine tailcoat and a dress. It seems as though the baby’s
kisses have made wonderful dreams come true. They now plant kisses on her cheek. However, everything
turns out to have been the baby’s dream. The baby smiles happily as she enjoys her wonderful dream. In
order to capture the natural movements and expressions of his baby character, the author took thousands of
photos of an actual baby to use as the basis of his sketches.
By Choi Hyunmee
www.changbi.com
Smack
(Jjok!)
Jeong Ho-seon
2010, 40 pages
ISBN 978-89-3645-432-6
34
LTI Korea
Changbi
Why Can’t I Talk Back?
This is a collection of five children’s plays written by Bae Bong-gi who works in various
genres including plays, novels and children’s stories. These plays include stage descriptions,
stage instructions, stage directions, lines and songs, all of which make it possible for children
to set up their own stage in their mind and create their own play. In this way, they offer an
enjoyment different from ordinary children’s stories.
In the title work “Why Can’t I Talk Back?” a group of children prepare and perform the play
“Why Am I Not Allowed to Talk Back?” which protests against adults who dismiss children
voicing their opinions confidently simply as talking back. The children’s performance,
expressivity and minds all grow together in the course of the rehearsals and performance. Also
included in the collection are: a story of a frog family that builds and keeps a new house while
maintaining their wisdom and courage, despite the flood and the typhoon that destroy the
house; a story about an abandoned cat and a stray cat running off into the wilderness; a parody
of Aesop’s fable The Ant and the Grasshopper; and a fantasy story where a boy who is
mistreated for being slow in speech and action obtains magic chocolate and gets people to
understand him.
By Choi Hyunmee
www.changbi.com
Why Can t I Talk Back?
(Maldaekkuhamyeon Andoeyo?)
Bae Bong-gi
Illustrator : Lee Young-kyoung
2010, 231 pages
ISBN 978-89-3644-255-2
35
CheoEum Junior
Dokkaebi Reading Books
Dokkaebi Reading Books discusses the joys of reading through the main character dokkaebi, a
type of Korean goblin that frequently appears in Korean folk tales. Though he can be mean, he
is a mischievous and familiar figure with many talents. In this tale, the protagonist dokkaebi is
a close neighbor wearing a bamboo hat worn by Korean peasants in the past. Wicker trunk
dokkaebi was born in the wicker trunk traditionally used as cashbox. Because he was born in a
wicker trunk used as cashbook, he is terribly fond of money. He eats and sleeps on a pile of
money and steals habitually from the rich men of the village. One day, the broomstick
dokkaebi and the notebook dokkaebi come to visit the wicker trunk dokkaebi. They decide to
buy some land in the city where they plan to build a house. However, it turns out a seonbi
(Confucian scholar) is already preparing to build his house on their desired plot. He promises
to give up the land if they solve his riddle. The wicker trunk dokkaebi visits King Sejong, one
of the wisest kings in Korean history, to win a bet. King Sejong recommends reading books
and teaches the wicker trunk dokkaebi the joy of reading. Before he realizes it, the wicker
trunk dokkaebi has spent all his money on books. The author has previously written books
such as The Goblin Father and Dokkaebi Goes to School, all featuring a dokkaebi as the main
character. This book is ideal for children in grades 3-4.
By Choi Hyunmee
Copyright Agent : Lee Tae-young
Dokkaebi Reading Books
(Chaek Ingneun Dokkaebi)
Lee Sang-bae
Illustrator : Pack Myoung-sig
CheoEum Junior Publishing Co.
2008, 117 pages
ISBN 978-89-615-5132-8
36
LTI Korea
Choroki
Museum of Korean Princesses
This picture book tells us everything about the princesses of ancient Korean dynasties.
Princess Jeongui, the second daughter of the greatly respected King Sejong of the Joseon
Dynasty (1392-1910) lived a splendid life at the royal palace, treated as the flower of the
Royal Family. This book presents interesting stories from her life.
The daily lives, games, studies, cosmetics, musical instruments, palanquins, shoes and
accessories of the princess are explained in detail. Though the princess wore beautiful clothes
and lived an elegant life at the magnificent palace, she had to endure years of hard training to
cultivate knowledge, wisdom and a strong spirit that befit her royal station. The patience,
consideration and love she possessed are still important values in today’s society. The book
also offers stories of other princesses such as Goguryeo’s Princess Pyeonggang, who turned
dumb Ondal into a great general; Princess Deongman of Silla, who became the first queen in
Korean history; Princess Noguk, who was a Mongolian princess and later became a queen of
Korea; and Princess Deokhye, the last princess of Joseon, who met her tragic end after
Joseon’s sovereign rights were taken away. Elaborate drawings based on historical research
also draw our attention, in particular the fold-out drawing of Gyeongbokgung palace that is
twice the size of the open book. The detailed explanation that accompanies the drawing helps
children readers better understand the palace.
Copyright Agent : Ryu Jihyung
http://www.purmi.com
By Choi Hyunmee
Museum of Korean Princesses
(Uri Gongju Bangmulgwan)
Seo An-jung
Illustrators: Lee Yun-hee, Lee Bo-ram and Sim Sang-jeong
Choroki
2010, 32 pages
ISBN 978-89-9296-318-3
37
Chosunbooks
Seize Your Dream at Age 13
A guide to occupations, this book introduces 160 jobs to children and youths aged between 13
and 15. It includes generally known occupations such as conductor, singer and artist, as well as
promising ones such as b-boy, book designer and art director. The most distinguishing
characteristic and greatest advantage of the book is that it explains each occupation through an
interview with the most successful figure in the field. In great detail, the interviews explain
how each of them arrived at the profession, how to prepare for such jobs as well as the pros
and cons and the difficulties and joys of the job. Some of the notable interviewees include the
actor Lee Seon Gyun, soprano Jo Sumi, ballerina Kang Sujin, pianist Suh Hai Kyung, actress
Moon Jun-ghee, photographer Koo Bohn Chang and the pop group Brown Eyed Girls.
Along with one-to-one interviews, the book summarizes which academic subjects and
university majors are helpful for specific jobs, what types of students should consider certain
jobs, in addition to the overall level of satisfaction, the income level and the future prospects of
each profession. It also portrays a day in the life of each professional in a cartoon format and
includes a self-aptitude test to help the young readers find the right field themselves.
By Choi Hyunmee
Copyright Agent : Kwon Hyungsuk
blog.matgong.com
Seize Your Dream at Age 13
(Yeolsesal Nae Kkumeul Jabara)
Han Sunjeong
Illustrator : Yoo Kyung-hwa
Chosunbooks
2009, 268 pages
ISBN 978-89-93499-09-4
38
LTI Korea
Chungnyunsa
Kkokdu’s Journey through the Other
Worlds
Kkokdu is a wooden doll that is used as a children’s toy or a decoration on a bier. In this
picture book, the wooden doll Kkokdu shows children various aspects of the world. It tells a
story from a long, long time ago when people thought many different worlds existed together.
Like a poem, the book talks about how and why people subscribed to this belief without a clear
main plot. A boy, who appears on the back of a king bird, declares that there is only one world
because there is only one sky, one sun and one moon. The twins who play the flute say that
there are two worlds because they can create a harmony by singing together. A child on a
swing claims that there are three worlds because he can reach the sky by thumping his feet
three times. The book is a unique interpretation of the world rather than a scientific or rational
approach or an exploration of truth. Oriental colors and lines used in the drawings are very
attractive.
By Choi Hyunmee
Copyright Agent : Lee Young Lim
Kkokdu s Journey through the Other Worlds
(Sesangeun Myeotgae Ilkkayo?)
Myung Soo Jung
Chungnyunsa Publishing Co., Ltd.
2010, 36 pages
ISBN 978-89-7278-797-6
39
D
Dahli Children’s
Danielstone Kids
E
Eorinreuni
G
Gilbut Children
H
Dasan
Daseossure
God’s Win
Hangilsa
Hansol Education
Hankyoreh Children's Books
Hanuribooks
Hanulim
Houyhnhnm
Hollym
Hyoreewon
Hyeonamsa
A Foolhardy Frog Sees the World
Dahli Children’s
This is a story of a curious frog that learns new things in the human world. The main character
Froggy is very curious about the world, wants to try many different kinds of food and new
things. One day he goes to visit a broadcasting station and becomes a star by accident. When
he reemerges from hibernation, he takes the subway in the city and has his birthday party at the
market. He gets selected as a basketball player and also finds himself mesmerized by a story at
the library. Froggy is a perfect role model for children who are just stepping into the world. If
one faces challenges with courage and accumulates a range of experiences like Froggy, the
world will be a place full of excitement. Adventures may entail hardship but children mature
through such diverse experiences. The story of an audacious frog that jumps into the world to
embrace and experience it would stimulate children’s ambitious spirit.
Unrestricted and comical illustrations express the confusion caused by an unpredictable frog.
Though Froggy may be reckless, he becomes increasingly more adorable and endearing to the
reader as the story continues. Dynamic illustration format on each page is a witty reflection of
the world puzzled by the sudden appearance of a frog.
By Choi Seongkyu
Copyright Agent : Soyeon Park
www.dahli.co.kr
A Foolhardy Frog Sees the World
(Cheonbangjichuk Gaeguriui Sesang Gugyeong)
Lim Jung-jin
Illustrator : Kim You-dae
Dahli Children’s Books Inc.
2008, 109 pages
ISBN 978-89-5998-051-2
42
LTI Korea
Blue Make the Anger Go Away Softly
Danielstone Kids
This book is a type of art therapy book, a color-emotion picture book that soothes children’s
hearts using the calm and cool color blue. Taejun is upset because his friend has made fun of
him. In order to pacify Taejun’s anger, his tropical fish friend Pong takes him to the distant
blue sky on his back. As they travel through the blue sky and the blue ocean, Taejun’s heart
which used to be hot like fire is appeased and restored to calm. This book is written to help
children who are upset or unstable to placate themselves by looking at and imagining the high
skies, vast plains and the deep blue ocean, just like the main character Taejun. Children can try
painting in blue or playing with blue balls after reading the book. Ideal for children aged 4 to
6, the illustrations are done in cute animation style. It was edited by color psychologist Kim
Seong-ja who studied Western painting as an under-graduate and received MA and PhD in art
therapy. A picture book based on the positive influence of colors on people, it has been
published alongside Yellow Make a Laugh Spreading (Kkalkkal Useumi Beonjineun Norang)
and Red Make a Courage Spring up (Bulkkeunbulkkeun Yong-giga Sosananeun Ppalgang).
Choi Hyunmee
Copyright Agent : Lee Kyunghwa
www.ddstone.com
Blue Make the Anger Go Away Softly
(Sareureu Hwareul Pureojuneun Parang)
Lee Eunseo
Illustrator : Lee Hye-young
Danielstone Kids Publishing Co.
2009, 40 pages
ISBN 978-89-921-3083-7
43
School of Getting out of Laziness
Dasan
This book was designed to teach the importance of time and to foster good daily habits. Five lazy
children and twenty teachers appear in School of Getting out of Laziness (Geeureumbaengi
Talchulhakgyo). The teachers are the leaders of each field who are admired by the children, and they
instruct them on effective time management methods based on their own experiences.
Teachers Lance Armstrong, Benjamin Franklin and Nelson Mandela share their stories with the kid
known as “One More Game,” who only likes to play games, to underscore the value of time.
Teachers Bill Gates, Ban Ki-moon, Danny Seo and Han Bi-ya teach another kid known as “I’m
Busy” who is always rushed for time “how to overcome procrastination.” Practical time management
skills are explained in “Overcoming Laziness” so that children can easily adapt them to their own
situations. The book includes interesting information on the areas of expertise of successful leaders,
in order to expand children’s common sense and cultural knowledge.
This book stimulates children’s interest by setting the scene in an imaginary space called the school
for the lazy, where they can learn practical time management skills from successful leaders. It
educates them on the habit of time management, which can only be imparted during childhood.
By Choi Seongkyu
Copyright Agent : Lee Jungsoon
www.dasanbooks.com
School of Getting out of Laziness
(Geeureumbaengi Talchulhakgyo)
Hwang Kuengui
Illustrator : Lee Mira
Dasan Books Co., Ltd.
2008, 172 pages
ISBN 978-89-9255-598-2
44
LTI Korea
I Too Can Become a Picasso
Daseossure
Korea’s leading writer of art books and art critic Yi Joo-heon tells children stories about
masterpieces and guides them to create their own artwork. The book is divided into two parts:
“How to Appreciate Painting” and “How to Paint.” “How to Appreciate Painting” introduces
key works of classical to modern art organized by various topics. After first letting his young
readers appreciate each painting in the way most natural and comfortable to them, the author
provides a more in-depth understanding by examining its symbols, perspective, colors, light,
and drawing techniques.
In “How to Paint,” Yi presents various art activities for children so that they can try painting
on their own. Rather than giving specific guidelines, however, he helps them come up with
creative ideas. For example, after looking at a painting related to waterfalls and raindrops, he
asks children to “listen to the sounds of nature and express them using lines, spaces and dots,”
thereby letting them realize their own unique ideas. He also encourages the less confident
children by including examples of their peers’ reinterpretation of certain themes in
masterpieces and the author’s review of their drawings.
By Choi Hyunmee
Copyright Agent : Jeong Heon-gyeong
[email protected] +82 2 3142 6611(Ext. 106)
http://www.daseossure.co.kr
I Too Can Become a Picasso
(Nado Pikasoga Doelsu Isseoyo)
Yi Joo-heon
Daseossure Publishing Company
2009, 184 pages
ISBN 978-89-7478-336-5
45
Pretty Pretty Please, Take Care of the
Plants!
Eorinreuni
The plant rescue friends join forces to save endangered plants in this exciting comic book.
Three “Vegemons”-Kkulbam, Para and Ttilkong-work together to fight natural disasters and
the greedy pigs of Oink Oink who don’t care about nature. The comic book describes in detail
how plants suffer: pesticides that pollute the soil, parasitic worms that cause pine wilt, forest
fires that instantly reduce plants to ashes, typhoons that destroy hard-earned crops, and yellow
dust that blocks the sun and makes it hard to breathe. After exposing the causes of plant
suffering, the three friends explain how to fix the problems. As they solve one case after
another, they discover that to protect nature is to protect the earth, which in turn will lead to
human happiness. Detailed information about plants is included at the end of each chapter.
Young readers will enjoy the comic book format while easily learning about environmental
issues. This book is ideal for teaching third- and fourth-grade elementary school students about
the importance of the environment and helping to protect nature.
By Kim Jung-mi
Copyright Agent : Lee Ki-chang
Pretty Pretty Please, Take Care of the Plants!
(Singmureul Butakhae! Kkok Kkok Kkok!)
Woo Deog-hwan
Eorinreuni
2009, 172 pages
ISBN 978-89-92516-17-4
46
LTI Korea
Flower Shadow, Shining Water
Gilbut Children
A short story by the children’s book author Chung Chae-bong, who writes about the lost
innocence of people in the modern age, the world of purity and the life of coexistence, has
been turned into a picture book that contains a profound reflection on life and the world. A
wandering white cloud narrates the things it has seen and heard. One day, the white cloud sees
a monk who resides deep in the mountains. In late autumn, the monk discovers a small mosscovered rock in one corner of the pond and takes it back to his lodging in order to protect the
moss from freezing during bitter winter. As he picks up the moss-covered rock, the monk talks
to the grass, stones and fish around and in the pond and once he returns to his room, he
introduces the rock-moss to the objects there. When spring comes around, the monk takes the
rock back to where he found it and asks everything in and near the pond to live in harmony. He
also asks the moss to live on its own. The monk who treats all objects as living beings and who
values even the smallest forms of life makes us think about what it means to live together in
this world. The thick, bold lines and bright, splendid colors of the drawings enliven the
atmosphere of the book and express well the changes in scenery and human life in harmony
with nature.
By Choi Hyunmee
Copyright Agent : Kim Youjung
www.gilbutkid.co.kr
Flower Shadow, Shining Water
(Kkotgeuneul Hwanhan Mul)
Chung Chae-bong
Illustrator : Kim Se-hyun
Gilbut Children Publishing Co., Ltd.
2009, 36 pages
ISBN 978-89-558-2095-9
47
The Bunny and the Popping Machine
Gilbut Children
The Bunny and the Popping Machine (Tokki Ppeongtwigi), Bunny is smaller than the other animals
in the forest who often make fun of her size. Hurt by her friends’ ridicules, Bunny decides to leave
the forest. When she reaches a village inhabited by people, she comes across a rice popping machine
that turns small things big. Out of her desire to be bigger, Bunny gathers her courage and climbs into
the machine and when she comes out, she is enormous. Will she be happy when she returns to the
forest?
This witty story portrays the process in which Bunny, who is always made fun of by other animals,
becomes friends with them. The illustrator’s techniques of emphasis and omission, bold choice of
background, use of crayons to create a cheerful tone, and stylish selection of colors all add to the fun
of the book. Also, the free style of expression using techniques such as recoating and scratching out
render the story more enjoyable. Just as in the forest, it is often the case that strong children bully the
weaker ones in our world. The latter therefore wish to become bigger and stronger than the bullies.
This story is a delicate portrait of children who think that they are ignored by friends because they are
small and weak. It also makes us reflect on what it means to be strong or weak in a friendship.
By Choi Seongkyu
www.gilbutkid.co.kr
The Bunny and the Popping Machine
(Tokki Ppeongtwigi)
Chung Hae-wang
Illustrator : Han Sun-hyun
2008, 33 pages
ISBN 978-89-5582-081-2
48
LTI Korea
Puppy Poo
Gilbut Children
Puppy Poo (Gangaji Ttong) is the most well-known work by Kwon Jeong-saeng, the most respected
children’s writer in Korea. When he was young, Kwon wandered all over the country as a beggar. Later, he
worked as a bell keeper at a church in a small remote village and continued to write while battling a lifethreatening illness. He wrote right up to his death, leaving behind many memorable masterpieces in the
history of Korean children’s stories.
Puppy Poo explains how “puppy poo,” which everyone avoids because “it’s so dirty,” can become a
fertilizer for dandelions so that they canbloom beautifully. By choosing “poo,” a topic that interests children,
as the subject of the story, the author conveys the idea of respecting life, that is, “every being has its own
value.”
The text harmonizes superbly with the illustrations of the artist Jeong Seung-gak, who is known for his talent
for expressing Korean beauty, thus making a deep impression on the readers. It is sure to give confidence,
hope and pride to children who often regard themselves asuseless or insignificant. This children’s book has
been loved steadily foran unusually long time. Currently included in the seventh grade curriculum, it is also
on the recommended book lists by the Research Society for Children’s Literature and YWCA.
by Choi Seong-kyui
www.gilbutkid.co.kr
Puppy Poo
(Gangaji Ttong)
Kwon Jeong-saeng
Illustrator : Jeong Seung-gak
1996, 34 pages
ISBN 978-89-86621-13-6
49
Tools at Work
Gilbut Children
Human manual skills will always be needed even in a society in which high-tech industry
continues to develop daily. As farming, painting and making clothes, food, shoes and
furnishings cannot be done only by hand, humans have invented various tools and thus
cultivated culture. In awe of the artisans who have dedicated their lives to a single vocation,
author Kwon Yoon-duck has depicted each of their hand-worn tools with much care. With a
look of wonder on her face, a girl and a cat walk around the tools that appear to have been
scattered without care; and their sense of wonder is shared by the reader. The landscapes in the
author's drawings are from a neighborhood in Seoul where she currently resides. This picture
book uses a method used in Buddhist paintings: the colors are created by applying multiple
layers of red, green and navy blue to both sides of a silk canvas. Though the paintings are
printed on paper, the texture of silk, which is palpable when examined closely, often makes it
hard not to touch the paper. Despite being a picture book, it is full of splendor undiscovered by
adults and such magnificence should not be limited to only children. This book reflects the
best of artistry and writer's spirit in Korean picture books. This book is intended for anyone
over the age of four.
By Park Suk-kyoung
www.gilbutkid.co.kr
Tools at Work
(Ilgwa Dogu)
Kwon Yoon-duck
2008, 40 pages
ISBN 978-89-5582-083-6
50
LTI Korea
The Puppy
Gilbut Children
Illustrator Jang Ho, who was selected as the Illustrator of the Year Award at the 2009 Bologna
Children’s Book Fair, has added affectionate and lively illustrations to the children’s story
published in the 1930s by Hyeon Deok (1909-?), one of the leading children’s book writers in
Korean literary history. Noma is very envious of his friend Gidong’s spotted puppy. However,
Gidong would not even let Noma touch the puppy. Though Noma makes a paper puppy and
plays with it and his mother makes him a puppy doll, nothing can replace the spotted puppy. A
few days later, however, Gidong’s attention has all shifted to his new tricycle and Noma plays
with the lonely puppy to his heart’s content. The book portrays well the impatient heart of a
child who wants and longs for something and whose heart aches as a result. The illustrations
capture the child’s mind just as well as the story. Though the child’s eyes, nose and mouth are
not drawn in detail, his emotional state is expressed clearly. The scene in which Noma returns
home gloomily and all alone is painted in dark and heavy purple while the last scene in which
Noma is playing with the puppy, his new friend, is colored in bright yellow to reflect his lively
spirit. Moreover, by showing four different drawings of Noma on one page, Jang makes it
easier for the reader to notice the changes in Noma’s feelings at a glance.
Choi Hyunmee
www.gilbutkid.co.kr
The Puppy
(Gangaji)
Hyeon Deok
Illustrator : Jang Ho
2009, 32 pages
ISBN 978-89-558-2087-4
51
Miniature Paintings of Flowers and
Butterflies
Gilbut Children
Picture books on ecology with miniature paintings that depict animals and plants in elaborate,
realistic detail and express the value of “life with nature” have always been popular among
children’s books in Korea. Kwon Hyok-do has been actively leading the publication in this
category. Over the past 10 years, he has been exploring nature and working on miniature
painting books, and his previous publications, Miniature Paintings of Insects, Miniature
Paintings of Plants and Miniature Paintings of Animals, have been received with enthusiasm
by parents and children alike.
As the title suggests, Miniature Paintings of Flowers and Butterflies is a picture book on
ecology that depicts in miniature painting the flowers and butterflies the author has come
across in the mountains and fields. It includes a total of forty scenes from the seasons: fourteen
of spring; eight of summer, eight of autumn; and four of winter. Portrayed in detail are the
diversity of flowers that bloom throughout the year and the butterflies and other insects that
live among those flowers. Each scene is described in the style of an observation journal.
However, the text reads more like telling a story to children rather than impartial descriptions
of objects under observation. 97 species of butterflies, 160 species of flowers and 39 species of
insects including moths are depicted in this book.
By Choi Hyunmee
www.gilbutkid.co.kr
Miniature Paintings of Flowers and Butterflies
(Semilhwaro Boneun Kkotgwa Nabi)
Kwon Hyok-do
2009, 88 pages
ISBN 978-89-5582-091-1
52
LTI Korea
Art Comes to Life at the Library of
Thought
Gilbut Children
This is a guidebook that helps children understand and enjoy modern art. Author Park Youngdae is an oriental painter and a professor of art education at Gwangju National University of
Education. The main character Easel visits eight exhibitions each on a different theme at a
modern art gallery and explains ways to appreciate and enjoy modern art more fully through
33 pieces on display. The detailed, easy to understand and interesting explanations link each
artwork to general concepts of modern art. Every exhibition is expressed in a different color:
the imagination warehouse in sky blue; the playroom in tomato red; the spectacle shop in snow
white; the attic of emotions in peach; the theater of the heart in silver; the plaza of dreams in
gold; the nature experience room in watermelon; and the new laboratory in banana yellow.
Each in its own way describes imagination, play, observation without prejudice, expression of
emotions, the heart reflected in art, hopes and dreams, installation art and nature, the
relationship between materials and themes and seeing with a new perspective. The author
reassures children that they need not feel obligated to examine all paintings closely but instead
encourages them to study in detail the paintings they like and try to understand them fully.
By Choi Hyunmee
www.gilbutkid.co.kr
Art Comes to Life at the Library of Thought
(Geurimi Mareul Geoneun Saenggak Misulgwan)
Park Young-dae
2009, 240 pages
ISBN 978-89-558-2088-1
53
Kim Chan-sam, Korea s First World
Traveler
Gilbut Children
Traveling around the world was simply an impossible dream to Koreans of the 1950s when the
entire country was still struggling in the aftermath of the Japanese colonization, the Korean
War and subsequent poverty. Despite such harsh conditions, however, Kim Chan-sam, dubbed
as “Korea’s first world traveler,” traveled 59 countries and went round the world three and a
half times in two years and ten months between 1958 and 1961. The time and distance he
covered by traveling add up to 14 years and 32 times around the world and he completed more
than twenty long-term backpacking trips throughout his life. Kim said, “armed with a map and
a camera, I am not afraid to go anywhere in the world” and he did not stop traveling until he
died of the after-effects of an accident on one of his journeys. Covering the life and travels of
the extraordinary activist Kim, who once went to Africa to meet Dr. Schweitzer whom he had
respected as a child, the book tells children to follow their dreams. Though he was the son of a
judge, Kim spent his childhood reading The Travels of Marco Polo and decided early on that
he “wanted to see the world rather than study law” and lived as a geologist, an explorer and a
traveler to realize his dream.
By Choi Hyunmee
www.gilbutkid.co.kr
Kim Chan-sam, Korea s First World Traveler
(Hanguk Choechoui Segye Yeohaengga Kim Chan-sam)
Kim Jai-min
Illlustrator: Oh Dong
2009, 216 pages
ISBN 978-89-5582-097-3
54
LTI Korea
The Holes in My Body
Gilbut Children
The Holes in My Body (Uri Momui Gumeong) is the most well known book by Heo Eunmi,
who has published a number of science picture books including The Bright Eyes (Yeongnihan
Nun), The Living Bones (Sarainneun Ppyeo) and Poop Is Great (Ttongeun Cham Daedanhae).
The author explains the human body to children in an easy to understand way. Before showing
the holes in the human body, the book kindles children’s interest by first showing the holes of
drainage, shower heads and tunnels. Then the holes in the body such as the nose, mouth, ears,
eyes and pores are shown in turn. Through the book, children can learn the functions of such
holes and understand that they connect us to the world.
Books that impart scientific information can be long and descriptive. However, this book is
very accessible since it is written in the form of short rhythmic conversations such as “what’s
this,” “ah ha, water goes through this hole,” and “what’s this then?” Also, humorous and lively
illustrations stimulate children’s curiosity. By simplifying the anatomy of each body part,
children can understand the structure of the body at a glance without long explanations. This
book is written for children around three years of age, when they begin to take an interest in
their bodies, to lower elementary school students.
By Choi Seongkyu
www.gilbutkid.co.kr
The Holes in My Body
(Uri Momui Gumeong)
Heo Eunmi
Illustrator : Lee Haery
2000, 32 pages
ISBN 978-89-90025-54-8 77400
55
My Favorite Robot Friend
God's Win
This easy-to-understand book on everything about robots has been written for young readers
by Lee In-sik, a leading Korean author of science books who writes for various magazines and
has published several general knowledge books on science. Beginning with the mankind’s
long yearning for robots, this book explains how robots have developed throughout human
history, how they are used today and how they will develop in the future. In Part One, the
author traces the origin of mankind’s long-held imagination about robots to Galatia of
Pigmalion in Greek myths. He then explains the representation of robots in a novel (Mary
Shelley’s Frankenstein), a movie (Maria in Fritz Lang’s Metropolis) and animations (Atom and
Robot Taekwon V) before examining various automatic devices that have appeared in human
history. Part Two explains today’s robots by using as examples industrial, remote-controlled,
mobile, animal-shaped and humanoid robots, and then illustrations to introduce the operational
principles and structure of humanoid robots. Part Three explores the activities of robots like
Sojourner and Spirit in the areas such as outer space, underwater, personal and surgery
systems, and Part Four looks into the future of the relationship between humans and robots by
examining future robots such as micro and nano robots.
By Choi Hyunmee
Copyright Agent : Kim Hyun-jee
My Favorite Robot Friend
(Naneun Meotjin Robot Chinguga Jota)
Lee In-sik
God s Win Publishers, Inc.
2009, 232 pages
ISBN 978-89-929-7523-0
56
LTI Korea
The Four Hermit Crab Brothers
Hangilsa
This is a detailed picture book based on the children’s poem “The Four Hermit Crab Brothers”
by Baik Suk (1912-1995), a postmodern poet much loved by Koreans for his folk ballads and
lyrical poems. The book delivers a valuable lesson through a fable that satirizes the human
world.
The four hermit crab brothers live in a small pool of water at the beach. Three of them
complain that they are embarrassed to be hermit crabs because they do not have fancy shells.
In fact, they pretend that they are not hermit crabs: the oldest one wears a turban shell and acts
like a turban shell; the second one pretends to be a navel-shaped shellfish; and the third brother
pretends to be a mud snail. But the youngest one is not embarrassed about being a hermit crab.
Through the youngest hermit crab, who is satisfied with what he has and loves himself with
confidence, the author tells us what true beauty is and how we can find happiness. The lyrical
verses are even more interesting when read out loud. The hermit crabs and other animals are
drawn in detail in pencil and the large eyes and expressions of the four brothers add to the
vivacity of the story.
By Choi Hyunmee
Copyright Agent : Hyejung Lee
www.sonyunhangil.co.kr
The Four Hermit Crab Brothers
(Jipgene Ne Hyeongje)
Baik Suk
Illustrator : Oh Chigeun
Hangilsa Publishing Co., Ltd.
32 pages
ISBN 978-89-920-8972-2
57
A Cartoon Biography of
Ham Seok-heon
Hangilsa
This is a biography of Korea’s representative historian and philo-sophical thinker Ham Seok-heon (1901-1989).
Ham Seok-heon focused on the anti-Japanese movement and national education during Japanese occupation,
actively led the democratization movement under the military dictatorship and developed a unique philosophical
thought based on people and life. Therefore, he cannot be described by one word. He has been called a
philosophical thinker, a civil rights activist, a writer, a religionist as well as a historian, to name a few.
Ham Seok-heon greatly influenced Korean modern history and A Cartoon Biography of Ham Seok-heon depicts
his life based on his books and interviews with his acquaintances. Volume 1 is on Ham’s birth and childhood,
volume 2 deals with his youth to adulthood, from his teaching years at Osan School where he taught national
spirit to students immediately before the outbreak of Korean War when he crossed the border to South Korea, and
volume 3 covers his life and philosophy from after the war to when he passed away at 89 years of age. This multivolume book shows the true character of Ham Seok-heon, the “fighting pacifist” struggling against corruption
and authority under military dictatorship. Also interesting are various anecdotes revealing Ham’s humane side in
which he let his students understand their mistakes rather than reprimanding them. Using the popular genre of
cartoon, the book provides easily accessible yet in-depth under-standing of Ham’s philosophy. The biography of
Ham Seok-heon, who experienced the dark twists and turns of modern Korean history, is not simply about the life
of an individual but also Korean national history of the 20th century.
By Choi Hyunmee
Copyright Agent : Hyejung Lee
www.sonyunhangil.co.kr
A Cartoon Biography of Ham Seok-heon
(Manhwa Ham Seok-heon), 3 vols.
Nam Gi-bo
Hangilsa Publishing Co., Ltd.
2009, 257 pages
ISBN 978-89-356-6132-9
58
LTI Korea
Friend Library
Hankyoreh Children's Books
At the library, you can choose any book you like. But at the friend library, you can choose
your friends. Jingyu, who has just moved to the city and does not have any friends yet, goes to
the friend library to make friends. He takes a train to the library at Yeounae Station; there, he
meets an eccentric, elderly head librarian. Though puzzled by the secret rules of the library,
Jingyu is excited to make friends and enjoys using his call number “562,” instead of his name.
However, even in the library, he still has trouble making friends. All of the children are frantic
to find friends, but the process by which they can become friends has been left out. The story
picks up when Jingyu meets “02,” who follows the head librarian, and “662” who has lost his
friend. The downside to the friend library and its hidden secrets are soon exposed. Who is the
head librarian? Will the children be able to find true friends? This book is an absorbing story
that combines fantasy with the real-life concerns of today’s children. It is an ideal read for
third- and fourth-graders to learn about making friends and welcoming them with open hearts.
By Kim Jung-mi
Copyright Agent : Kim Sung-eun
www.hanibook.co.kr
Friend Library
(Chingu Doseogwan)
Kim Ha-neui
Illustrator : Lee Hyoung-jin
Hankyoreh Children’s Books
2008, 132 pages
ISBN 978-89-8431-291-3
59
The Lion Has Shrunk
Hansol Education
While napping, a lion suddenly becomes as small as a mouse. Without realizing that it has
shrunk in size, the lion tries to cross the brook as usual and falls into it. At the moment of
death, a baby gazelle rescues it. However, realizing that the lion had killed and eaten its
mother, the baby gazelle is enraged. As the gazelle threatens to throw the lion back into the
brook, the scared lion begs for his life. Though the lion tries hard to comfort the gazelle, the
latter only grows sadder and struggles with sadness. The lion, who at first was only concerned
with saving its own life, comes to genuinely understand its fault and, wiping the gazelle’s
tears, makes a heartfelt apology. At that moment, the lion recovers its original form and the
two animals are restored to their respective positions in the food chain.
Through the lion’s actions, the author shows how someone who has caused pain to another
person can be forgiven. In the relationship between a small lion and a relatively large gazelle,
the lion also tries to help the readers to think in another person’s shoes. The vivid, colorful
pictures including those of the splendid grassy plains, the gazelle’s magnificent horns and the
cute lion attract children’s interest. Organized in panels like cartoons, the illustrations render
the story even more vividly than the text.
By Choi Seongkyu
Copyright Agent : Im, Juhee/ Yu, Miae/ Choi, Eunjin
[email protected] +82 2 3279 3836/+82 2 3279 3824
http://eduhansol.co.kr
The Lion Has Shrunk!
(Sajaga Jagajyeosseo!)
Written and illustrated by Jung Sunghoon
Hansol Education Co., Ltd.
2008, 36 pages
ISBN 978-89-5355-443-6
60
LTI Korea
The Man-Made Nest
Hansol Education
This is a picture book on Baron Hans Freiherr von Berlepsch (1857-1933) of Germany who
invented the nest box. A devoted lover of birds, the baron ponders over ways to attract more
birds to his residence. He decides to build nests that birds would find safe enough for settling
down; he finds trees to hang nest boxes, where birds build their nests and lay their eggs. One
year, cotton leaf-roller caterpillars greatly damage the forests of every city except for the one
in the baron’s village. People soon learn that the village’s forest was not harmed because the
birds had eaten all the caterpillars. After this incident, the story of Baron Berlepsch and his
nest boxes spreads throughout the world and countries in Europe and the U.S. rush to install
nest boxes in their forests. Through the story of the nest box, the book talks about the
important value of life. Included in the appendix are instructions on nest boxes in various
shapes and materials and the nest box development figures so that readers can try constructing
their own. Illustrator Yi Seung Won won the special prize at the 2001 Korea Illustrator
Association Competition and was selected as the Illustrator of the Year at Bologna Children’s
Book Fair 2006. His outstanding talent once again shines through in this book.
By Choi Hyunmee
[email protected] +82 2 3279 3836/+82 2 3279 3824
The Man-Made Nest
(Dungji Sangja)
Kim Hwang
Illustrator : Yi Seungwon
2009, 40 pages
ISBN 978-89-535-6105-2
61
Visiting Dentist
Hansol Education
Why are children afraid of going to the dentist? Children’s story writer Shin Soonjae thinks it
is because they do not really understand what goes on at the dentist. He believes that a
thorough explanation on dentistry treatments and procedures can help children overcome their
undefined anxiety and fear of going to the dentist. Despite her rotten tooth, Minji is afraid to
go to the dentist, and her older brother is making things worse. According to him, children are
tied to the chair so that they cannot move and a big, scary doctor sticks huge tongs into their
mouths to pull out the rotten tooth. Though she finally goes to the dentist, Minji is very scared.
To reassure her, the dentist kindly explains the entire procedure; he shows her the mirror he
uses to examine the teeth, the hook that checks whether the tooth is rotten and the umbrella for
the mouth that keeps the patient from swallowing. Furthermore, he uses humorous expressions
like “spraying water like a fire engine” or “cleaning the poo left behind by the rotten tooth
bug.” Minji comes to understand why her teeth hurt and how they can be treated. No longer
scared, she feels grateful that visits to the dentist help keep her teeth healthy.
By Choi Hyunmee
[email protected] +82 2 3279 3836/+82 2 3279 3824
Visiting Dentist
(Chigwae Gasseoyo)
Shin Soonjae
Illustrator : Kim Namgyoon
2009, 44 pages
ISBN 978-89-5356-313-1
62
LTI Korea
Dictionary of Beautiful Words
Overview
Dictionary of Beautiful Words is a book that helps children learn and reflect on difficult concepts by themselves.
Children can read and thinkabout the concepts presented using examples from everyday life to develop their sense
of right and wrong. In addition, they can begin to conceptualize the meaning of justice and fairness as well as their
sense of priorities in life with the help of this book.
Hanulim
About the Author : Chae Inseon
She was born in Hambaek, Gwangwon-do in 1962 and studied French Literature at Sungkyunkwan University.
Her story, Telephone Pole Man(Jeonbotdae Ajeossi), won the first place in the Children’s Book Contest held by
Changbi Publishers in 1996. Her books include My Best Friend Choe Yeong-dae (Nae Jjakkkung Choeyeongdae),
The Reason Why His Lizard Started Knitting (Geu Domabaem Chinguga Tteugaejireul Hage Doen Sayeon), My
Bicycle Travels With My Uncle (Samchongwa Hamkke Jajeongeo Yeohaeng), and Seven Reasons Why Santa
Won’t Come To My House (Santa Harabeojiga Uri Jibe Mot Osin Ilgop Gaji Iyu), among others.
About the Illustrator : Kim Eunjeoung
Born in Yeosu, Jeollanam-do in 1970, Kim received both her B.A. and M.A. in Oriental Painting at Kyungwon
University and studied illustrationat Hankyoreh School of Illustration. Her illustrated books include Ah! This Is
Our History (A! Geureokuna, Uri Yeoksa), One Drop of Inky Water on My Finger (Songarage Jalmot Tteoreojin
Meongmul Hanbangul), Sister Camellia (Dongbaekkkot Nunim), Our Eternal Promise Made Under the
Moonlight (Dalbit Arae Maejeun Yaksok Byeonchi Anara), and Blue and Long Hair Dog (Pureun Gae Jangbal).
Sample Translation
What is fairness?
It is to love cats and dogs equally. It is to remember to feed my cat when I feed my dog. (p. 20)
What is trust?
It is knowing that when my mother scolds me, it is not because she doesn’t like me. (p. 34)
What is consideration?
I want to watch TV but my brother is reading a book. Then I should ask him before turning on the TV, Is it okay
to turn on the TV? A cartoon I like will be on soon.” (p. 37)
What is achievement?
It is the feeling I get when I see new buds on the peach tree that I planted and took care of. (p. 42)
What is conscience?
It is not copying someone else’s homework. It is also not copying someone else’s hard work and pretending it to
be mine.
What is understanding?
When I eat something very delicious, I should not eat all of it but remember to leave some for my brother. (p. 86)
What is self-confidence?
It is my smile. It is the idea that I can protect myself. It is the encouragement and compliment that I give myself
everyday.
Copyright Agent : Lee Eun-young
www.inbumo.com
Dictionary of Beautiful Words
(Areumdaun Gachisajeon)
Chae Inseon
Illustrator : Kim Eunjeoung
Hanulim Publishing
2005, 128 pages
ISBN 978-89-955162-8-7
63
I Wish I Had Been Born in ‘the Elephant’s
Year’
Hanuribooks
This is a children’s picture book that explains the 12 Chinese zodiac signs and the process of
accepting and loving oneself. The main character, who was born in the year of the sheep, is
unhappy with his sign because he thinks that the sheep is slow and untalented. Although he
opts to choose the big and strong elephant as his zodiac sign, he learns that he cannot change
the sign since it is determined by the year of his birth. Sulking, he declares that any animal
other than the elephant is trivial; then each of the twelve zodiac animals appears in turn.
Playing with the main character at the playground, they boast their importance and value. In
this process, the main character comes to understand that each animal, firmly rooted in Korean
culture, has a unique role. After having fun with the zodiac animals, he comes to embrace the
fact that he was born in the year of the sheep. Author Kim Hae-won has won an award for
children’s fiction given by a broadcasting company as well as a children’s literature award
from a publishing company. She has been active in children’s fiction and non-fiction.
By Choi Hyunmee
Copyright Agent : Lee Eonjung
www.hanuribook.co.kr
I Wish I Had Been Born in
the Elephant’s Year
(Kokkiritti Hallaeyo)
Kim Hae-won
Illustrator : Kim Younghee
Hanuribooks
2009, 32 pages
ISBN 978-89-93260-21-2
64
LTI Korea
The Family That Protects the Earth
Hollym
The Family That Protects the Earth is a new book on the environment by Kim Bada, who has
shown continued interest in environmental issues. The main character Geunseok is
uncomfortable with his parents’ special interest in the environment and finds it difficult to
understand. One day, Geunseok has a car accident and loses consciousness. When he wakes
up, he realizes that he is in Jijiguk, a place of holding between this world and the other world.
Jijiguk is where those who polluted the world during their lifetime have to pick up trash and
purify contaminated water. The king of Jijiguk compliments Geunseok’s parents for their work
on the environment, assigns Geunseok the task of protecting the earth and returns him home.
After he wakes up, Geunseok opens his own online cafe called “Jiji Family” and runs for
school president on the platform of protecting the environment. The book shows how to make
a solar-powered cooker and introduces the carbon tree calculator, which shows how a person’s
lifestyle can influence the environment. Kim attempts to help children understand the
seriousness of environmental issues and encourages them to volunteer environmental
protection activities. The illustrations are light-hearted and pleasant, similar to the style of
comics.
By Choi Huynmee
Copyright Agent : Shin Yusoon
www.hollym.co.kr
The Family That Protects the Earth
(Jigureul Jikineun Gajok)
Kim Bada
Illustrator : Yang Euna
HOLLYM Corp., Publishers
2009, 184 pages
ISBN 978-89-7094-577-4
65
Why Are You Copying Me?
Houyhnhnm
Minji is troubled by a drooling monster that follows her all day long and interferes with
everything she does. He ruins her art homework and her friends laugh at her because he has
smeared it with smelly poo. It is not surprising that Minji cries out “I won’t bother with him
anymore!” However, the drooling monster never leaves Minji’s side. Instead, he simply smiles
and imitates everything Minji does. When the readers’ curiosity reaches its peak concerning
the identity of this monster, they turn the page to have an “a-ha” moment, as they learn that the
monster is in fact Minji’s little brother. When she sees that he imitates her even she is being
punished, she cannot but smile at her baby brother. This picture book is a wonderful portrayal
of children who quarrel and make up many times a day. While the story features a “monster”
that drools, ruins homework and poos everywhere, but fundamentally it is about an endearing
younger brother who wants to be like his older sister. One cannot help but be amused by the
authors’ drawings full of lively imagination. This book is part of A World of Shared Values
series that promotes important values. It is ideal for the lower-grade children with younger
siblings or toddlers with older siblings.
By Kim Jung-mi
Copyright Agent : miho_Lee/Hanbyul_ Baek
[email protected]/[email protected] +82 2 3475 3924~5
http://cafe.naver.com/h2n
Why Are You Copying Me?
(Wae Naman Ttarahae?)
Koh Yeoju, We Hyejeong
Houyhnhnm
2008, 36 pages
ISBN 978-89-3784-889-6
66
LTI Korea
The Weight of Lies
Houyhnhnm
Every child can relate to the story of this book. Through the main character Sera who lies even
though she knows that lying is bad, children will be able to look back on their experiences of
lying. Sera is a new student at Minji’s school. Hoping to make new friends, she lies that she
received a talking doll as a gift on Children’s Day. Wanting to see the talking doll, other
students ask her to bring the doll to school. To cover up her previous lie, she lies once again
that she could not bring the doll because she spent too much time deciding what to wear from
her large number of clothes. Lies only breed even more lies. However, her friends believe her
and all go to her house to see the doll. Surprisingly though, Sera’s lies have all come true! She
now begins to find it fun and fabricates even bigger lies. However, Sera comes close to being
found out and has to lie with all her might in order to hide her lies. At the end, she finally
musters up the courage to confess to her friends that she has been lying all along. Although
most of Sera’s friends are disappointed and upset with her, Minji continues to support her.
Sera learns that lying is truly terrible and that she can make good friends without lying.
Cheerful illustrations that seem to reflect children’s lively minds will likely entice the book’s
young readers.
By Choi Hyunmee
Copyright Agent : miho_Lee/Hanbyul_ Baek
[email protected]/[email protected] +82 2 3475 3924~5
http://cafe.naver.com/h2n
The Weight of Lies
(Geojinmareun Mugeowo)
Yu Gyeyoung
Houyhnhnm
2009, 36 pages
ISBN 978-89-3784-933-6
67
A Lone Slipper
Hyeonamsa
A Lone Slipper is a children’s book on the environment and ecology that talks about the
importance of things in today’s world where everyday goods such as soda cans and bottles,
discarded pencils and paper that are almost as good as new and disposable goods are often
thrown away. It goes on to suggest that making the most of resources by recycling and
preserving the environment can save and protect the earth. The author took one of the short
stories from his previous book Pleas from an Earthworm in the Backyard (Dwitttureu
Ireongjiui Hasoyeon), a children’s story about 18 ways in which a twelve-year-old can help
save the earth, and turned it into an environment and ecology series for children. In 1996, for
its role in raising public awareness of environmental issues, the UN awarded the story the
Global 500 Youth Environment Award, given to youths who work hard to protect the
environment. This story criticizes today’s wasteful reality and shows ways to reduce and
recycle daily waste to achieve green growth.
By Choi Hyunmee
Copyright Agent : Cho Eun-mi
www.hyeonamsa.com
A Lone Slipper
(Jjak Ireun Sillaehwa)
Lee Wan
Illustrator : Song Kyosung
Hyeonamsa Publishing Co., Ltd.
2009, 48 pages
ISBN 978-89-323-7252-5
68
LTI Korea
Ttoya and the Tricycle
Hyoreewon
This illustrated book helps children understand the meaning of ownership, i.e. what is mine
and what is not. It is written by the late Kwon Jeong-saeng whose works are much loved by
children and adults alike. The baby raccoon Ttoya secretly rides his friend Ppoya’s tricycle
back home. He has very much wanted his own tricycle and he could not resist the temptation
when he saw one left by itself at the playground. As he was simply happy to have a tricycle, he
was not so concerned with the fact that it did not belong to him. This is because Ttoya is a
baby raccoon that does not really grasp what belongs to him and what does not. His mother
and father gather their wisdom to help Ttoya realize his mistake by himself; they secretly leave
Ttoya’s favorite teddy bear Gulttaengi at Ppoya’s house. The owners of the tricycle and
Gulttaengi have been swapped as a result. After losing Gulttaengi, Ttoya finally understands
why his friend Ppoya has been sad over losing his tricycle. Ttoya returns the tricycle to Ppoya
and hugs Gulttaengi tightly. Kwon brings to light the wise parents who make Ttoya learn from
his mistake through kindness and love rather than admonishment. This book is ideal for lowergrade children who value not only their own things but also those of their friends.
By Kim Jungmi
Copyright Agent : Choi Wonmi
www.hyoreewon.com
Ttoya and the Tricycle
(Ttoyawa Sebal Jajeongeo)
Kwon Jeong-saeng
Illustrator : Park Johan
Hyoreewon
2008, 45 pages
ISBN 978-89-8339-912-0
69
I
J
K
L
M
Izzle Books
Iandbook
I-seum
Jaimimage
Jakkajungsin
Jakeunchaekbang
Jigyungsa
Jangsoohanulso
Joongang M&B
Kookmin Books
Little Mountain
LITTLE ONE AHyun
Maeng & Aeng
Marubol
Mirae Media & Books
Miseghy Children’s
Moonji
Munhakdongne
I Don’t Mind Being Short
Iandbook
This is the story of a child who overcomes his embarrassment of being short and faces the
world bravely. Though Dau is in the third grade, he is shorter than his younger brother who is
a first grader. In addition to being mocked by his friends for his height, he is also stressed by
always having to eat the foods that will help him grow. He even hates going to school because
of his height. Then one day, he makes a new friend named Bak Saei, who has recently moved
to the neighborhood. Though Saei is even shorter than Dau, he is brave when others make fun
of his height. One day, while playing together till nightfall, Dau and Saei find an old man who
is lying unconscious on the hillside. Saei says he will call the ambulance and quickly runs
down the hill. Left alone in the dark with a dying man, Dau is so scared that he is about to cry.
But he stays by the man’s side as he thinks of Saei who believes in him and the two help save
the man’s life. Proud of their great feat, Dau is now able to shrug it off when his friends call
him a “shorty.” Everyone has a weak point and this book tells the story of children who
overcome their shortcomings and face the world confidently. The story is supplemented with
lively illustrations that capture children’s expressions well.
By Choi Hyunmee
Copyright Agent : Woo Ahnsook
I Don t Mind Being Short
(Kiga Jagado Gwaenchana)
Yoo Hyojin
Illustrator : Ji Young
Iandbook
2009, 124 pages
ISBN 978-89-9283-032-4
72
LTI Korea
Treasure Hunting in South Africa
This is the 24th volume of the Treasure Hunting series, a children’s comic book, in which the main
character Ji Pangi-a boy full of curiosity-goes on adventures with his uncle Dr. Ji Gubon and gains
knowledge on the history, culture and society of the countries of the world. The latest volume is set
in the Republic of South Africa, the host of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Dr. Ji arrives in Johannesburg, South Africa with his nephew Pangi for his research on
Australopithecus and meets his university friend Dr. Gary, a film producer. Dr. Gary, who is there to
direct the opening ceremony, asks Dr. Ji to find the rainbow diamond that will be used as the symbol
of South Africa in the ceremony. When Dr. Ji refuses, Pangi sets off to find it with the doctor’s
assistant and their adventure reveals the tragic history, culture, nature, and world heritage of South
Africa.
I-seum
The edutainment comic that combines educational content with entertainment has a significant share of
the children’s book market in Korea. One of the leaders in this genre, the Treasure Hunting series has
remained popular since the publication of the first book Treasure Hunting in Iraq in 2003. Gomdori co.,
a group of writers specializing in stories about children, has proven its ability through the Treasure
Hunting series and another edutainment comic series called Tomorrow’s Experiment King.
By Choi Hyunmee
Copyright Agent : Moon Young
www.i-seum.com
Treasure Hunting in South Africa
(Namagongeseo Bomul Chatgi)
Gomdori co.
Illustrator : Kang Gyung-Hyo
I-seum
2010, 208 pages
ISBN 978-89-3784-812-4
73
Escape from Insect World Vol.1-3
I-seum
Comic Survival Science Series is an edutainment cartoon series and the most well-known publication
from the publisher I-Seum. Through the adventures of the main characters who find themselves in
extreme situations, children will be able to learn various skills to survive in such circumstances, in
addition to gaining knowledge in natural sciences. In particular, Escape from Insect World (Gonchung
Segyeeseo Saranamgi) series has been loved steadily by elementary school students since its
publication because it features children who solve the problems they encounter on their own.
Insects have been around since before the Palaeozoic era. Their numbers and species are uncountable
and they have evolved in a way that allows them to live anywhere on the planet. Such characteristics
of insects and knowledge on ecology are told by the main characters, who have become smaller than
insects, in the stories of their adventures. The book provides explanations for common knowledge
about insects such as the way to distinguish insects from worms, the reason the spider is not an
insect, the secret behind insects’‚ amazing powers, and the difference between butterflies and moths.
Also, information on insects, such as ants, dung beetles, fireflies, and ant lions, is accompanied by
dozens of vivid pictures.
The series tries to help the children learn better by providing diverse scientific knowledge, which can
be used to solve the problems arising in extreme situations. Following the dangerous adventures of
the main characters, children will also be able to learn cooperation and courage.
By Choi Seongkyu
Copyright Agent : Moon Young
[email protected] +82 3475 3921
www.i-seum.com
Escape from Insect World
(Gonchung Segyeeseo Saranamgi), Vol.1-3
Comic Com
Illustrator : Lee Tae-ho
I-seum
2005, 208 pages
ISBN 978-89-378-4051-7
74
LTI Korea
Happy Grandfather
I-seum
This picture book portrays the life of Chae Gyu-cheol (1937-2006), a social educationalist who
founded the Korean Organ and Tissue Donor Program and Dumalli Nature School, the first
alternative school in Korea. Chae’s life was guided by his motto, “Children are the world.” His
entire body was burned in a car accident in 1968 for which he received more than 30
operations. Hair was planted where his eyebrow used to be and skin from another part of his
body was used to form eyelids and lips while an artificial eye was placed in his right eye
socket. Though it was a miracle that he survived the accident, his deformities made him look
like a monster. He thought about killing himself when he was met with the cold shoulder from
people. However, after deciding that he was the master of his own life, he overcame severe
hardships and restarted his life. He became involved in various social programs that included
helping the handicapped, building libraries for children and founding the Dumalli alternative
school. Though he was called Grandpa ET, which meant that he was an “once-burnt” (imi
tabeorin) person, he lived a more beautiful and meaningful life than anyone else. This book
begins as the children visitors to the nature school are shocked to meet the ugly Grandpa ET
for the first time. However, they soon learn how the grandpa’s face came to be so distorted and
how he had been able to overcome his pain and create happiness. Immersed in nature, they
open their hearts to Grandpa ET and listen to his stories of sharing his life with others and
generating hope in the midst of despair.
By Choi Hyunmee
Copyright Agent : Park Chuljoo
www.i-seum.com
Happy Grandfather
(Haengbokhan Iti Harabeoji)
Park Sunwook
I-Seum
2008, 48 pages
ISBN 978-89-378-4446-1
75
Bridges: Linking People and the World
These days we can easily travel wherever we want at any time, but by the same token, our
interest and delight in meeting new worlds have diminished. Bridges: Linking People and the
World describes in detail the origins, changes, and historical significance of bridges. However,
it is far more than simply a factual account.
I-seum
When primitive man came across water in his path, he either had to swim across or go the long
way round. And so he built the first bridge. Crossing that bridge, he visited the neighboring
village for the first time, and was perhaps delighted to find a pretty girl there! It all started by
tossing a few stones into a stream, but “necessity is the mother of invention,” and if we
consider the continuous development of bridges right up until the present day-wood bridges,
stone bridges, submerged bridges that can withstand floods, iron railway bridges, even
ultramodern bridges that join islands to the mainland-we are quite moved to realize how many
stories lie hidden beneath the convenience we take so much for granted today. The will of
human beings who were determined to cross their allotted boundaries of time and space led to
the creation of bridges, and bridges linked people to the world, giving birth to today’s
civilization. Humans will continue to build bridges. In the future, maybe there will be a bridge
that links the Earth to the moon. It is also fascinating to note that there are bridges that are
virtually identical, as if they were twins, in countries distant from each other.
Various bridges from past and present are depicted in detailed photographs, while the people
building and crossing the bridges are illustrated in a folksy cartoon style, adding to the reader’s
feeling of involvement.
By Park Suk-kyoung
Copyright Agent : Kim Hee Sun
www.i-seum.com
Bridges: Linking People and the World
(Saramgwa Sesangeul Inneun Dari)
Kim Hyang-geum
Illustrator : Lee Kyung-guk
I-seum
2010, 41 page
ISBN 978-89-378-4550-5
76
LTI Korea
Dinosaurs 100 Picture Book
Izzle Books
Dinosaurs 100 Picture Book contains big poster-size illustrations of 100 dinosaurs that
prospered in different periods. Using computer graphics the physical and behavioral
characteristics of each dinosaur and the environmental setting of each period are depicted in
great detail. The dinosaur’s classification, dietary habits, period of existence, indigenous
habitat, and body weight and length are provided neatly in an information box next to the
interesting descriptions of each dinosaur. Though it is often difficult to give descriptions of
dinosaurs in illustrated books, this book has been compiled in a friendly, enjoyable way for
children. Explaining the etymology of each dinosaur’s zoological name is part of such effort.
For example, Galimimus is defined as “a dinosaur that looks like a chicken.” A more
interesting description follows: “It looks like an ostrich without feathers. Galimimus is a fast
runner because running away is the best way to ensure its survival without sharp teeth or
claws.” Descriptions such as “it weighs the same as 125 people put together” or “it runs at a
similar speed as a fast car” are used to facilitate children’s understanding. The illustrator
DNS05, responsible for the pictures and graphics of this book, is a company that reconstructs
dinosaurs and extinct organisms through either detailed paintings or graphics based on the
available analytical data on various fossils including dinosaurs.
By Choi Hyunmee
Copyright Agent : Park Jae-young
www.izzlebooks.com
Dinosaurs 100 Picture Book
(Gongnyong Hwabo 100)
Illustrator : DNS05
Editor: Lee Yungnam
Compiled by: Joo Sung Hee
Izzle Books
2005, 105 pages
ISBN 978-89-378-5445-3
77
SOS Science Investigation:
Save the Gold-spotted Pond Frog!
Izzle Books
SOS Science Investigation, consisting of an eccentric inventor uncle, a young troublemaker
called Taeyang and his smart cousin Byeori go on an adventure, packed with scientific
knowledge in this entertaining general science book for children. It combines the formats of a
picture book and a cartoon to produce simple yet comical illustrations of the main characters
and their action-filled adventure. Meanwhile, the background scenes are depicted in detail to
deliver accurate scientific information. Having solved various cases in secret, SOS Science
Investigation is now ordered to save the gold-spotted pond frogs on the verge of extinction.
The team members go out to save the gold-spotted pond frogs but their small size and slow
movements, bullfrogs which are the natural enemy of the endangered frogs, and environmental
pollution all make it hard to find them. While following their adventure, children attain
scientific knowledge on the environment, endan-gered animals and the habits of frogs. The
case report at the back of the book includes more in-depth scientific knowledge and
information. Along with Save the Gold-spotted Pond Frog!, the series also includes Find the
Capsule Robot!, in whichthe team explores the sensory organs including the eyes, nose, ears
and mouth, and SOS Science Investigation Goes to the Era of Dinosaurs, which explores
scientific knowledge.
By Choi Hyunmee
Copyright Agent : Park Jae-young
www.izzlebooks.com
SOS Science Investigation: Save the Gold-spotted Pond Frog!
(Gwahak Susadae Geumgaegurireul Guhara)
Yum Seoung-suk
Illustrator : Kim Ryeong-eon
Izzle Books
2009, 45 pages
ISBN 978-89-3785-842-0
78
LTI Korea
The Strongest Rooster in the World
One fine spring day, a male chick is born. This chick is much stronger than other chicks and
grows up to be the strongest rooster in the village. Time passes and the rooster eventually
becomes a grandfather. He is no longer as strong as he used to be and his crowing is not loud
enough to announce the dawn. Now he is not the strongest rooster but rather the biggest
drinker in the village. However, he is proud of his descendents: his healthy grandchildren; his
sons who, though not as good as they were when he was young, are fulfilling their roles in the
world; and his daughters who lay exceptionally many eggs.
Jaimimage
Through the life of a rooster, the writer hopes to let children understand the meaning of being
“the best” as well as the value of family. Lee Hobaek’s story is short but gives the reader much
to ponder and harmonizes well with the fine and witty illustrations by Lee Ukbae. Together
they have created a great illustrated storybook that reflects traditional Korean sentiment. This
book was selected for the Biennial of Illustration Bratislava (BIB) in 1997. In 2001, it was also
chosen as one of the best children’s books published in the past 50 years by the International
Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) in Basel, Switzerland.
By Choi Seongkyu
Copyright Agent : Song Su-yeon
www.jaimimage.com
The Strongest Rooster in the World
(Sesangeseo Jeil Himsen Sutak)
Lee Hobaek
Illustrator : Lee Ukbae
Jaimimage Publishing Co.
1998, 30 pages
ISBN 89-8656-504-8
79
Who?
Jaimimage
This picture book is written by Goh Gyong-sook, who won the Bologna Ragazzi Award in
fiction at the 2006 Bologna Children’s Book Fair. The main character Mimi feels as though
she was abandoned into the universe the minute she was born. She loudly demands, “Who was
it? Who abandoned me?” Upon hearing her voice, the characters as unique as Mimi all come
out saying “it was me!” and admit to having abandoned her. The pianist with two hands on the
keyboard says she gave up Mimi because she was depressed and sad, while the police officer
directing traffic at an intersection says that he was upset at the time because people were not
following the traffic signals. The inventor, because he had a headache; the fat boy, because he
wanted to lose weight; the boy walking the dog, because it was dirty everywhere; and the
fashion designer, because she wanted to make clothes with circles as the theme. However, the
artist who appears at the end says “it wasn’t me” and adds a surprising twist to the situation.
He says the only thing he threw away was a drawing of an angry girl with curly hair. Who
really abandoned Mimi then? The truth remains unrevealed until the very end.
By Choi Hyunmee
Copyright Agent : Song Su-yeon
www.jaimimage.com
Who? (Naya, Na!)
Goh Gyong-sook
Jaimimage Publishing Co.
2009, 30 pages
ISBN 978-89-865-6586-7
80
LTI Korea
But I Can’t Fall Sleep
Children often want to go on playing past their bedtime. This book is about a kitten that
repeatedly says, “I can’t fall sleep.” This kitten does not like folding paper boats, reading
picture books or playing with a ball of yarn. Nor does he want to play with clay or the
alphabet. One day, the mother cat tells the kitten that a guest is coming over. He, like children,
enjoys guests. He washes his face, brushes his teeth and gets ready to greet the guest without
being told what to do. With a creaking sound from the closet, the long-awaited guest arrives.
The guest is Mr. Sleep. The kitten who has been complaining about not feeling sleepy gives a
big yawn as Mr. Sleep settles on his eyelids.
Jakeunchaekbang
The book follows the process in which a wide-eyed kitten begins to yawn and finally falls
asleep. The protagonist kitten with sharp teeth and large eyes are portrayed in a very
affectionate way. In particular, the brilliant and rich colors of the pictures are pleasing to the
eye. The moving conversation between the kitten and his mother, with the refrain “But I can’t
fall sleep,” add to the fun of reading the book. It is a good book to read to children who refuse
to go to bed at night.
By Choi Seongkyu
Copyright Agent : Kim Hyunjoo
But I Can t Fall Sleep
(Geureochiman Naneun Jami An Wa)
Lee Sangkyo
Illustrator : Kweon Hae-young
Jakeunchaekbang
2008, 32 pages
ISBN 978-89-5979-116-3
81
Thank You for This World
Jakkajungsin
This is a coming-of-age story for children by Park Wansuh, one of Korea’s most popular writers. The
main character Kim Bokdong’s mother died in childbirth and his father soon left him with his aunt and
grandmother, who have since raised him. He is currently in the fifth grade. Despite the hardships in his
life, Bokdong is a bright child who is surrounded by love from his grandmother and aunt and the
friendships of his closest friends. During his summer break, Bokdong goes to the US to meet his father.
Hiding the pain he has been suffering since his father abandoned him, Bokdong does not expect
anything from his father. He also feels uncomfortable with his Filipino stepmother and his half-brother
Dennis who holds him in check. Wandering around the house while hoping to return home as soon as
possible, Bokdong finds his father watching Korean TV drama all by himself in the attic, appearing
very lonely. Bokdong embraces him tightly albeit for a short time. When Dr. Brown, a Korean adoptee
to the US, shares a story about his mother, Bokdong thinks that he is “so grateful to have been born into
this world.” Bokdong leaves the US awakened to the reason for existence and the joy of life. The
author’s calm narrative and Han S. Oki’s illustrations add to the pleasure of reading. Han has won
various awards such as the Illustrator of the Year Award from the Bologna Children’s Book Fair, the
New York Society of Illustrators Award and the Korea Children’s Book Award and spent a long time
perfecting her illustrations for this book.
By Choi Hyunmee
Copyright Agent : Park Hyunyee
www.kidsjakka.co.kr
Thank You for This World
(I Sesange Taeeonagil Cham Jalhaetda)
Park Wansuh
Illustrator : Han S. Oki
Jakkajungsin Publising Co.
2009, 160 pages
ISBN 978-89-7288-939-7
82
LTI Korea
Mommy, Do You Have a Boo-boo?
Let Me Kiss It Better
Jangsoohanulso
The author, a book planner and writer who has already published a number of children’s
books, portrays the daily struggles of a young mother in a humorous way. While out on a walk
on the hill next to his apartment complex, Sani falls and rolls all the way down to the foot of
the hill. Mommy starts chasing after Sani but also ends up falling and rolling down the hill.
When his nose starts bleeding, Sani is scared and begins to cry. Not knowing what to do,
Mommy also begins to cry and ends up crying even more loudly than Sani. Sani stops crying
and looks at his mother with concern; he thinks that Mommy is crying because she is badly
injured. After noticing a patch of blood on her knee, he blows gently on her wound. Avoiding
the existing “strong mother-weak child” or “mother as the protector-child as the protected”
relationship, this book shows that a child can feel the mother’s pain and offer care and concern
as well. This book will provide an opportunity for mothers and children to engage in dialogue
and understand each other. The illustrations use watercolors and Indian ink to give the full
impression of an East Asian painting.
By Choi Hyunmee
Copyright Agent : Gil Dohyung
Mommy, Do You Have a Boo-boo? Let Me Kiss It Better
(Eomma, Apa? Naega Ho Haejulge)
Sani s Dad
Illustrator : Kim Homin
Jangsoohanulso
2009, 32 pages
ISBN 978-89-9-628021-7
83
Gotcha!
Jangsoohanulso
This picture book offers interesting explanations on the color change, camouflage and
defensive behavior of animals. In the forest, a chameleon wakes up from a nap hungry. At that
moment, a praying mantis flies over and settles on a leaf toward the end of a tree branch. The
hungry chameleon waits for the chance to catch its prey, but the mantis realizes that it is not
too late to escape. The mantis transforms itself to match the color and simulate the shape of a
leaf. Having missed the mantis, the chameleon also takes on the color of the branch and waits
for the mantis to show itself again. After staying still for a long time, the mantis finally moves,
thinking the chameleon is gone. The chameleon lunges its tongue toward the mantis but the
latter changes its form again, this time resembling Grim Reaper holding a scythe. This
surprises the chameleon and the mantis seizes the opportunity to fly away. In addition to
providing knowledge on animal behavior, this book offers beautiful drawings that portray the
tension between the chameleon and the mantis and their sudden movements and
transformations.
By Choi Hyunmee
Copyright Agent : Gil Dohyung
Gotcha!
(Gamjjokgachi Sogatji?)
Sani s Dad
Illustrator : Yoo Geontaek,
Jangsoohaneulso
2009, 32 pages
ISBN 978-89-9628-022-3
84
LTI Korea
Delicious Magic Beans
Jigyungsa
Mischievous baby monkey Saengi who has been bothering his friends has become a good
monkey thanks to his mother’s wisdom. Saengi does not like to go to the playgroup because he
thinks his friends do not like him. Concerned about Saengi, Mother gives him a big box of
colorful candies and tells Saengi to give them to friends who do not like him. She says that
they are magic candies and those who eat them would like Saengi. On the way to the
playgroup, Saengi gives candies to a rabbit, raccoon, elephant, roe deer, crow, turkey and
donkey. And just like magic, Saengi’s friends do not seem to dislike him anymore. In fact, his
friends have avoided him because he bullies them. Upon discovering the truth, Mother
displays her wisdom by giving roasted beans instead of candy to Saengi. She tells him not to
share beans with friends but eat them whenever Saengi feels like playing mischievous games
on his friends. So, Saengi eats the beans whenever he feels like being mischievous-crunch,
crunch, crunch. Once again, his mother’s advice works perfectly. The next day, Mother gives
him imaginary magic beans. These invisible imaginary beans have the magical power to
connect Saengi to his friends. This book is ideal for toddlers who seek fun with their friends
without magic beans.
By Kim Jung-mi
Copyright Agent : Ro Yoon jeong
Delicious Magic Beans
(Kongal Hana Ododok)
So Jung-ae
Illustrator : Jo Hyunyoung
Jigyungsa Ltd., Publishers
2008, 33 pages
ISBN 978-89-319-2025-3
85
Magic Chair
When he was young, the Grandfather used to be a well-known carpenter who traveled all over
the country to build houses. Today, however, he is an old man with dimming eyes and weak
arms that cannot build anything. Afraid of his grandfather who sits staring into space and
talking to himself, the Grandson plays far away from him. One day, the Grandfather starts
collecting useless pieces of wood from the street and displays his talent by turning them into a
chair. A one-of-a-kind piece, the chair has big wings. It is a magic chair that can go anywhere
in the world.
Jigyungsa
On the magic chair, the Grandson travels to all the places he has wanted to see. With his
grandfather, he flies through shining stars, swims under the sea and climbs the most beautiful
mountain in the world. The book portrays the process whereby the Grandfather and Grandson
open their hearts and become friends. With the extraordinary idea of a chair that can fly, swim
under water and go to the universe, the book kindles children’s imagination. At the same time,
the book describes from the perspective of children the world, which leaves them curious. It
also brings back the valuable meaning of family to children who live in a world where the
rupture between generations is becoming increasingly serious.
By Choi Seongkyu
Copyright Agent : Ro Yoon jeong
Magic Chair
(Singihan Uija)
Lee Mi-ae
Illustrator : Lee Joohyun
Jigyungsa Ltd., Publishers
2008, 33 pages
ISBN 978-89-3192-026-0
86
LTI Korea
Dinosaurs Are Beautiful
Joongang M&B
The dinosaurs that lived on Korean peninsula are recreated beautifully and in detail using
computer graphics in this children’s picture book, which is based on the EBS nature
documentary “Dinosaurs on Korean Peninsula” that won the Grand Prix in the 2009 Korean
Broadcasting Commission Awards. Rather than transferring the documentary directly into
book form, Hong Ji-yun, an oriental painter, created an art book with completely different
drawings of dinosaurs using Indian ink and soft brush strokes. The omissions, the blank space
and soft brush strokes that characterize East Asian paintings bring out the special attributes of
dinosaurs. Hong’s drawings are completely different from those found in existing children’s
dinosaur books, which tend to focus on accurate depictions. This book will leave children
wanting to mimic Hong’s style in their own drawings. Also, the narrative does not portray an
animal world where only the strongest survive and dinosaurs fight and consume one another.
Rather, it tells a beautiful story of dinosaur friends that grow up together. 80 million years ago,
the dinosaur Tarbosaurus Spotty is born on the Korean peninsula. As they pass each of the four
seasons, Spotty and his friends grow, socialize, love and live together in beautiful, harmonious
surroundings of flowers, trees, oceans and forests. The text is written in rhythmic verses and
creates the impression of singing when the book is read aloud.
By Choi Hyunmee
Copyright Agent : Rachel Ahn
www.joongangbooks.co.kr
Dinosaurs Are Beautiful
(Gongnyongeun Areumdawo)
EBS Dinosaurs of Korean Peninsula
Production Team
Joongang M&B
2009, 104 pages
ISBN 978-89-8375-862-0
87
Who Is in the Mirror?
Kookmin Books
How did people react the first time they saw a mirror? Those who didn’t know that mirrors could reflect
their faces must have asked, “Who’s in the mirror?” This story begins as a charcoal maker sets off to sell
his charcoal at the market. When asked what she wants from the market, his wife points to the half moon
in the sky and says she wants a comb the same shape as the moon. The charcoal maker sells his charcoal
quickly and remembers that his wife had asked for something. At first, he’s troubled because he can’t
remember what it was. However, when he sees the moon in the sky, he realizes what he has to get. What
he doesn’t know though is that, while he’s been away, the half moon has become a full moon. Instead of
buying a half-moon-shaped comb, he buys a mirror that looks exactly like a full moon. When he returns
home with the mirror, everyone responds to this magical object in a different way. His wife looks into it
to discover a mysterious woman inside, but when he takes a look, he sees a strange man looking back at
him. They accuse each other of bringing strangers into their home and start arguing. They show the
mirror to the husband’s parents, but this only makes things worse. They finally decide to ask the
magistrate of the village, but the minute the magistrate looks into the mirror, he runs away thinking that
the reflection in the mirror is the Royal Inspector. The onlookers who have gathered to see the magical
object also run away, afraid that the shapes in the mirror are ghosts. The mirror on the cover of the book
maximizes the fun of reading this book. This book is ideal for bright children over four years who know
that the reflection in the mirror is none other but themselves.
By Kim Jung-mi
Copyright Agent : Lee Young-ae
www.kmbooks.com
Who Is in the Mirror?
(Geoul Soge Nuguyo?)
Cho Kyungsook
Illustrator : Yoon Jeongjoo
Kookmin Books Co., Ltd.
2009, 32 pages
ISBN 978-89-11028-19-1
88
LTI Korea
A Summer Holiday
This picture book portrays love between family members through the story of an elephant family dealing
with the daddy elephant’s snoring. As the zoo goes on its long awaited summer holiday, baby elephants
Kokki and Kori are jealous of their animal friends who boast about going away on vacation. Exhausted by
the fountain show, the most popular event at the zoo, the daddy elephant does nothing but sleep, snoring
loudly. In fact, he snores so hard that the wind gushing out of his nose sends the mommy elephant, Kori and
Kokki up into the sky. They land on the seashore, where they have so yearned to go. Happy to find
themselves there, the baby elephants have a wonderful time. But the more time passes, the more they miss
the daddy elephant and eventually they use the wind from their nostrils to bring their father to the seaside.
Kookmin Books
The daddy elephant reminds us of the fathers who are busy with work during the week and sleep through
the weekend instead of playing with their children. Fathers and children would be able to understand each
other better if they read this book together and discussed the issues raised by the story. Perhaps that is why
the elephant family’s happy holiday in the last scene is both joyful and touching.
Illustrations by Yi Haery, who has been captivating both children and adults through various picture books
like Run and On a Rainy Day, add to the fun of the book. The full-page illustration of a day off at the zoo is
particularly interesting: animals playing the guitar, eating pizza, painting and removing their fur and hanging
it up to dry. Children can try to locate each animal as if they were playing hide-and-seek and laugh aloud at
the various fun activities taking place at the zoo.
By Choi Hyunmee
Copyright Agent : Choi Youngah
www.kmbooks.com
A Summer Holiday
(Yeoreum Hyuga)
Jang Young Bok
Illustrator : Yi Haery
Kookmin Books Co., Ltd.
2010, 40 pages
ISBN 978-89-1102-915-0
89
Mother Pheasant
Little Mountain
Kwon Jeong-saeng (1937-2007) was a best-selling children’s books writer who talked about the
meaning of love through small and insignificant beings suffering in pain. His works Puppy Poo,
which depicts an insignificant little poo’s process of sprouting and blooming into a beautiful flower,
and Sister Mongsil, whose main character lives on courageously despite poverty and hardship in the
aftermath of war, have sold tens of thousand copies.Mother Pheasant is another one of Gwon’s sad
yet beautiful stories. A great fire rages in the mountain. The mother pheasant who has been taking
care of her nine babies escapes the fire at first but comes back for her babies. In the end, she turns
into ashes while protecting the babies under her wings. The babies all survive under their mother
who has burnt to death. Though they grow bigger and older, they gather where they can still smell
their mother to embrace and sleep together. The author said that he often thought of his mother and
her love towards the end of his life; in this book his thoughts have been put into a heartbreaking
story. Cheerful illustrations of vivid colors by Kim Se-hyun, an artist specializing in Oriental
paintings, creates a balance with the tragic and somber story. Though the illustrations are simple,
they reflect superbly the mother pheasant’s lamenting heart as well as her love. At the same time,
they spread powerfully, reflecting the strong force of life that connects the mother and baby
pheasants in Mother Nature.
By Choi Hyunmee
Copyright Agent : Shin Soojin
Mother Pheasant
(Eomma Kkaturi)
Kwon Jeong-saeng
Illustrator : Kim Se-hyun
Little Mountain Publishing Co.
2008, 42 pages
ISBN 978-89-89646-48-8
90
LTI Korea
My Neighbor Mija
Little Mountain
This is a collection of children’s stories that portray with sincerity how poor and lonely people
console each other and live together. Mija, who barely makes ends meet as a day laborer, and a
girl named Seongji, who was left with her relatives after her parents got divorced, rent rooms
in the same house. Mija buys things on credit at the village grocery shop and sometimes
snatches ice cream from the children. Seongji, who is smart and usually nice to everyone,
deems Mija to be a big failure and always finds her irritating. But soon they become friends
despite their age difference. Other characters include: Grandma Sullye who pities Mija; the
villagers who speak ill of Mija but also get curious when they haven’t seen her for a while; and
an older food-cart seller whom Mija secretly loves. The story between Mija and Seongji and
the people who surround them are told in three stories. The first story is titled “Mija’s Gift
Box,” in which Mija, who always lives off the kindness of others, feels a sense of satisfaction
as she shares the present she has received by chance; the others are “Two Frozen Pollack,” in
which Mija and Seongji cause a commotion while preparing a fish stew, and “An Old Fox-Fur
Scarf,” in which Mija wants to appear before the food-cart seller wearing a fox fur scarf while
Seongji talks about fur and animal cruelty. The author made her literary debut in 2004 and has
been recognized for a number of children’s books including Dear Mrs. Astrid Lindgren.
By Choi Hyunmee
Copyright Agent : Shin Soojin
My Neighbor Mija
(Uri Dongne Mijassi)
Yoo Eun-sil
Little Mountain Publishing Co.
2010, 104 pages
ISBN 978-89-8964-660-0
91
Tales
This is part of the Heartwarming Picture Encyclopedia series for children between 3 and 7
years of age. The design and editing teams for children’s books Jaeminan Chaekbo have
collected topics that would be interesting and educational for children in that age group and
explained them in detail in each volume. This series is different from other encyclopedias in
that the descriptions are not information-centered but presented in the form of stories told by
mothers to children. This book also provides the basic concepts and history behind the beloved
children’s stories from all over the world in an easy-to-understand way.
LITTLE ONE AHyun
It tells both old and modern stories of the East and the West, along with why people like
stories and how they are transmitted from generation to generation and spread to other regions.
Also included is a breakdown of the various types of stories such as orally transmitted stories,
written stories, and stories told through performances and songs. To better serve its targeted
audience, the book focuses on the overall concepts that children aged between 3 and 7 can
grasp rather than specific information and knowledge.
By Choi Hyunmee
Copyright Agent : Jeon Jeong Sook
www.ahyunbooks.co.kr
Tales
(Iyagi)
Jaeminan Chaekbo
Illustrator : Chae Hee Jeong
LITTLE ONE AHyun
2010, 32 pages
ISBN 978-89-5878-125-7
92
LTI Korea
Dad, You’re a Jerk!
Maeng & Aeng
The author who worked as an administrative officer in the Blue House Office of Public
Relations during the Roh Moo-hyun’s term gives an honest portrayal of a father estranged
from both his family and work from the child’s point of view. The book is based on his own
experiences as a father after he resigned from the Blue House, and he confesses that his
daughter has called him a jerk. One day, children in the Green Class at Mirunamu
Kindergarten are told to draw their fathers. One child is upset because her parents have gone
on a trip to China without her, while another says that his father is a fart king. Darae, on the
other hand, draws her father’s face very small and exclaims that “My dad is a jerk!” She is
angry at her father who always used to come home late and never came to her kindergarten or
played with her. But Darae’s face soon grows dark, as she whispers that she wishes her father
would return to being a jerk. She explains that he has not been to work in several days; he’s
smoking again and whenever he sees her, he sighs, hugs her and rubs his face against hers.
Through the eyes of thoughtful, concerned children, the author depicts the struggles of their
father, who has become estranged from his family because of his demanding work but
nevertheless ends up losing his job. Divided into several frames on each page, the illustrations
tell various interesting stories at once.
By Choi Hyunmee
Copyright Agent : Jeong Maengseop
Dad, You re a Jerk!
(Appaneun Nappeun Nyeoseogiya)
Baek Seung-kwon
Illustrator : Park Jae-hyun
Maeng & Aeng
2009, 30 pages
ISBN 978-89-9628-800-8
93
Korean Medicine, Science of Balance
Marubol
Having studied Oriental medicine at university and currently working as a professor in the
same field, the author explains Oriental medicine in this children’s picture book. On the first
page, a child asks her mother, “Mommy, what does a doctor in Oriental medicine do?” The
mother answers by comparing Oriental and Western medicine: a Western medicine doctor
would diagnose the patient’s condition using a stethoscope and prescribe an injection as part of
the treatment, whereas an Oriental medicine doctor would check the pulse and use acupuncture
or moxibustion to treat the patient. Also, while Western medicine dispenses the same
prescription and treatment to all patients with similar illnesses such as a cold or stomachache,
Oriental medicine treats each patient differently according to his or her physical constitution.
The child then asks about yin, yang and the Five Elements that form the basis of Oriental
medicine. The mother explains that the concept of “yin-yang” refers to development and
change of things and the concept of “Five Elements” began with the idea that all things have
been created based on the attributes of five objects that are easily found around us. The book
uses pictures to make such explanations easier for children and in doing so, also presents the
Eastern worldview, which aims to help people live in and with nature.
By Choi Hyunmee
Copyright Agent : Lee So-dam
www.marubol.co.kr
Korean Medicine, Science of Balance
(Johwawa Gyunhyeongui Uri Hanuihak)
Song Mi-yeon
Illustrator : Jeong Kyoung-sim
Marubol Publications
2009, 40 pages
ISBN 978-89-566-3289-6
94
LTI Korea
Touching Tales of Scary Tigers
This picture book’s impressive illustrations of tigers capture children’s attention. The comical
illustrations of tigers, in a style reminiscent of Korean traditional folk paintings, help them
become more accessible for children. Touching Tales of Scary Tigers (Museoun Horangideurui
Gaseum Jjinghan Iyagi) is a selection of eight unique folktales that are related to tigers. Each
story depicts a different tiger: a dutiful one devoted to its parents, a foolish one, a magical one
and a comical one. Reading about tigers that are better at keeping promises and more devoted
to their parents than humans, children begin to reflect on their own behaviors.
Mirae Media & Books
Baek Dae-seung, who studied animation, has recreated tigers to suit the characteristics of each
story. The results include an ordinary one with black stripes on light brown, one with blue fur
and even one expressed in geometrical shapes. In addition, the movements and expressions of
each tiger are vivid and detailed. The colloquial style of storytelling, as if the story were told
by one’s grandmother, makes the book a more interesting read. It is a picture book designed
for children of all ages, from infants to elementary school children.
By Choi Seongkyu
Copyright Agent : Lee Doyoung
www.miraei.com
Touching Tales of Scary Tigers
(Museoun Horangideurui Gaseum Jjinghan Iyagi)
Lee Mi-ae
Illustrator : Baik Dae-seoung
Mirae Media & Books Co.
2008, 112 pages
ISBN 978-89-8394466-5
95
I’m an Extra Terrestrial!
There is a red-haired boy with a face full of spite and mischief. The main character Hwan
cannot play soccer as well as his friends and hates amusement parks. He is often scolded by his
mother for getting the easy answers wrong on the test. However, Hwan is never discouraged.
In fact, he thinks that people on earth cannot understand him because he is an alien. He
strongly believes that his spiky hair is an antenna that communicates with his home planet
Skolomttiru and that he can convert static electricity into super energy. It is therefore not
surprising that his reality is always difficult and full of obstacles for Hwan. One day, Hwan
finally succeeds in communicating with a dolphin and begins thinking seriously about global
warming. From a mischievous boy, Hwan transforms into a protector of the earth and leads
efforts to save the earth from global warming.
Mirae Media & Books
Through Hwan, the story talks about children who face difficulties in their lives and heals
them with laughter. The young readers will be able to sympathize with the mischievous
protagonist who resembles them and derive satisfaction from his story. This book will also
help develop the imagination of children with quirky minds.
By Choi Seongkyu
www.miraei.com
I m an Extra Terrestrial!
(Nan Oegyeiniya)
Kim Jin-wan
Illustrator : Park Chan-u
2008, 36 pages
ISBN 978-89-8394-473-3
96
LTI Korea
Mom’s Apology
Mirae Media & Books
“Mommy’s sorry” are the mother tern’s parting words for her babies that she mouths to
herself. That she could not utter these words to anyone makes this picture book all the sadder
for the readers. In pursuit of reckless development, humans remove sand from the estuary
where little terns lay their eggs and build homes. Humans care only about building skyscrapers
and do not seem to notice the terns. Though their nests in the sand are dug up during
construction, the terns still have to lay their eggs there, for they are helpless against humans.
The summer rainy spell begins and it rains ceaselessly. The eggs, which were laid at a much
lower level than before, have all been submerged in water, and newborn terns do not know
what to do in the rapidly rising water. The fierce river roars, ready to swallow everything. The
mother tern desperately carries her babies onto a wooden plank and pushes it to the safe shore
away from strong currents. She is wounded and so exhausted that she cannot even move. As
she sits, the plank drifts away and the water sweeps over the babies in an instant. When the
rain stops, the mother tern is left all alone. This book warns against the destruction of
environment caused by reckless development. It is ideal for lower-grade elementary school
students who understand the value of life.
By Kim Jung-mi
www.miraei.com
Mom s Apology
(Eommaga Mianhae)
Lee Chul-whan
Illustrator : Kim Hyung-geun
2008, 33 pages
ISBN 978-89-8394-477-1
97
Black Tears, Petroleum
This is a book on general knowledge that explains everything about oil. It is the first book of
the Mirae Idea Generator series, which approaches each topic from every possible perspective
such as politics, society, economics, culture and history in order to provide a comprehensive
understanding on the topic.
Mirae Media & Books
Beginning with a scientific and encyclopedic explanation on oil, which has made technological
revolution possible and brightened our daily life, the book examines where petroleum comes
from, how it is used and how it impacts the environment. The book also explains why wars
and terrorist activities continue in oil-producing regions by looking at international politics and
the dynamic relationships that have surrounded oil from the First and Second World Wars to
the war in Iraq. It also gives a detailed account of the issues of global warming and alternative
energy. The author used to work in a financial organization as a derivatives dealer but has
since changed his career to write diverse children’s books. Winner of the New Illustrator’s
Award given by the Korea Publishing Illustration Association, the illustrator was also chosen
as the Illustrator of the Year at the 2008 Bologna Children’s Book Fair.
By Choi Hyunmee
www.miraei.com
Black Tears, Petroleum
(Geomeun Nunmul Seogyu)
Kim Sungho
Illustrator : Lee Kyoungkook
2009, 170 pages
ISBN 978-89-8394-551-8
98
LTI Korea
My Brother Is A Gorilla
Miseghy Children's
This picture book begins with, “My brother is a gorilla. He’s an unstoppable troublemaker.” It
is a sweet portrayal of a girl who is upset by her younger brother. The main character is the
center of her parents’ love until her brother is born and then conflicts ensue. She has a hard
time loving her younger brother who always causes trouble and makes a mess of the house. In
her eyes, he is a gorilla completely different from humans. What she finds even more puzzling
is that her parents have no idea that he is a gorilla. Then one day, after the younger brother
breaks her doll, she voices the words that she has been hiding deep inside her heart, “Mom,
throw out that gorilla!” As a result of the sister-brother conflict, the gorilla is sent away to a
faraway jungle. Once the situation changes, the main character sees her brother in a new light.
Now that her heart has been healed and she has accepted her brother, she says, “I will forgive
him this once. After all, he’s my brother.” The author, who works as a picture book illustrator
and a children’s book designer, made the main character and main objects more prominent by
using oil painting or collage techniques, while leaving the background simple and
monochromatic. Such diverse illustrations attract the children’s attention.
By Choi Hyunmee
Copyright Agent : Kim Yanghee
www.miseghy.com
My Brother Is A Gorilla
(Nae Dongsaengeun Gorillaimnida)
Bang Jungwha
Miseghy Children’s Press
2009, 40 pages
ISBN 978-89-8071-250-2
99
Geeting Blossoms
Miseghy Children's
This is a picture poetry book on flowers produced by the poet Kim Mi-hye and the artist Lee
Hae-kyung, who specializes in Asian paintings. Kim’s poems on 18 flowers including globe
amaranths, azaleas, pear flowers, camellias and acacias have been illustrated by Lee. The poet
views flowers as life, talks to them and expresses her thoughts on life and nature with clarity.
She asks the amaranths to cover their ears in order to avoid the father’s teasing and asks the
rain to come down gently so that the pear blossoms can hang on a little longer. She tips the
bees to hide inside bellflowers. The poet also worries that she might get caught for stealing
some of the neighbor’s forsythia flowers and her heart melts immediately when she sees a
layer of camellias blanketing the ground. The drawings place the flowers in a beautiful
composition using the elaborate style of Asian painting. In order to bring out the best of
flowers and poetry, each painting employs a unique composition, color and atmosphere. For
example, the red camellias are shown in a close-up painting to show off their intensity and
elegance, while the yellow evening primroses are integrated into the moonlight scenery. White
pear blossoms create a comforting atmosphere against a yellow-green background. The
paintings alone make this book a pure joy to read.
By Choi Hyunmee
www.miseghy.com
Greeting Blossoms
(Kkot Majung)
Kim Mi-hye
Illustrator : Lee Hae-kyung
2010, 48 pages
ISBN 978-89-8071-257-1
100
LTI Korea
Fighting Monster Ppulddak
By Choi Hyunmee
www.miseghy.com
Fighting Monster Ppulddak
(Ssaum Goemul Ppulddak)
Lim Jeong Ja
Illustrator : Kim You-dae
2010, 104 pages
ISBN 978-89-8071-259-5
101
Miseghy Children's
This is a new children’s story by Lim Jeong Ja who has been writing realistic fantasy tales that
are a cross between reality and fantasy that deal with common everyday concerns of children.
Written for lower-grade elementary school students, this book also takes on children’s
concerns and uses elements of fantasy to unfold the story. Angry at adults who do not
understand him and scold him harshly for a single mistake, Dongsu draws a man-eating
monster wishing that everyone would disappear. To his surprise, Ppulddak, the monster in the
drawing, suddenly materializes in front of him. Ppulddak calls Dongsu “Master” and punishes
those who have made Dongsu angry. Though it listens to Dongsu at first, Ppulddak becomes
more and more violent and changes into a scary monster and turns the city upside down. How
can Ppulddak be stopped? Finally, Dongsu faces Ppulddak, who represents the core of the
anger in his heart, embraces it and pacifies it. Through the story of Ppulddak, a symbol of
Dongsu’s increasingly violent anger, the author cautions the reader that such anger should be
understood and controlled.
White Umbrella
Ha Baragi is a sixth grader in elementary school who is unhappy because he is too tall.
Dajeong is a girl who can only move around in a wheelchair due to problems in her leg. She is
seated next to Baragi when she transfers to his school. However, Dajeong, who needs help
even when she goes a short distance, puts Baragi ill at ease and she, too, feels uncomfortable
because she knows she makes him uncomfortable. But the two gradually become closer as
they take care of the herb plants in the classroom together, share an umbrella on a rainy day
and partake in daily activities.
Moonji
Through the process, Baragi, who thought Dajeong was different from him because she could
not use her legs, and Dajeong, who considered him to be different from her because he had
healthy legs, realize their biases. Baragi realizes that Dajeong is capable of many things
despite her disability and Dajeong comes to see that Baragi is in fact a very understanding and
caring person despite his brusque manner. They come to form a true friendship and share their
hearts, free of prejudice. The story is refreshing as can be expected from a student writer who
is studying creative writing in university. It won the 6th Children’s Story Award given by
Konkuk University.
By Choi Hyunmee
Copyright Agent : Lee Na-young
[email protected] +82 2 338 7224 (Ext.123)
www.moonji.com
White Umbrella
(Hayan Usan)
Kim Duck-yoon
Illustrator : Shin Min-jae
Moonji Publishing Co., Ltd.
2010, 120 pages
ISBN 978-89-3202-061-7
102
LTI Korea
A Small Spring in the Woods
Yoon Suk-joong is a leading figure in Korean children’s literature who has received countless
awards including the Order of Culture Merit, the Republic of Korea Literary Award, the
Sejong Cultural Award, and the National Academy of Arts Award. His children’s poem “A
Small Spring in the Woods” is a representative work that has been loved for generations in
Korea. The book A Small Spring in the Woods (Ongdalsaem) is a baby’s picture book that has
added picturesque illustrations to the familiar poem. Conveying pure and tender emotions, its
simple, refined words are richly musical and pictorial. By adding illustrations that enliven the
poem, the book provides the full joy of a picture book.
By Choi Seongkyu
Copyright Agent : Choi Youn-mi
www.munhak.com
A Small Spring in the Woods
(Ongdalsaem)
Yoon Suk-joong
Illustrator: Hong Seong-ji
Munhakdongne Publishing Corp.
2008, 16 pages
ISBN 978-89-546-0673-8
103
Munhakdongne
This book is ideal for reading to an unborn child or an infant beginning to babble. The baby
will be able to feel the warmth as well as the voice and gaze of the reader, based on which he
or she will form a connection and communicate with the world. Moreover, the repetition,
rhythm and rhyme all make the poetic language beautiful to the ear. Familiar onomatopoeic
and mimetic words will greatly enhance the baby’s language, hearing and emotional
development. For its familiar lyrics and beautiful, poetic illustrations, A Small Spring in the
Woods is loved by both expectant and current parents, who wish to establish a rapport with
their children through a good book.
Minhui Became a Stingray
Minhui Became a Stingray is a collection of three short children’s stories by the author who also
works as an elementary school teacher. The title story “Minhui Became a Stingray” portrays how a
child who denies her shabby reality learns to accept and love her life. The main character Minhui
lives with her mother, a single mother and a fishmonger. Minhui used to wish that a kind and
wealthy couple would visit her and tell her that they were her real parents. Minhui sometimes wants
to leave her life and become something completely different, and one day, just like a dream, she
becomes a flying stingray. She follows her heart, heads toward the sea and transforms into another
existence. However, the minute she reaches the sea, Minhui realizes that she belongs to her mother
whom she loves very much. She says, “I understand now. It was completely up to me from the
beginning. I chose Mom even before I came to exist in her womb.”
Munhakdongne
The book also includes “The Graffiti Child” (Nakseohaneun Ai), in which the main character looks
back on his life through encounters with the opposite sex, and “Killing Baby Chicks” (Byeongari
Jugigi), in which the author points out issues of animal cruelty and the negligence of life. Though all
of the main characters in the three short stories are naive, feeble and cowardly, they are nevertheless
levelheaded and sound of mind, capable of self-reflection. This book is ideal for children in grade 4
and up.
Choi Hyunmee
www.munhak.com
Minhui Became a Stingray
(Gaoriga Doen Minhui)
Lee Min-hye
Illustrator : Yoo Jun-jae
2009, 152 pages
ISBN 978-89-546-0764-3
104
LTI Korea
The House Where Books Dwell
This book won the children’s literary prize awarded by a publishing company. It is a historical tale for
children portraying a child who lives an energetic life despite adversity and suffering under Catholic
oppression in the Joseon Dynasty, the last dynasty of Korea. At the end of the Joseon era when
Catholicism was suppressed because it was perceived as a harmful culture from the West, the main
character Jangi’s father works as a transcriber and works day and night to make ends meet. One day,
his father is taken to the government office and heavily tortured for copying a Catholic book and dies
soon afterwards. All alone, Jangi accepts the book keeper’s offer and starts working as an errand boy
delivering books. He delivers books to various places from the high-ranking official’s quarters to
gisaeng houses. As he meets diverse readers, he undergoes many changes. Then one day, another
storm of Catholic oppression sweeps through the country.
By Choi Hyunmee
www.munhak.com
The House Where Books Dwell
(Chaekgwa Nonineun Jip)
Lee Young-seo
Illustrator : Kim Dong-sung
2009, 192 pages
ISBN 978-89-546-0734-6
105
Munhakdongne
Through a child’s eyes, the book delivers in detail the scenes of the troubled and confused era as well
as the lifestyle and ideas of the contemporary intelligentsia and the general public. Bright, colorful
illustrations that are deeply stamped with Korean sentiments are presented beautifully. The simple,
dazzling and detailed illustrations on each page will take readers deep into the era and its various
events.
Up Comes the Round Sun
Munhakdongne
Based on a well-known Korean children’s song “Up Comes the Round Sun,” this picture book
is an affectionate portrayal of the healthy everyday life of a disabled child. Just as in the lyrics
of the song (“Up comes the round sun / Out of the bed I leap / First, I brush my teeth I’m off
to my kindergarten / My steps light and lively”) the boy follows another child in a television
show get up, brush his teeth, wash his face, comb his hair and check himself in the mirror.
However, unlike the child on TV, he needs his mother’s help in carrying out all the tasks.
When the song reaches the last verse “I’m off to my kindergarten / My steps light and lively,”
the child actor marches off to kindergarten, while he still lies in his bed. His mother massages
his twisted arms and legs, smiles brightly and reads him picture books. In its portrayal of the
daily routine of a disabled child suffering from muscular dystrophy, the book emphasizes not
the pain but the happiness and joy found in everyday life. The illustrations in bold
compositions and bright colors are very telling throughout the book. For example, by placing
the daily routine of the disabled child side by side with that of the child on TV, the book
depicts a clear comparison of their distinct lives. In another part of the book, the picture of a
bright yellow sunflower blooming on a black wall, followed by that of a sunflower field
reflects the child’s hopes to realize his dreams beyond the obstacles of reality.
By Choi Hyunmee
www.munhak.com
Up Comes the Round Sun
(Dunggeun Haega Tteotseumnida)
Chang Kyeong-hue
2009, 40 pages
ISBN 978-89-546-0819-0
106
LTI Korea
N
P
Nonjang
Nurimbo
Prooni Books
Prunsoop
R
S
Pulbit
Randomhouse Korea
Safaribook
Sakyejul
Sam&Parkers
Sanha
Samseongdang
Sigong Junior
Scope
Sonamoo
Silvertuba
Sun & Tree
StoryBowl
Whose Shoes Are These?
This is a picture book that presents and describes various shoes of the world including wooden
clogs that are worn in muddy terrain, leather mukluks that protect the feet from the cold snow
and ice and flower-patterned silk shoes with slightly raised toes. Various shoes also introduce
diverse customs of the world. The book begins with a close-up drawing of a pair of feet clad in
pretty clogs, followed by a short verse, “Clip-clop, clip-clop bumpy roads are not a problem /
Splish-splash, splish-splash muddy roads are not a problem / Whose shoes are these?” The
book answers the reader’s curiosity on the following page with the answer, “They are Mary’s
feet in clogs.” One by one, the book introduces the different shoes of the world. The author
employs colorful collages using paper, fabric and thread to represent the texture of mud, carpet
and flooring. The drawings of children posing in their traditional costumes that accompany the
shoes are funny and three-dimensional. Additional information on the origins and
characteristics of the shoes are included at the end of the book.
By Choi Hyunmee
Copyright Agent : Lee Nayoung
Nonjang
Whose Shoes Are These?
(Nugu Barilkka?)
Jung Haeyoung
Nonjang Publishing Co.
2009, 42 pages
ISBN 978-89-8414-115-5
108
LTI Korea
Ice Boy
The Ice Boy who has been living inside the snowman decides to leave the city because the
snowman has begun to melt even in the middle of winter. He can no longer live in the city
where reckless development for increased convenience is widespread and nature is
continuously destroyed. Carrying one bag, Ice Boy searches for a cool and clean place. He
struggles to escape the rainy city full of cars where it no longer snows. One day, he sees the
North Pole on television. He runs to catch the flight to the North Pole but just misses it. When
his body has almost melted due to heat, birds appear like in a dream and carry him to the North
Pole. Though it may seem like a happy ending, it is difficult to put the book down because we
know that the North Pole is no longer such a comfortable place for the Ice Boy to live. He
symbolizes our nature which is gradually being destroyed by global warming. To highlight
such symbolism, the Ice Boy is depicted in blue and the city that pains him, in red. This book
warns against the greed of human beings which destroys nature. This book is ideal for children
over age 5 who would like to be able to make a snowman far into the future.
By Kim Jungmi
Nurimbo
Copyright Agent : Park Misuk
www.nurimbo.co.kr
Ice Boy
(Eoreum Sonyeon)
Cho Wonhee
Nurimbo Publishing Co.
2009, 32 pages
ISBN 978-89-58760-87-0
109
The Donkey Girl
The Donkey Girl was the winner of the Illustration Award at the 2008 CJ Picture Book Festival. Its
poetic language and illustrations convey the message that everyone should try to make their own
world of peace. Though the book appeals to readers of all ages, it is more of a picture book for
grownups aimed at consoling people living in modern cities.
The Donkey Girl is tired of living in a busy city and always dreams of leaving. However, nothing
happens and the days pass as usual. Then one day, a wandering poet appears in the city and sings that
there is a castle of peace in the forest that only the silent can enter. The Donkey Girl thinks that the
castle is the place she has been dreaming of and leaves the city. Upon hearing the rumor, the antique
seller believes that mysterious jewels are hidden in the forest and has all the trees cut down.
However, she finds nothing there. Afterwards, The Donkey Girl returns to her life in the city but she
seems peaceful unlike before her journey. This is because she has found a way to enter the
mysterious forest and has built her own castle of peace.
Kim Ye-in studied illustrations at Maryland Institute College of Art and graduated from New York
School of Visual Art.
By Choi Hyunmee
Nurimbo
Copyright Agent : Park Misuk
www.nurimbo.co.kr
The Donkey Girl
(Jageun Dangnagwi)
Kim Ye-in
Nurimbo Publishing Co.
2010, 36 pages
ISBN 978-89-5876-103-7
110
LTI Korea
My Teacher Only Dislikes Me
Author Yi Geum-i is a leading children’s book writer in Korea and four of her stories are included in
the elementary school Korean textbook. My Teacher Only Dislikes Me (Seonsaengnimeun Naman
Miwohae) is a collection of four short stories. The title story is a story of a girl who is dispirited
because she thinks her teacher discriminates against her. The story talks about her concerns as well
as her parents’. “Finders Keepers” (Juun Sarami Imja) is based on the surprising event of a theft and
it depicts well the confusion children undergo in such a situation. The author resolves the confusion
with consideration for others and wit. “It’s Your Fault” (Neo Ttaemuniya) is an amusing story of a
child who spends the money raised to help the poor on a computer game. “A New Friend” (Sae
Chingu) deals with the difficulties of friendship. It is a humorous portrayal of the process of making
new friends and understanding one another.
The author unfolds common experiences at school among children through amusing stories told with
a warm gaze. The length of the stories and entertaining illustrations make this book perfect for lowergrade elementary school children who are just starting to read in earnest. This valuable book will
touch the hearts of children, who are adapting to school life for the first time, and serve as a guide to
those who are taking their first steps in society.
By Choi Seongkyu
Prooni Books
Copyright Agent : Choi, Hye-ran
[email protected] +82 2 581 0334(Ext. 114)
My Teacher Only Dislikes Me
(Seonsaengnimeun Naman Miwohae)
Yi Geum-i
Illustrator : Yi Yeong-rim
Prooni Books
2008, 52 pages
ISBN 9788961700405
111
The Dreaming Dollhouse
Writer of children’s stories, Kim Hyang-e has received various prizes in children’s literature and her
work has been included in elementary school textbooks. She is also well known for collecting dolls
and mending discarded dolls back into their original attractive form. She is, therefore, called the
“Doll Granny.” The Dreaming Dollhouse is an omnibus of doll stories told by dolls gathered at Doll
Granny’s house. The author has added her imagination to the true stories of the dolls she mended and
rejuvenated. One day, the naked doll Shirley comes to Doll Granny’s house. Her hair is tangled and
her face is full of scratch marks. Her nails have been removed and toes have been broken. Modeled
after Shirley Temple, the child actress of the 1930s, Shirley cannot understand why she, who used to
be the most popular of all, has ended up in such a state and she refuses to open up to anyone.
However, Shirley slowly changes back to her old beautiful form in Doll Granny’s hands, and
gradually opens her heart as she listens to other dolls’ honest, sad, beautiful and touching accounts at
the story theater. The author talks about the importance of existence through these dolls. Delicate and
antique-style illustrations also attract children’s attention. This book is ideal for lower grade
elementary school children.
By Choi Hyunmee
Prunsoop
Copyright Agent : Kim Sol-mi
www.prunsoop.co.kr
The Dreaming Dollhouse
(Kkumkkuneun Inhyeongui Jip)
Kim Hyang-e
Illustrator : Han Ho-jin
Prunsoop Publishing Co., Ltd.
2009, 128 pages
ISBN 978-89-7184-653-7
112
LTI Korea
The Sound of Geomgo
This fantasy story is based on the origin of geomungo, a traditional Korean six-stringed
musical instrument. In all Korean historical documents combined, there are only three lines
that describe the origin of geomungo. The author was inspired by these three lines and created
a story of an instrument with mystical power. Once upon a time, there was a country called
Gauri where clear water flowed and the land was fertile. The powerful king of the neighboring
Kingdom of Vast Plains sends over a chilhyeongeum, a seven-stringed musical instrument, to
conquer Gauri. His intention is to start a war if the people in Gauri fail to play the
chilhyeongeum or spread the spirit of his kingdom through the instrument if they succeed. In
order to prevent a war, the king of Gauri orders Haeeul, the chief of music for the Royal Court,
to make an instrument unique to Gauri. He makes plans to play it at the ritual for the Heavenly
God in order to maintain peace. While searching for material for the instrument, Haeeul meets
an eccentric boy named Daru who communicates with nature and after three years together,
they create an instrument called geomgo. When the army of the Kingdom of Vast Plains
invades Gauri carrying swords and spears, Daru plays the geomgo with all his heart; the
bloodthirsty soldiers are so touched by its sound that they put down their weapons.
By Choi Hyunmee
Prunsoop
www.prunsoop.co.kr
The Sound of Geomgo
(Geomgo Sori)
Moon Suk-hyeon
Illustrator : Baik Dae-seung
2009, 148 pages
ISBN 978-89-7184-641-4
113
The Green-Eyed Elephant
This story, which warns people against selfishness, talks about the courage and the will to find
one’s own life through Beombeok, a green-eyed lead elephant of Africa who is reincarnated as
a superstar of a zoo a hundred years after death, and Hwanhui, a thirteen-year-old boy who can
communicate with elephants.
One day, Hwanhui, the son of the elephant trainer and born on the same day as Beombeok,
comes to see latter who is a superstar at the zoo, loved by everyone for his huge size and
special talents. While enjoying a comfortable life at the zoo, Beombeok hears from an elderly
elephant that a green-eyed elephant is born every hundred years to become the lead elephant of
the African savannah. After much thought, Beombeok concludes that he belongs not in a zoo
but in the grasslands of Africa and decides to escape. Hwanhui assists Beombeok in his plan to
flee. In the course of the risky and exciting escape, we learn that all the animals locked up in
the zoo, not just Beombeok, dearly miss nature and that the zoo serves the interests of humans
not animals. The book also shows how Beombeok and Hwanhui console each other as they
move toward their dreams. The author has won several major prizes for children’s literature
since he made his debut in 2004 through a literary competition held by a newspaper company.
By Choi Hyunmee
Prunsoop
www.prunsoop.co.kr
The Green-Eyed Elephant
(Chorok Nun Kokkiri)
Kang Jeong Yeon
Illustrator : Baik Dae-seoung
2010, 208 pages
ISBN 978-89-7184-652-0
114
LTI Korea
Encyclopedia of Ghosts
This book has put together old ghost stories that have been passed down through generations in
Korea. In the past, Koreans used to believe that when a person dies in this world, a messenger from
the underworld takes him to the Great King Yama. He would then be judged for the sins he
committed during his life, and the good would go to heaven while the bad would be sent to hell.
There have been a great number of ghost stories since the old days in Korea and most ghosts were
vengeful ghosts who were unable to enter the underworld and remained in this world because they
had died an unjust death.
The author writes both non-fiction and fiction for children and presents the underworld through
interesting books like the “Travel Guide to the Afterworld” and “Guide to Entering the Underworld.” His
descriptions of Korea’s traditional ghosts and the spirits worshipped by Koreans are simple and clear
enough for children to understand. This book explains the history behind the ghosts and the values they
represent. For example, he talks about discrimination against women and the status system through the
ghosts who could not fulfill their love due to the difference in their social status. The stories in which
people avenge the ghosts show how our ancestors were willing to listen to the ghosts’ stories of injustice.
Moreover, oftentimes in these stories the ghosts then repay their debt, which reflects our ancestors’ hope
of living in a world where people show their gratitude.
By Choi Hyunmee
Prunsoop
www.prunsoop.co.kr
Encyclopedia of Ghosts
(Gwisin Baekgwasajeon)
Yi Hyeon
Illustrator : Kim Kyung-hee
2010, 124 pages
ISBN 978-89-7184-651-3
115
People Who Shoot the Stars
Having studied earth science and astronomy in university and graduate school, Lee Ji Yoo is a
leading children’s science book writer in Korea. Known as the “Shooting Star Lady,” she is famous
for delivering easy-to-understand knowledge on the universe and diverse scientific issues. When she
studied astronomy in graduate school, Lee and her friends used to say “let’s go shoot the stars” rather
than “let’s observe the stars.” Since then, shooting the stars has meant observing the stars to the
author. This book, a scientific non-fiction for children, deals with the past and the present of
astronomical observations of the universe, “shooting the stars,” and the related astronomers
throughout history. Of the three sections that make up the book, Part One talks about the
observatories built by astronomers all over the world in order to observe the stars. In particular, it
discusses the observatories at Mauna Kea, Hawaii and Chile, both regarded by astronomers as the
best places for stargazing. Part Two explains why astronomers observe the stars; it goes on to
illustrate how observing the stars is related to the existence of other life forms in the universe and
explains the search for hitherto unknown planets and life forms in outer space, the primary interest in
the field of astronomy in the recent years. Focusing on people who “shoot the stars,” Part Three tells
the stories of scientists who have been waiting for signals from the creatures from outer space and
astronomers all over the world who observe the stars.
By Choi Hyunmee
Copyright Agent : Kim Sook Jin
Pulbit
People Who Shoot the Stars
(Byeoreul Ssoneun Saramdeul)
Lee Ji Yoo
Illustrator : Song Jin Uk
Pulbit Publishing Co.
2009, 149 pages
ISBN 978-89-7474-638-4
116
LTI Korea
The Economy of the Round Round
Global Village
This is a book on world economy that explains how people all over the world, in all six
continents including Asia, Europe, North America, Central and South Americas, Oceania and
Africa, participate in economic activities and how the world economy works. Though it is a
book about the economy, it provides wide-ranging stories on the history and reality of each
continent and explains the relevant local and world economies. For example, the book
introduces Europe as the continent with a number of wealthy countries that were the first to
become industrialized and explains how they formed the European Union (EU) and a mega
European market. In between the stories, it defines difficult economic terminology such as
original equipment manufacturer (OEM), free export zone, World Bank, foreign currency
reserves, North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and World Trade Organization
(WTO) using funny illustrations. The terms that could not be dealt with in the main text are
explained in separate boxes in the margins. Having received a master’s degree in economics,
the author has been working as a branch manager at a bank in Seoul and publishing books on
economy that are easy to understand. In particular, he has published many economy books for
children that have been selected by various organizations as “recommended books.”
By Choi Hyunmee
Pulbit
Copyright Agent : Kim Sook Jin
The Economy of the Round Round Global Village
(Dunggeul Dunggeul Jiguchon Gyeongje Iyagi)
Seok Hae-won
Illustrator : Ryu Nam-young
Pulbit Publishing Co.
2009, 192 pages
ISBN 978-89-747-4437-3
117
The Fun of Mathematics
A mathematician couple wrote this book for their daughter who did not care for mathematics.
The objective of the book is to make this often unpopular subject enjoyable and fun for youth.
Based on their experience of publishing numerous books on mathematics and creativity for
young readers, the authors skillfully deliver the story of mathematics. The book is aimed at
developing logical thinking through fun and interesting mathematics rather than focusing on
complicated and difficult equations and calculations. The children readers will feel a sense of
wonder and achievement through this process and naturally begin to enjoy mathematics. Part
1, “Numbers and Diagrams,” explains the meaning of numbers and signs using easy-toremember diagrams, while Part 2, “Thinking Tools” examines the tools and methods
developed to simplify mathematical calculations, such as the decimal and binary systems. Part
3 titled “The Joys of Mathematics” shows magic and puzzles based on the Fibonacci sequence,
along with wonderful models and designs that can be created by combining arithmetic
operations and figures. Finally, Part 4, “Logic and Intuition,” demonstrates the power of logic
by using logic to determine correctly whether a given proposition is true or false.
By Choi Hyunmee
Randomhouse Korea
Copyright Agent : Jang, Jeongwoon
www.randombooks.co.kr/
The Fun of Mathematics
(Suhagui Jaemi)
Park Jongha and Song Myungjin
Randomhouse Korea
2009, 302 pages
ISBN 978-89-255-3306-3
118
LTI Korea
The Spelled Village
A village that has been sleeping under a spell wakes up and waits for children to arrive. You
can meet friends of all children such as Peter Pan, Pippi Longstocking, Pinocchio and Mrs.
Tiggy-Winkle. Subtitled Kkamji’s Journey through Fairy-Tale Villages (Kkamjiui Donghwa
Maeul Yeohaeng), this story is about a forgetful author who goes on a journey to meet the
characters of her favorite fairy tales. Though it is the author who first plans the journey, the
one who actually meets and talks to the fairy-tale characters is a cute mouse named Kkamji, a
storybook character that the author has been working on. The journey begins in Kensington
Park in London, England, the home of Peter Pan. The standing statue of Peter Pan only comes
to life after the park gates close. By talking to Peter Pan, whom Kkamji has always thought of
as cheerful and carefree, Kkamji deepens her understanding of the original Peter Pan book.
Afterwards Kkamji goes to Windermere, England to meet a washerwoman named Mrs. TiggyWinkle; to Vimmerby, Sweden to meet Pippi Longstocking; to Collodi and Florence in Italy to
meet Pinocchio; and finally to Denmark to meet an adopted orphan called Hans. The author’s
vivid writing style which breathes life into the fairy-tale characters and unveils their hidden
stories is mesmerizing. This book is ideal for upper-grade students who can befriend fairy-tale
characters and engage in their stories.
By Kim Jung-mi
Randomhouse Korea
The Spelled Village
(Jumune Geollin Maeul)
Hwang Seon-mi
Illustrator : Cho Mi-ja
Randomhouse Korea
2008, 188 pages
ISBN 978-89-2551-604-2
119
I Want a Different Desk Mate
What if someone you do not like becomes your desk mate? Through the everyday
circumstances familiar to children, this book discusses the world we inhabit together. On the
first day of second grade, Gyeongji is in complete despair when she finds out that Junsu has
been assigned as her desk mate. Junsu is not only dirty and loud but also picks his nose. What
is more, he acts nonsensically claiming for instance that he is going to invent the “No Farewell
Pill.” Then one day, Gyeongji comes to understand Junsu after talking to his mother: He can
no longer live with his parents because of their divorce; driven by his anguish from no longer
living with both his parents, he wants to invent a “No Farewell Pill.” Gyeongji also learns that
Junsu shouts often because he feels anxious and that his poor hygiene is merely another way to
seek attention. Finally, Gyeongji comes to accept Junsu as her desk mate. Having written a
number of children’s books for over 20 years, No Gyeong-sil is famous for skillfully capturing
children’s thoughts. Yi Hyeong-jin’s illustrations are also worth noting. Having shown his
unique style in various picture books and children’s books, he has comically and cheerfully
reflected children’s thoughts in this book through illustrations that look as though they were
drawn by children themselves. This book creates the impression of reading a comic book. Ideal
for first- and second-year elementary school children.
By Choi Hyunmee
Randomhouse Korea
I Want a Different Desk Mate
(Jjakkkung Bakkwojuseyo)
No Gyeong-sil
Illustrator : Yi Hyeong-jin
Randomhouse Korea
2009, 70 pages
ISBN 978-89-255-3144-1
120
LTI Korea
Poo Cake
The cover of the book, which depicts a very scary-looking ghost looking down on a child
having a poo, immediately draws the readers’ attention. This book peeks into Korea’s
traditional culture; let us now turn our attention to its content. Junho has fallen into the toilet
bucket because he was singing and wiggling his bum while pooping. Having fallen into a sea
of poo, he is completely covered with poo. His grandmother tells him that when someone falls
into the toilet bucket, he or she has to ward off evil by making a poo cake. His mother and
grandmother make the poo cake with much care and offer it to the toilet ghost, as they hope
that nothing bad will befall Junho. This is because it was traditionally believed that the toilet
ghost pushed the child into the toilet bucket out of anger. Enticed by the smell of the tasty poo
cake, the toilet ghost appears to have a bite of the cake and then vanishes with a smile. Junho
eats as many poo cakes as his age and shares the rest with his villagers while shouting “poo
cake, poo cake!” The book reveals our ancestors’ wisdom of replenishing the energy of a child
who has fallen into the toilet bucket and turning the poo cake into something to be shared with
others for good luck. The watery, lightly painted watercolor illustrations convey Korean
sentiments. It is also fun to see the toilet ghost’s face that looks like poo. This book is ideal for
children over age 5 who have been trained to use the toilet on their own.
By Kim Jungmi
Safaribook
Copyright Agent : yun-hee shim
http://www.safaribook.co.kr/
Poo Cake
(Ttongtteok)
Lee Choonhee
Illustrator : Park Jihoon
Safaribook
2008, 30 pages
ISBN 978-89-6224-178-5
121
Angel and the Lumberjack
This is a heartbreaking love story between a beautiful angel and a simple lumberjack. One day,
the lumberjack helps a deer hide and dodge a hunter. To thank the lumberjack, the deer tells
him to hide the winged dress of one of the angels who descend from the sky to bathe and
marry the youngest angel who therefore cannot return to heaven. Following the deer’s advice,
the lumberjack marries an angel and they live happily together. After giving birth to three
children, the angel begs the lumberjack to give back her dress so she can try it on. When she
puts on the dress, however, she immediately flies up to heaven with one child on her back and
the others in her arms. The deer gives the distraught lumberjack another chance and tells him
to ride the bucket that draws bath water up to heaven and reunite with his beloved family.
Eventually, the lumberjack locates his wife and children and lives happily together. However,
the story does not end here. Missing his mother whom he has left behind all alone, the
lumberjack returns briefly to earth. However, he falls off the mysterious dragon horse and is
unable to go back to heaven. Filled with longing for his family, the lumberjack is said to have
turned into a rooster. This book is ideal for children over age 5.
By Kim Jung-mi
Safaribook
Angel and the Lumberjack
(Seonyeowa Namukkun)
Park Youngman
Edited by Lee Boong
Illustrator : Lee Sunjoo
Safaribook
2009, 40 pages
ISBN 978-89-6224-223-2
122
LTI Korea
Worms!
Worms! is a picture book on environmental knowledge. Through the main character Bomi who
grows tomatoes, children will be able to appreciate the role of creepy crawly worms, accept
those worms as friends just as Bomi did, and understand the importance of the land. The first
time Bomi finds a worm in her tomato patch, she is disgusted and throws it away carelessly.
Hoping that her tomatoes would grow quickly, she sprays them with a pesticide and the worms
that have been living at Bomi’s tomato patch decide to leave. The day after a big rain, Bomi
discovers that her tomatoes are ruined while her friend’s tomatoes are still fresh. When asked,
her friend explains that it is thanks to the monster that protects the land. In her search for the
monster, Bomi learns that worms are the so-called “monster” of the land. After finding out that
worms enrich the land by digging through it, eating the soil and excreting in it, she decides to
become friends with them. The book is designed to help children readers think about “what
could happen if they too mistreated worms” and understand worms better. The illustrations
capture the natural texture of the soil in order to give an impression of finding a worm in the
soil. The illustrations of the cute characters Bomi and the worm in unusual colors and style
that have preserved the pencil sketches will likely attract children’s attention. Further
information on worms is added at the end of the book to inform the readers of their important
role in nature.
By Choi Hyunmee
Safaribook
Worms!
(Jireongida)
Cha Bookum
Illustrator : Kim Youngsoo
Safaribook
2008, 42 pages
ISBN 978-89-62240-52-8
123
The Small Tiger Hunter
The Small Tiger Hunter is based on an old Korean folktale that begins with “Once upon a time.”
Once upon a time, there lived a dwarf child small enough to dance on the palm of an adult. When
this child told his parents that he wanted to go tiger hunting, they were shocked and refused to give
him permission. However, the dwarf child persuaded them and left with confidence on his tiger hunt.
When the child came across a festival attended by thousands of tigers after having wandered in the
mountains for a while, he jumped into the heart of the festival without hesitation. He was
immediately swallowed up by the tiger king but once inside, he cut and ate the tiger’s entrails,
causing so much pain that the tiger king killed all other tigers before he died himself. A story of a
small child of courage and confidence, who hunts thousands of tigers, this book, as do all folktales,
conveys people’s long-cherished desire and moral lesson that even the impossible can be achieved
by the small and the weak, if they believe in themselves and strive confidently for their goal.
In the illustrations, the dwarf child holding a club and commanding the tiger king is depicted as very
small in comparison with the huge tigers, a representation of the feeble facing a great adversary or a
seemingly impossible task. The tigers are drawn in a friendly and comical style commonly adopted
by Korean folk painting portraying the lives of ordinary people.
By Choi Hyunmee
Safaribook
The Small Tiger Hunter
(Nanjaengi Beom Sanyang)
Park Youngman
edited by So Jung-ae
Illustrator : Lee Jee-eun
Safaribook
2009, 42 pages
ISBN 978-89-6224-219-5
124
LTI Korea
Dreaming of Butterfly
When the star descends to the window, the sleepy baby rubs his eyes like a kitten. He yawns
like a baby hippo and cuddles into his mother’s arms like a baby monkey. He lies in his
mother’s lap like a puppy and curls up like a baby snail. When the yellow moonlight shines on
the baby’s face, he falls asleep with outstretched arms like a butterfly. As he sleeps soundly, he
dreams about flying together with butterflies in the moonlight.
As babies sleep, mothers pray that they stay healthy and grow up to be admirable people.
Dreaming of Butterfly (Nabijam) is about such wishes mothers have for their children.
Through gentle poems and affectionate pictures, this picture book expresses the beautiful
dreams mothers want their babies to have. The moonlight is shown in a warm and bright
yellow, the main color of the book, which conveys the warmth of a cotton blanket and
sweetness of honey. It carries to the baby the mother’s scent, which also seeps off the pages
little by little into the world to warm the reader’s heart. At the same time, the calming
drawings will comfort the baby’s heart as he or she falls asleep.
By Choi Seongkyu
Sakyejul
Copyright Agent : Kang Hyunjoo
www.sakyejul.co.kr
Dreaming of Butterfly
(Nabijam)
Shin Hye-eun
Sakyejul Publishing Ltd.
2008, 28 pages
ISBN 978-89-5828-310-2
125
A Fish that Grew a Tree
This is the story of the fish-shaped wooden gongs used in Korean Buddhism. The story is
based on Gyowon cheonggyu, a compilation of rules for everyday life for Buddhist monks.
Once upon a time, there was a mischievous disciple named Meotdaero (“My Way”) who never
listened to the Grand Monk and did whatever he wanted to do. Meotdaero tormented friends,
children, and grown-ups alike, and even mistreated animals that he came across outside.
Despite the Grand Monk’s scolding, Meotdaero did not understand what he had done wrong.
Eventually, he died of a terrible illness. After his death, Meotdaero was dragged to the
underworld and was reborn as a fish as punishment for all the evil things he did in life. But
even as a fish, Meotdaero wouldn’t change his ways. Then one day, a tree began growing out
of Meotdaero’s back. It was just a tiny seedling at first, but soon the trunk began to grow and
became a big tree. The tree was punishment for being bad, even after being given a second
chance. Meotdaero suffered greatly from the heavy tree on his back and finally realized the
errors of his ways. Thanks to the Grand Monk’s heartfelt prayers, however, Meotdaero was
able to escape the body of a fish. He asked the Grand Monk to make a wooden fish using the
tree on his back and strike it morning and evening so that people would know his story. This
book is ideal for young readers with kind hearts, unlike wicked Meotdaero.
By Kim Jung-mi
Sakyejul
www.sakyejul.co.kr
A Fish that Grew a Tree
(Namuga Jaraneun Mulgogi)
Kim Hye-ri
2009, 34 pages
ISBN 978-89-5828-338-6
126
LTI Korea
A Story of Three Mothers
This picture book is the story of four generations of mothers and daughters who work together to cultivate
beans. It is a cheerful portrayal of simple rural scenery and its hard-working people, both of which have
been forgotten by the city people. Drawings of the expansive bucolic landscape studded with tiny people
bring the jovial atmosphere to life.
“Mom” who has been living in the city moves to a house in the country with a big yard. While wondering
what she would like to plant in her yard, she thinks of tasty rice cakes with a sweet bean filling and decides
to plant beans. But bean farming is not easy for Mom who has lived in the city all her life. She cries out
“Help! Mom!” and her mother arrives on her bike. The two works very hard but they still don’t have
enough help. This time, Mom’s mom cries out “Help! Mom!” and her mother arrives on a cow. She
appears old and wrinkly but competent in farming. Mom, Mom’s mom, Mom’s mom’s mom and the
daughter-who narrates the story-plant the beans, pull up weeds and harvest together.
The book weaves the story of four generations of mothers and daughters in one life cycle of beans and deals
with the affectionate relationship between mothers and daughters as well as the rewards of cultivating the
land. Meanwhile, the narrator’s older brother, father and grandfather hang out the washing and pick and
thresh the beans together. This book was included in the “Recommended Book List” by the Ministry of
Culture, Sports and Tourism in the year it was published.
By Choi Hyunmee
Sakyejul
www.sakyejul.co.kr
A Story of Three Mothers
(Se Eomma Iyagi)
Shin Hae-won
2008, 44 pages
ISBN 978-89-5828-301-0
127
Seventeen-Year-Old’s Hair
Winner of a literary prize awarded by a publishing company, this novel for youth portrays the
struggle and growth of a seventeen-year-old high school student who resists the standardized
hairstyle set by his school. The main character Ilho is an ordinary, well-behaved student. He
earns good grades, has a best friend, and receives much love from his family. Thanks to his
barber grandfather, Ilho is always praised by his teachers for having a “standard hairstyle,”
which does not please him and prompts his friends call him “the No. 1 goody two-shoes.” One
day when Ilho witnesses his physical education teacher threatening his friend with a lighter for
his violation of the haircut regulation, he loses his reason momentarily, snatches the lighter out
of the teacher’s hand and throws it on the ground. Immediately, Ilho launches a one-man
campaign against the hair regulation. By examining this issue, the author raises questions
about youth rights and portrays the life of an ordinary youth as he defends his beliefs against
the injustices of everyday life. While Ilho is fighting against the world, represented by the
school, his father who had left a long time ago returns to support Ilho. In the process, Ilho
reestablishes his relationship with his father, and even his grandfather comes to understand
him as he begins his own lonely campaign against redevelopment on behalf of the local
residents.
By Choi Hyunmee
Sakyejul
www.sakyejul.co.kr
Seventeen-Year-Old s Hair
(Yeorilgop Sarui Teol)
Kim Hae-won
2008, 222 pages
ISBN 978-89-5828-306-5
128
LTI Korea
Galileo’s Dialogue Concerning the Two
Chief World Systems
Written for young readers, this book explains Galileo’s Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief
World Systems, the book that took Galileo to the Roman Inquisition. Published in 1632 when
Galileo was 68, Dialogue refuted geocentricism, upheld by most scholars at the time, and
persuasively argued for heliocentrism, thus bringing about great controversy in 17th century
Europe. However, youths today would find it difficult to understand the content of the book as
it was written based on the scientific knowledge and worldview of a distant time period.
Having studied the history of science and scientific philosophy and currently working as a
science reporter, the author explains in simple terms the achievements by Galileo, the father of
modern science, based on his Dialogue. In other words, he takes important quotes from
Galileo’s work and supplements them with his own explanations. Through these explanations,
the author shows the convincing case that Galileo, a master of debate, made for heliocentrism
and describes Galileo’s passion to overcome the erroneous philosophy and methods of his
contemporary natural sciences. In particular, the author tries to present Galileo’s trial, often
known as a confrontation between religion and reason, as in fact a conflict between the
traditional, medieval science and the new science.
By Choi Hyunmee
Sakyejul
www.sakyejul.co.kr
Galileo’s Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems
(Galileoui Du Uju Chegyee Gwanhan Daehwa)
Oh Cheol-woo
2009, 236 pages
ISBN 978-89-5828-383-6
129
Winning Habit for Children
Winning Habit for Children (Eorinireul Wihan Igineun Seupgwan) is a children’s book on
self-development that promotes pride rather than inferiority, winning mentality rather than
competitiveness, and a strong will and belief rather than a soft, weak mind. Adapted for
elementary school children from Winning Habit (Igineun Seupgwan), a mega-bestseller which
has sold more than a million copies, it has brought about the “winning habit” wave in Korea. It
has been designed to draw children’s interest by using fantasy animation-style illustrations and
humorous cartoon cuts enjoyed by children. It is centered on an interesting story, in which the
five main characters go on an adventure to find treasure.
By taking part in the main characters’ adventure, the children readers can learn the seven winning habits, i.e.
“happiness, achievement, professionalism, strategy, practice, rules and victory.” Other useful stories such as
the “winning habits of the great mind,” “winning habits in everyday life” and “wise sayings that touch your
heart” are also included along with the episodes of exciting adventure. The appendix includes “My Promise
to Develop Winning Habits,” “Daily Planner for Winning Habits,” “Letter to Mom and Dad,” and the
“Winning Habits Card.” By using the content of the appendix, children will be able to practice what they
have learned from the book. This book will be useful for children who wish to become the leaders of the
future.
By Choi Seongkyu
Sam&Parkers
Copyright Agent : Jeannie Hwang
www.smpk.co.kr
Winning Habit for Children
(Eorinireul Wihan Igineun Seupgwan)
An original work by Jeon Ok-pyo
Jung Hyunseung
Sam&Parkers
2008, 240 pages
ISBN 978-89-9264-725-0
130
LTI Korea
The King of Inverse Empire
This is a collection of six short stories by Lee Jun-youn who has won a number of literary
prizes in children’s books. The title story “The King of Inverse Empire” is included in the
second year elementary school Korean literature textbook.
“The King of Inverse Empire” is a story of Yeonghun who likes to do every-thing backwards.
He is a unique child who puts his shoes on the wrong feet, wears his hat backwards and even
holds his crayons upside down. His mother scolds him to do things right but he does not listen
to her and continues to do things backwards. One day, Yeonghun loses his way in the
mountain while he is looking for his friends. After wandering about for a while, he finds a
strange sign post that reads “Path to the Inverse Empire” and follows it. When he opens the
gate to the Inverse Empire, he suddenly finds himself standing on his head according to the
rules of the Inverse Empire. Yeonghun who always likes to do things backwards is elected as
the king of Inverse Empire. However, he soon finds out that doing everything backwards, such
as wearing his crown on his feet, is very uncomfortable and wants to run away. This book
offers a valuable lesson to children who, like Yeonghun, enjoy being contrary.
By Choi Hyunmee
Samseongdang
Copyright Agent : Byun Ji-youn
www.ssdp.co.kr
The King of Inverse Empire
(Geokkuro Nara Imgeumnim)
Lee Jun-youn
Samseongdang Publishing Co., Ltd.
2007, 94 pages
ISBN 978-89-1401-599-0
131
Uncle Yonggu
Children’s book writer Kwon Jeong-saeng (1937-2007) and his stories about innocent people
who live in hardship and small, insignificant beings have been loved by readers of all ages.
This short story is about Uncle Yonggu who is still awkward at everything even though he is
over 30 years old. People call him a fool. Uncle Yonggu takes the cow Nureongi around the
village to feed her. But one day, Nureongi comes back but Uncle Yonggu is nowhere to be
seen even at nightfall. The narrator “I” goes out with his father to look for Uncle Yonggu.
Night soon falls in the valley. Later, men of the village search all over the mountain with
flashlight. Finally, they find Uncle Yonggu sound asleep on the slope by the oak forest with a
grey-brown hare also sleeping in his arms. With relief and for some unknown reason, the
narrator begins to cry. As the incident takes place from sundown to midnight, the narrator’s
emotion gradually heightens and leaves deep resonance at the end. The moment of
rediscovering his uncle whom the narrator has usually dismissed for being a fool is described
beautifully. The illustrations that add depth to lyricism by portraying the characters’ minds in
detail also attract the reader’s attention.
By Choi Hyunmee
Copyright Agent : Oh Seok-gyun
Sanha
Uncle Yonggu
(Yonggu Samchon)
Kwon Jeong-saeng
Illustrator : Heo Gu
Sanha Publishing Co.
2009, 40 pages
ISBN 978-89-7650-347-3
132
LTI Korea
Park Ji-sung: From a Boyhood Dream
to a World Challenge
This book shows the life of Park Ji-sung-Korea’s most loved soccer player and a midfielder at
Manchester United Football Club-from his childhood to becoming a world soccer star. It
focuses on Park’s efforts as a child to realize his dream despite his small physique and weak
health and presents him as a role model to children. Being shorter and weaker than other
children, he thought he should have better techniques than others; he practiced vehemently,
hardly ever separated from a soccer ball. Out of the belief that a soccer player could only
perfect himself through repeated training over a long period of time, Park set as his motto:
“3000 daily contacts with the ball, on every corner of the foot.” He became who he is today
thanks to such relentless, rigorous training. While preparing for the 2002 FIFA World Cup, he
learned that he had flat feet, one of the worst conditions for a soccer player, but he just worked
even harder in order to overcome obstacle. The author is a poet and novelist who has published
biographies of the US President Barak Obama and the former South Korean President Roh
Moo-hyun for children.
By Choi Hyunmee
Scope
Copyright Agent : Cha Sun Hwa
blog.naver.com/bookrose
Park Ji-sung: From a Boyhood Dream to a World Challenge
(Park Ji-sung, Yeolhansarui Kkum Segyereul Hyanghan Dojeon)
Lee Chae-yun / Illustrator : Her Han-woo
Scope (Book-Ocean)
2010, 200 pages
ISBN 978-89-9366-222-1
133
I Am a Stray Dog
Though he does not have an owner and has to sleep on the streets, the protagonist dog enjoys
being a “wanderer.” Even in seemingly uncomfortable situations, this charming character
remains lively and positive. The stray dog grows bored of running around on fours and decides
to start walking on two paws. Seeing that pigeons and bicycles stand on two feet and the
mailbox on a single foot, the dog thinks there is no reason he cannot do it himself. Though his
toe nails hurt and people laugh at him, the stray dog does not care because the pleasure of
doing what he wants is greater than anything. One day, a child comes by and tells the alley cat
that he is jealous of the cat’s four paws. Upon hearing this, the stray dog realizes the
advantages of four paws that he has not hitherto considered. The stray dog now has a new goal
for himself: he wants to walk on his four paws again. However, he does not want to walk like
any other dog and decides instead to become a car. Happiness is not far away. If we can love
ourselves and dream like the stray dog, we would experience true happiness. The moral of the
story is that positive thinking and happiness are directly proportional to each other. This book
is ideal for lower-grade elementary school children who love themselves as they are and who
can speak confidently of their dreams.
By Kim Jung-mi
Sigong Junior
Copyright Agent : Min Yuree
www.sigongjunior.com
I Am a Stray Dog
(Naneun Tteodori Gaeya)
Lee Sangkyo
Illustrator : Lee Hyungjin
Sigong Junior
2009, 36 pages
ISBN 978-89-5275-419-6
134
LTI Korea
I’m Going to Do as I Like
When baby alligator Ttaksuni is acting stubborn, no one can change her mind. One time when
her mom brought her water to wash her dirty face, Ttaksuni refused and went off to
kindergarten instead; another time when her mom brought her a T-shirt to wear on a very hot
day, Ttaksuni insisted on wearing a fur coat and sweated heavily throughout the day. There is
more. Ttaksuni once broke a vase that was on the table because she wanted to ride her bicycle
inside the house. One day, Ttaksuni went to the park with her mom and met Kkulsigi and his
mom. They bought balloons and water pistols and enjoyed their ice cream. Then Kkulsigi
began crying for another balloon. When he got his balloon, he cried for more ice cream and
then for another water pistol. Seeing Kkulsigi acting up, Ttaksuni realized that her obstinate
behaviors were not acceptable and stopped acting stubborn. This book aims to amend the
stubborn attitude of children who want to do everything their way. Professional advice is
offered at the end of the story so that parents can address their children’s problematic
behaviors. This book is ideal for children between ages 3 and 5 whose stubbornness gives their
parents a hard time.
By Kim Jung-mi
Sigong Junior
I m Going to Do as I Like
(Nae Mamdaero Hallae)
Lee Jihyun
Illustrator : Lee Minhye
Sigong Junior
2008, 36 pages
ISBN 978-89-5275-342-7
135
I Wish I Were a Bird
There was once a man who wanted to be a bird that flies in the sky. While he was painting the
side of a tall building, he thought, “How convenient would it be to have wings?” Then, thanks
to the power of his imagination, combined with his ardent desire, he really became a bird. The
man could now climb tall buildings with ease and fly freely in the sky. Though he sometimes
felt lonely, he did not regret his transformation. Still, when he thought about it carefully, being
a bird was not always great. He had been envious of the fact that birds could fly freely but now
that he was a bird himself, he experienced many inconveniences. For example, he could not fly
in the rain because his wings got wet, could not even walk in snow, and now even had to avoid
running into the cats who used to be no match for him. The man now has a different dream.
Instead of becoming human again, he wants to become a cat, the scariest animal for birds. The
ending is similar to that of many stories situated in children’s imaginary world. Illustrations in
light, watery Korean ink paintings well express the atmosphere of the story and wide spaces
allow children to unfold their wings of imagination. This book is ideal for children aged 5 and
over who always dream about becoming something else.
By Kim Jung-mi
Sigong Junior
I Wish I Were a Bird
(Saega Doego Sipeo)
Han Byungho
Sigong Junior
2009, 36 pages
ISBN 978-89-527-5461-5
136
LTI Korea
Me First, Me First!
Through the story of a little squirrel Jingjing-i (Whiny) who always shouts “me first, me first”
and thinks only about himself, this picture book offers an enjoyable lesson on the importance
of compromise, consideration for others, and tolerance in order to live happily together. One
day Jingjing-i goes to play in the forest with squirrel friends. Though Jingjing-i likes to hang
out with his friends, he does not know how to behave so that everyone can have fun. He has to
be the first one to get on the swing as well as the first to drink water from the fountain. In his
typically unruly fashion, he shouts “me first, me first” when crossing the river and accidentally
falls into the current. Fortunately, his friends come together to save him. Jingjing-i now feels
grateful to his friends and regrets his past behavior. Suddenly, an apple falls from a tree and
stops at his feet. This time Jingjing-i shares the apple with his friends for the first time.
Children who have begun to display a smug, superior attitude in their interactions with peers
can reflect on themselves through Jingjing-i. The character of Jingjing-i rendered with a strong
color contrast between red and green is adorable, while his friends’ bewildered expressions of
anger in reaction to Jingjing-i’s greedy and unruly behavior are vividly evocative. The book
also reads like a song thanks to the rhythmic descriptions of various objects such as swings, a
stone bridge and spring water written in verse.
By Choi Hyunmee
Sigong Junior
Me First, Me First!
(Na Meonjeo Na Meonjeo)
Eom Mirang
Illustrator : Zoo Soonkyo
Sigong Junior
2008, 36 pages
ISBN 978-89-527-5344-1
137
A Path Teeming with Old Paintings
This is an easy-to-understand art education book for children that explains the well-known paintings
from the Joseon (1392-1910) era, the last dynasty of Korea. Paintings flourished during the Joseon
era more than any other time in Korean history and Korean traditional paintings display unique
beauty with composition, color and brush strokes that are distinct from those of Western paintings.
Centering on the genre paintings by Sin Yun-bok and Kim Hong-do, two of the most well-known
artists of Joseon, this book explains traditional paintings and the aspects of Joseon society depicted in
those paintings. Each painting is first shown in full and then divided into parts for more in-depth
explanation. For example, Kim Hong-do’s Mudong (A Dancing Child) is shown in its entirety along
with the general background of the painting. Then, the dancing boy in the picture is separated and his
swift foot and merry dance movements as well as his status are explained in detail. Finally, there is a
close-up of the musicians with explanations on the characteristics of Korean traditional music and
the structure of the music ensemble. Along with paintings by Kim Hong-do and Sin Yun-bok, the
book introduces outstanding portraits, which capture the characteristics of the models, and paintings
of animals loved by children. Children will not only be able to enjoy the paintings, but also to
understand the era and its customs. The author is an elementary school teacher who loves and is
studying Korean traditional paintings. He is currently writing a book on Korean paintings.
By Choi Hyunmee
Sigong Junior
A Path Teeming with Old Paintings
(Jaemiro Bukjeogineun Yet Geurim Gil)
Choi Sukjo
Sigong Junior
2009, 160 pages
ISBN 978-89-527-5524-7
138
LTI Korea
Hocheol’s Spectacles are Weird
Cho Sungja, children’s story writer who has been depicting the daily life of children involving
quarrels, reconciliations and friendship, has captured the mind of children who desire to know
what other people are thinking. One day, Hocheol gets into a fight with his friend and breaks
his glasses. Suddenly, an old man appears and offers Hocheol a pair of new glasses in
exchange for his heart. Worried about being scolded by his mom, Hocheol accepts the old
man’s offer and soon finds out that the glasses enable him to “read other people’s thoughts,”
which appear in blue writing. Using the power of his glasses, Hocheol wins the quiz
competition and receives an award for catching the bank robber. However, he soon begins to
dislike his glasses as he becomes more concerned about his parents who cannot share their
growing financial worries with Hocheol. Similarly, he grows weary of the man at the
stationer’s, whose thoughts are different from what he expresses, and of those among his
friends who hate him. At the end, he cries loudly because he wants to go back to being a
normal boy. This book conveys a message that the pure and innocent heart of a child is much
more valuable than any “magic glasses” and that luck achieved without effort can disappear
easily. Realistic yet affectionate pictures by the illustrator who majored in painting accompany
the story.
By Choi Hyunmee
Sigong Junior
Hocheol s Spectacles are Weird
(Hocheori Angyeongeun Isanghae)
Cho Sungja
Illustrator : Jung Seunghee
Sigong Junior
2006, 106 pages
ISBN 978-89-527-4742-6
139
My Special Umbrella
In this picture book, a lonely child who does not have anyone to bring her an umbrella on a
rainy day imagines her own umbrella. Big raindrops suddenly start falling while everyone is
still at school. Mothers bring pretty, multicolored umbrellas to their children but the main
character begins to worry that the rain would not stop before the end of the class. While
waiting for the rain to stop, the main characters set her imagination free in her head: “If I climb
higher than the dark rain clouds, I would be able to get home without getting wet,” “I wouldn’t
be rained on if I move to the North or the South Pole where it doesn’t rain,” or “I probably
wouldn’t need an umbrella in the desert.” But the class ends and the main character has to
walk through the rain. Then as the main character imagines the things she can use instead of an
umbrella: a large leaf or a plastic bag. At that moment, something very strange happens. The
big, clear jellyfish she once saw at the blue aquarium flies over the main character’s head and
opens up like an umbrella. Though not explicitly stated, it is clear that the child is lonely due to
her mother’s absence. However, the story portrays how the child lives each day thanks to
happy imaginations.
By Choi Hyunmee
Sigong Junior
My Special Umbrella
(Biga Wado Gwaenchana)
Ryu Hosun
Illustrator : Park Jungsub
Sigong Junior
2009, 32 pages
ISBN 978-89-527-5606-0
140
LTI Korea
Ouch, It Stings!
This picture book is a cheerful and witty portrayal of children who are scared of going to the
hospital. Junhyeok has a cold but does not want to see a doctor. When his mother says
“Junhyeok, let’s go to the doctor’s after breakfast,” he begins to think of all kinds of excuses
not to go. At the end, he says “Mom, I’m not Junhyeok. I’m a lion. Lions don’t go to the
hospital because they are really strong!” However, his mom replies, “even lions have to go to
the hospital if they are sick.” Junhyeok goes on to make more excuses that his clothes do not
fit because he is a pig, that he cannot move fast because he is a turtle and that the syringe
needle might break because he is an alligator with hard scales. The shot makes him yell,
“Ouch, it stings!” but it does not hurt as much as he thought it would. To his mother and the
doctor who tell him, “Hey, the alligator is really strong!” Junhyeok exclaims, “I’m not an
alligator. I’m a brave boy called O Junhyeok!”
Instead of simply dragging her scared child to the doctor’s, Junhyeok’s mother understands his
fears and builds upon his imagination to comfort and guide him. Though Junhyeok changes
into a lion, a pig, a turtle and even a chameleon, his feverish red face and runny nose appear on
each of the animals in his transformations, which give them comical faces and expressions.
By Choi Hyunmee
Sigong Junior
Ouch, It Stings!
(At! Ttakkeum!)
Kook Ji-seung
Sigong Junior
2009, 36 pages
ISBN 978-89-5275-663-3
141
Happiness Is Always Near
This picture book gently reminds us that happiness is not faraway but very close to us. The
main character Bomi is sad because the picnic has been cancelled due to rain. To the sulking
Bomi, her mother says “happiness is near” and suggests looking for happiness together. The
mother and daughter call out to happiness: “Where are you, happiness, come out and play with
us!” In the meantime, Bomi has her cookies, gets a call from her grandmother and laughs
while reading her picture book, and at each moment, her mother tells her that happiness is
near. Slowly, Bomi begins to realize that happiness is in her earlobe when she is talking to her
grandmother on the phone, in her eyes when she is reading her picture book and in her feet
when she is riding her bicycle. Suddenly, she wonders where her mother’s happiness is. To
this question, her mother whispers, “My happiness is you.” As she confirms her parents’ love
for her, Bomi feels full of happiness. The illustrations in simple lines represent Bomi’s
happiness in the color yellow. For example, her cookies, picture book and grandmother’s
phone call are all colored in a pretty yellow so that the young readers can see Bomi’s
happiness. Mothers and children can read the book together to confirm their love and
happiness for each other.
By Choi Hyunmee
Sigong Junior
Happiness Is Always Near
(Haengbogeun Nae Yeope Isseoyo)
Shin Hye-een
Illustrator : Kim Hyo-eun
Sigong Junior
2009, 36 pages
ISBN 978-89-5275-655-8
142
LTI Korea
Don’t Feel Small!
This picture book on children’s emotions shows how children who have developed a sense of
inferiority can overcome it. The author studied child development and child psychology at
university and is currently the director of the Korean Association of Bibliotherap. In her new
book, the author approaches the issue of self-esteem by describing the children’s feelings of
inferiority as a “shrinking of the heart.”
The main character Bubi is a short child who has a bad handwriting and cannot run fast.
Whenever he discovers that he is not good at something, his heart grows smaller. But one day
Bubi meets a small flower that is even smaller than him but has embraced its size with a
positive attitude, and learns the advantages of being short and slow. He is consoled once he
understands that everyone has a talent and recovers his confidence once he realizes that he too
is good at something. Bubi shrinks in size whenever he feels insecure, thereby making it easy
for the reader to perceive his state of his mind. He grows back to his regular size when he
recovers his confidence. This book will help young people reflect on their own insecurities and
self-esteem.
By Choi Hyunmee
Sigong Junior
Don t Feel Small!
(Maeuma Jagajijima)
Shin Hye-een
Illustrator : Kim Hyo-jin
Sigong Junior
2010, 36 pages
ISBN 978-89-5275-662-6
143
Little Orphan Daldungi
This story is about an orphan boy who grows up in the process of healing his pain and
embracing the pain of others. Daldungi is left all alone in the world when his grandfather
passes away. He learns that if he does not repay the debt within a month, he will lose his
grandfather’s farm fields. At the same time, he also learns the painful truth that he is not his
grandfather’s biological grandchild but an adopted one and that the innkeeperin his life had
saved his life by breastfeeding him as a baby.
Having decided to take care of himself and his future on his own, Daldungi sells the farm
produce and slowly saves money to pay off the debt. He encourages himself constantly even
when his shoulders are full of blisters from the heavy A-frame carrier and his legs buckle from
hungry. But when the innkeeper, whom he has kept at a distance to avoid facing the fact that
he is an orphan, is framed and arrested, he finally realizes how she has always cared for him so
much. Realizing that he has hurt the innkeeper as much as he has been hurting himself,
Daldungi runs out into the rain to save her. Illustrator Yi Ji-eun has been noted for her modern
reinterpretations of Korean folk stories whose masterly command of ink unfold the serious
stories without making them too heavy.
By Choi Hyunmee
Sigong Junior
Little Orphan Daldungi
(Wangsimnibeol Daldungi)
You Taru
Sigong Junior
2009, 175 pages
ISBN 978-89-5275-562-9
144
LTI Korea
Fish Flying to the Sky
Fish Flying to the Sky (Haneullo Naragan Mulgogi) is a very charming book that uses primary
colors loved by children. It is a story of seven fish of seven colors, namely red, orange, yellow,
green, blue, indigo and violet, and another fish without scales that flew into the sky to become
a rainbow.
The eight fish are shunned by their peers because of their unusual appearance. However, they
are not hurt by those who laugh at their looks and alienate them. Instead, they stand strong
against such narrow-mindedness and reproach their prejudice. Then, they venture into the
larger world to find new friends on their own. Some time later, the eight fish meet again. They
realize that it is their unique characteristics that make them beautiful.
Kim Ho-yeon’s simple illustrations resemble children’s drawings. The ingenuous fish full of
marked individuality catch the reader’s eyes. Writer Heo Eun-soon discusses respect for
oneself and others, along with the importance of individuality through the story of the eight
strong-willed fish. Her intention also includes encouraging the reader to reflect on selfconfidence and the error of prejudice based on appearance.
By Choi Seongkyu
Silvertuba
Copyright Agent : Cho Eun-mi
[email protected] +82 2 393-6240
Fish Flying to the Sky
(Haneullo Naragan Mulgogi)
Heo Eun-soon
Illustrator : Kim Ho-yeon
Silvertuba Co.
2008, 48 pages
ISBN 978-89-9269918-1
145
A Korean Myth: The Birth Goddess
Samsin’s Story
The myth of Samsin, a goddess who helps women bear children, is based on an orally
transmitted song from Jejudo Island called “Samseunghalmang Bunpuri” (Grandma
Samseung’s Revenge), which has been refined through years of investigation and research.
When the human world is thrown into turmoil after the disappearance of Samsin who controls
the birth of human life, the Heavenly King calls upon the young but wise Lady Myeongginguk
for help. Following the king’s orders, Lady Myeongginguk helps women to give birth and
raise children. Meanwhile, the daughter of the Dragon King of the East Sea has already begun
working as Samsin in the human world. Though she helps bring children into the world, she is
not truly dedicated to her job. In order to determine the one true Samsin, the two ladies go to
the Heavenly King. After several tests, Lady Myeongginguk is chosen as the Samsin of this
world, while the daughter of the Dragon King of the East Sea is put in charge of the
underworld. Lady Myeongginguk devotes herself to giving people babies. When she confronts
General Smallpox who leaves scars on children’s beautiful faces, she uses her wisdom to
protect children. The story of Samsin who possesses both strength and warmth tells us the
importance of life. Lively rhythmic verses that come alive with each reading and unique
drawings in the traditional style harmonize beautifully. This book is ideal for younger
elementary school children who enjoy myths.
By Kim Jung-mi
Sonamoo
Copyright Agent : Park Suhee
www.sonamoobook.co.kr
A Korean Myth: The Birth Goddess Samsin s Story
(Agireul Jusineun Samsinhalmeoni)
Phyen Haemoon
Illustrator : Noh Eunjung
Sonamoo Publishing
2008, 87 pages
ISBN 978-89-7139-855-5
146
LTI Korea
The Moon Sorbet
The Moon Sorbet is the second picture book by Baek Heena, author of the bestselling picture book Cloud Bread
(Gureum Ppang). Baek unfolds her lively imagination; people start making sorbet with the moon which is
melting due to global warming.
The story begins on a summer night in the city where every household has air conditioners, fans and fridges
running behind closed doors. Then drip, drip, drip-the distinct sound of melting is heard. Granny goes out to see
what is making the noise and finds the melting moon. She catches all the drops of the melting moon and turns
them into a sorbet. The same night, all the lights go out in the city because people have been consuming too much
electricity at home. In the dark city, Granny hands out her moon sorbet to her neighbors. Those who eat the moon
sorbet begin to glow softly like the moon and discover to their amazement that they don’t feel hot anymore. That
night, people sleep with their windows open, without turning on their fans or air conditioners. However, the hares
that live on the moon have a serious problem: with the moon gone, they no longer have a place to live and have
come down to the earth. After listening to the hares’ complaints, Granny pours the moon water in a plant pot and
the evening primrose begins to bloom. Soon, a small light appears in the sky and it gets bigger and bigger until it
becomes a full moon. The author’s unending imagination is a joy to read. Baek says she came up with the story
on a very hot summer’s night when she was worrying about global warming. An interesting story powered by
wonderful imagination is combined with the importance of the earth and the environment. Out of environmental
concerns, the book has been printed in soybean oil ink and the cover is not coated.
By Choi Hyunmee
StoryBowl
Copyright Agent : Baek Heena
www.storybowl.com
The Moon Sorbet
(Dal Shyabeteu)
Baek Heena
StoryBowl
2010, 32 pages
ISBN 978-89-9647-820-1
147
Children Are Children
Based on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, this book explains children’s rights
and shows the lives of children of the world today. The main character who has been selected
by the UN as a member of the child inspection delegation talks to children from all over the
world and learns about the realities and issues faced by children living in today’s world. Lizza
from Madagascar talks about her friend from the village who is dying of malnutrition, while
Kamende from Kenya talks about a Somalian boy who has to join the army at age thirteen.
Pacal in Mexico talks about his wish and the right to study in Mayan, the language of his
ancestors, and another child named Bek talks about his younger sister who is not permitted to
study because she is a girl. By contextualizing these stories with the information necessary for
a discussion of children’s rights, the book helps children expand their knowledge on the issue.
By Choi Hyunmee
Sun & Tree
Copyright Agent : Han Yu Kyung
Children Are Children
(Eorinineun Eorinida)
Lee Hyun
Illustrator : Park Seo Young
Sun & Tree
2010, 163 pages
ISBN 978-89-6268-058-4
148
LTI Korea
T
U
V
W
Y
Think House
Totobook
Tindrum
Truebook Sinsago
Urikyoyuk
Voozfirm
Wisdomhouse
Woongjin ThinkBig
YeaRimDang
The Extraordinary and Ingenious
Dr. Ig Nobel and His Fun Science Lab
This is a children’s science cartoon that explains some extraordinary researches conducted by
the winners of the Ig Nobel Prize, which was created as a parody of the Nobel Prize by the
Annals of Improbable Research, a science humor magazine published by Harvard University.
The author Hong Seung-woo is one of the leading cartoonists in Korea who runs the cartoon
series Bibimtoon, which portrays a young couple’s everyday life and the joy, anger, sorrow
and pleasure of raising a child. He has published various educational cartoons for children. The
main character of his latest cartoon is Dr. Ig Noble who represents all the winners of the Ig
Noble Prize. Dr. Ig Noble deplores everything boring and ordinary. He studies ways to stop
hiccups by massaging the anus, invents runaway alarm clocks and makes vanilla ice cream
using cow dung. After such extraordinary and improbable researches by Dr. Ig Noble, stories
of the real Ig Noble Prize winners who actually conducted the research are presented, followed
by the simple and easy to understand scientific principles and common scientific knowledge.
The author displays the endless curiosity and scientific passion hidden in what may seem like
bizarre researches.
By Choi Hyunmee
Copyright Agent : Lee Eun hee
www.wjbooks.co.kr
The Extraordinary and Ingenious Dr. Ig Nobel and His Fun Science Lab
(Eongttung Gibal Ig Nobel Baksaui Utgineun Gwahak Silheomsil)
Hong Seung-woo
Think House
2009, 176 pages
ISBN 978-89-01-09841-8
Think House
150
LTI Korea
Pause, Modern Science
Science Teachers Dreaming of a Better Future is a group of science teachers who have been
developing and distributing course materials on the social influences and responsibilities of
science for more than ten years. This book is a general science book for youths that explains
eleven core topics in modern science including nano technology, animal testing, nuclear
energy, ubiquitous computing, genetically modified food and sustainable energy. The book
examines how the topics related to these eleven scientific technologies have been developing,
how they influence our lives today and what they will become in the future. Along with
objective facts, the book leads its readers to reflect on the scientific discussions and
controversies surrounding these facts. The book’s unique storytelling style has attracted much
attention. To facilitate readers’ understanding of the problems and issues in modern science,
each chapter begins with an interesting fable or anecdote, like the story of a farmer who fights
against the company that sells genetically modified seeds, the minutes of a meeting that
parodies a conference on international climate change and the parable of a lab where a
conspiracy unfolds around a nano robot. Following the introduction by such stories, the
science teachers offer explanations based on rich scientific materials and knowledge and
attempt to provide the criteria of balanced value judgment. The book offers an interesting
reading on a number of topics in modern science.
By Choi Hyunmee
Copyright Agent : Kim Injung
cafe.daum.net/tindrum
Pause, Modern Science
(Gwahak, Ilsi Jeongji)
Science Teachers Dreaming of a Better Future
Tindrum Publishing Company
2009, 256 pages
ISBN 978-89-6372-004-3
Tindrum
151
A World without Colors Is So Boring
Intended for children, A World without Colors Is So Boring (Saekkal Eomneun Sesangeun Neomu
Simsimhae) is a collection of famous paintings reproduced in beautiful colors. It will give children a
chance to “discover” colors in the world’s most celebrated paintings. Once they learn about colors, they
will enjoy art and once they start enjoying art, studying art will also be easier. Characters favored by
children present easy-to-understand explanations on color topics such as luminosity, chroma, color circle,
contrast and complementary colors, which could have turned into boring, stiff lectures.
Children who are familiar with colors tend to be creative and sensitive, with a keen eye for beauty. Their
powers of observation will also develop so that they take note of even trivial objects, and their
understanding of color will double their pleasures of art appreciation.
This book has 8 chapters, namely Red, Ocher-Orange, Yellow, Blue, Green, Pink-Purple, White and
Black. The author, who is an art critic, thoughtfully explains the story of colors behind each painting in
her easy to read style. As readers appreciate each painting while focusing on every hue, they will feel
much closer to art and colors as a result. The works of painters from the classical to modern periods, such
as Van Gogh, David, Matisse, Millet, Klimt, Rousseau and Renoir, are included in the book. In addition,
the book includes new paintings by Korean artists that are difficult to find in other collections. The vivid
color reproductions alone make this collection a valuable acquisition to any reader.
By Choi Seongkyu
Copyright Agent : Cha Jeongmin
www.totobook.com
A World without Colors Is So Boring
(Saekkal Eomneun Sesangeun Neomu Simsimhae)
Kong Ju-hyung
Illustrator : Choung Eunhee
Totobook
2006, 96 pages
ISBN 89-90661-27-x 73600
Totobook
152
LTI Korea
How Was the Calendar Made?
This is a children’s non-fiction that provides information on the history of the calendar, answering
questions such as why and how the calendar was made. Rather than simply narrating the
chronological history of the calendar, the book examines how people’s lives have changed and new
desires have developed, and how progress in science and civilization has contributed to creating the
calendar throughout human history.
The author saw the calendar as a work of the human race produced by a complex combination of
three elements, namely humans, nature and science. The book also provides diverse information on
the calendar such as the various principles of counting days behind different calendars, the origins of
the calendar in use today, the reason for the varying number of days in each month, the genesis of the
leap month and the rationale of keeping it, the naming process of the months and days, and different
kinds of calendars including the lunar, solar and Gregorian. In particular, the book brings together
various anecdotes and folk tales related to the calendar.
After winning the Children’s Non-Fiction Book Prize awarded by Changbi Publishers, Inc., Kim
Kyunghwa has mainly been publishing a diverse range of children’s non-fiction that deals with
history and history of science. Kim Suk-kyoung was selected as the Illustrator of the Year Award at
the 2007 Bologna Children’s Book Fair.
By Choi Hyunmee
www.totobook.com
How Was the Calendar Made?
(Dallyeogeun Eotteoke Mandeureojyeosseulkka?)
Kim Kyunghwa
Illustrator : Kim Suk-kyoung
Totobook
2008, 120 pages
ISBN 978-89-90611-70-3
Totobook
153
World Geography in One Fun Bite
Currently the senior reporter at Kids Chosun, a children’s newspaper in Korea, the author has
compiled the articles she published for a special series called “Ah ha, This Is World
Geography!” Based on the popular series, this book is very useful and timely, as more children
travel internationally and knowledge and information about the world proves to be vital for
them. However, it is not easy to learn and grasp all the knowledge on various countries without
visiting them in person. To make the book more accessible her children readers, the author has
organized the contents by topics that would appeal to them, such as the world’s longest and
smallest countries, the deepest lake and the longest river, in order to deliver basic knowledge
and interesting stories on world geography. The book also includes comprehensive information
on this subject such as maps, topography, climate and history. Brief anecdotes, easy and
simple explanation, a variety of maps, witty illustrations and photographs are arranged to add
the book’s fun and appeal. The last chapter on global warming is aimed at helping children
understand the importance of the Earth and its ecosystems.
By Choi Hyunmee
www.totobook.com
World Geography in One Fun Bite
(Han Ibe Kkulkkeok Masinneun Segye Jiri)
Ryoo Hyuna
Illustrator : Im Ickjong
Totobook
2009, 160 pages
ISBN 978-89-9061-176-5
Totobook
154
LTI Korea
Daddy, Why Does the Time Fly When
I’m Having Fun?
This is an educational philosophy book in which the author, a psychologist who studied
psychology and cognitive science at university, unfolds his philosophical thinking through the
letters he exchanges with his two daughters. He guides them to think on their own and become
the masters of their own lives. When his children ask him a question, he never offers a direct
answer. “Dad, can’t you just give us a quick, rough solution?” they complain. He answers, “If
you approximate the answer, your life also becomes an approximation,” and instead leads
them to philosophical dialogue and thinking. In this way, the father and daughters talk about
time, sadness and fear, death, difference, freedom and responsibility, war and peace, and
happiness. During these conversations, they begin to enjoy finding answers by themselves and
develop the power of thinking. Though we often think of philosophy as difficult, the book
shows that philosophy is really not that special. The book helps children to rethink their
thoughts and feelings and guides them to develop their own ideas about the world and life
through this process. When this book was first published, many readers with children
expressed their desires to be a parent like the author.
By Choi Hyunmee
www.totobook.com
Daddy, Why Does the Time Fly When I’m Having Fun?
(Appa, Geimhal Ttaen Wae Sigani Ppalli Ga?)
Peter Lee
Totobook
2009, 168 pages
ISBN 978-89-9061-183-3
Totobook
155
One Daughter of My Mom’s
Friend Is a Monster
Korea is a severely competitive society that drives even children into academic competition.
Popular phrases attributed to mothers that reflect such social reality aremy friend’s daughter
and my friend’s son. For whenever mothers try to motivate their children, they habitually say
things like my friend’s daughter (son) gets good grades and carries out her (his)responsibilities
well on her (his) own. Regardless of whether such a child actually exists, a child who is perfect
in adults’eyes seems like a monster to ordinary children. The children in this book attend
various after-school classes in order to satisfy their mothers’ unyielding greed and even
sacrifice sleep for more study time. However, Instead of being praised for their efforts, they
are always scolded for not meeting the expectations. When these children finally meet the
legendary daughter of their mothers’ friend, however, they realize that she is neither perfect
nor happy. The book humorously portrays the admirable process through which the children
realize that unnecessary comparison can hurt family and friends and that they are the masters
of their own lives. Author Kim Hyeri is one of the most loved steady-selling writers in Korea.
This book is ideal for children aged between 7 and 10.
By Park Suk-kyoung
Copyright Agent : Hee-jeon Kim
www.sinsago.co.kr
One Daughter of My Mom s Friend Is a Monster
(Eomma Chingu Ttareun Goemul)
Kim Hyeri
Truebook Sinsago Co., Ltd.
2008, 64 pages
ISBN 978-89-5977-513-2
Truebook sinsago
156
LTI Korea
Mom, Five More Minutes, Please
Mom, Five More Minutes, Please is a children’s book for lower grade elementary school
children written by No Kyungsil, one of the leading children’s book writers in Korea. It talks
about good habits and why one should develop them by following the character Hyeonho, who
manages to overcome his habit of being late all the time. “Five more minutes, Mommy” is
what Hyeonho used to say every morning. His mom threatens him with a big shot or a thorny
whip, and sometimes uses many curious alarm clocks but Hyeonho is still always late. What is
more, Hyeonho fabricates all kinds of lies to make excuses for his tardiness to his teacher and
friends. However, Hyeonho does not understand why he should not be late. In his mind, he is a
good student who does his homework and dreams of becoming an internationally renowned
robot scientist. Then one day, something happens to Hyeonho, who used to be too easy on
himself, that makes him shout “I will never be late again!” The book reminds children that
good habits are necessary, not to receive compliments or to avoid being scolded, but for their
own good.
By Choi Hyunmee
Copyright Agent : Hee-jeon Kim
www.sinsago.co.kr
Mom, Five More Minutes, Please
(Eomma Obunman)
No Kyungsil
Truebook Sinsago Co., Ltd.
2009, 68 pages
ISBN 978-89-5977-727-3
Truebook sinsago
157
The Adventures of a Girl in Search for a
Scary Dokkaebi
The older brother scribbles on his younger sister's bag. As upset as she can be, the younger
sister goes off in search of a dokkaebi that can punish her brother. She first encounters the
staircase dokkaebi, who is a coward and then the broomstick dokkaebi, who is a boaster.
Though they promise to punish her brother, they just keep on avoiding him. The third one that
she encounters, the sand dokkaebi, however, understands her distress and plays with her. After
playing together, the younger sister comes to forget what her brother did to her bag. However,
as she is returning home in the late afternoon, she sees that the streets are covered with foul
things about her brother. No matter how hard she tries to erase them, the words do not
disappear, and she begins to cry. Upon hearing his sister, the older brother runs out of the
house to console her. This story about the quarrels and reconciliations between brother and
sister is more interesting when read together with Brother for Sale! (Nae Dongsaeng Ssage
Parayo) and The Big Sister and Her Little Brother (Nunawa Namdongsaeng), both written by
the same author. Thanks to the three dokkaebi’s unique characteristics and the climax structure
that becomes more interesting with each repetition, the fun of the book does not fade even
after several readings. This book is ideal for children aged between 4 and 6.
By Park Suk-kyoung
Copyright Agent : Jang Seul-ki
www.uriedu.co.kr
The Adventures of a Girl in Search for a Scary Dokkaebi
(Museoun Dokkaebi Chajagayo)
Lim Jeongja
Illustrator : Lee Soo-jeen
Urikyoyuk Co., Ltd.
2008, 36 pages
ISBN 978-89-8040-425-4
Urikyoyuk
158
LTI Korea
The Hawk
In this book, the young brother and sister learn the meaning of the freedom of all living things,
as they capture and raise wild hawks. The main character Jeonghui and her younger brother
Beomi bring home two wild hawks from the mountain and start taking care of them. They feed
the birds and put all their care into them but the bigger hawk ends up hurting its legs while
trying to escape. Unlike the bigger hawk, the small one is soon tamed and adapts to life in the
cage. One day, an incident that mystifies Jeonghui takes place. A neighbor ruins the rice paddy
that belongs to her family because they were not growing the “variety of rice sanctioned by the
government.” Jeonghui’s older brother is put in prison for his violent protest, while Jeonghui’s
father keeps mum on what has happened, though he believes it to be unjust. On the day of her
brother’s trial, Jeonghui is reminded of the bigger hawk that had tried to escape and recognizes
that the power oppressing her brother and father is not so different from her incarceration of
the hawks. Jeonghui finally decides to free the hawk, but soon afterwards it is found dead after
fighting a poisonous snake. Set in a farming village in the 1970s, the book gives affectionate
descriptions of life on the farm throughout the year and tells the incidents that take place as the
young siblings try to raise the birds in detail from the perspective of the young girl.
By Choi Hyunmee
Copyright Agent : Jang Seul-ki
www.uriedu.co.kr
The Hawk
(Mae)
Lee Chang-suk
Illustrator : Kim Ho-min
Urikyoyuk Co., Ltd.
2010, 150 pages
ISBN 978-89-8040-862-7
Urikyoyuk
159
Comparison - Evolution of Animal
This is a learner’s encyclopedia that explains the evolutionary process of animals and human
beings of this planet. Some 600 animal species-ranging from the appearance of bacteria and
fungi 3.8 billion years ago to today’s Homo sapiens and their lifestyles-are shown in rich
illustrations and diagrams. The book explains when the first animal appeared on this planet,
how it evolved and which animals became extinct throughout the evolutionary process. The
main characteristic of this book is comparison, as stated in its title. It uses comparison to
explain the unfamiliar topic of evolutionary process of animals and the human race. For
example, in the section that describes the introduction of animals to the world, the book has
put together all the animals in one graphic chart, instead of covering each animal separately, so
that their first appearances can be compared simultaneously. Their respective habitats, external
features (comparison of wings, beaks, legs, etc.), reproductions (comparison between males
and females as well as periods of infancy), and food chains (comparison of excrements,
protective coloring, etc.) are shown together to offer a comprehensive look at the evolutionary
process of various animals. To facilitate children’s understanding, the author has invented cute
characters like Pau, Nao, Paul, Chen, Nia and Bob, which jump into the animals’ evolutionary
process and explore the story of evolution.
Choi Hyunmee
Copyright Agent : Shim Mijung
www.voozfirm.com
Comparison- Evolution of Animal
(Bigyo-Dongmul Jinhwa Pyeon)
Ye Hyeong
Illustrator : Gang Sin-gwang
Voozfirm Publishers
2009, 112 pages
ISBN 978-89-919-9273-3
Voozfirm
160
LTI Korea
I Like Being Lazy
Subtitled “Learn to Do Things on Your Own” and part of the “Good Habit-Forming Everyday
Stories” series, this book teaches children how to develop good habits through the main
character who overcomes his laziness.
The main character Eungyeol is lazy, sluggish and prone to put things off. He plays outside all
day and only begins his homework late at night and thus scolded by his mother in the morning
because he always oversleeps. Though he thinks there is nothing wrong with being a little lazy,
he comes to recognize his shortcoming after he almost loses his younger brother on account of
his irresponsible behavior and his friends begin hating him for hurting another friend. Eungyeol
decides to keep his promises to himself one by one. The first promise is to do his homework as
soon as he returns from school. However, even just one promise is not so easy to keep.
The book includes a “Laziness Self-Evaluation” which helps children find out for themselves
how lazy they are and “How to Overcome Laziness,” a practical guide to avoid being lazy.
Cute and lively illustrations that capture children’s vivid expressions make the book all the
more interesting.
By Choi Hyunmee
Copyright Agent : Kwon Minkyung
www.wisdomhouse.co.kr
I Like Being Lazy
(Geeureunge Joa)
Yang Hea-won
Illustrator : Lee Young-rin
Wisdomhouse Publishing Co., Ltd.
2000, 88 pages
ISBN 978-89-6247-104-5
Wisdomhouse
161
Baby-Saurus Dooly’s Grand
Exploration on Science
“Baby-Saurus Dooly” is one of the most popular animation characters in Korea. It began as a
cartoon series of the same name in a children’s cartoon magazine in 1983. The series became
extremely popular and was turned into animation for TV and cinema. Thanks to the rising
popularity, its characters were soon licensed for use on stationary products and clothing. In a
2006 survey, Dooly was selected as the “most beloved character in Korea.” This book is part
of children’s educational cartoon series that features Little Dino Dooly as the main character.
The first book of the series, Stop the Conspiracy of the Dinosaur Park!, begins as Dooly and
his friends travel back two hundred million years in time to the era of dinosaurs in search for
Dooly’s mother. Using their time machine, they go through the Triassic, Jurassic and
Cretaceous periods and stop the conspiracy of villains from the future who attempt to destroy
the dinosaur ecology and build a dinosaur park. The book provides knowledge on dinosaurs
throughout the adventure. It includes helpful photos including those of fossils and an appendix
of learning pages that offer more in-depth information on the topic. Intended to cover four
areas of science, Chinese characters, history and world culture, this educational cartoon series
plans to publish 50 books on science.
By Choi Hyunmee
Copyright Agent : Claire Yang
www.wjbooks.co.kr
Woongjin ThinkBig
Baby-Saurus Dooly s Grand Exploration on Science
(Agi Gongnyong Dulli Gwahak Daetamheom)
Kim Soo-jung
Illustrator : Hitoon.com
Woongjin ThinkBig Co., Ltd.
2009, 207 pages
ISBN 978-89-01-09794-7
162
LTI Korea
Bad Boy Sticker
The main character Geonu is a mischievous student. Whenever Geonu gets into trouble, his
teacher gives him a “Bad Boy Sticker.” If a student receives three of them, he has to stay at
school till 5 p.m. to solve mathematical problems or write book reports. Geonu unjustly
receives the dreaded sticker even though he has not been so naughty. Therefore, he secretly
begins to assign a “bad teacher sticker” to his teacher whenever he receives another unjust
“bad boy sticker.” One day, Geonu flushes down the toilet all the stickers he has found on the
teacher’s desk. However, instead of getting angry, the teacher understands his feelings and
they reconcile.
Children will be able to sympathize with Geonu’s story as the author examines the school life
through the eyes of an elementary school student. Young readers can share and solve their
problems through Geonu. Bad Boy Sticker has been reprinted 100 times, which is unusual for
creative children’s stories in Korea, and is still loved by elementary school students as a mustread book. It was selected as one of the “100 Korean Books” by the host country at the 2005
Frankfurt Book Fair and received an excellence award at the first SBS Children’s Media
Awards. It was also one of the recommended books chosen by various organizations including
the Children’s Book Research Institute and the Seoul Metropolitan Office for Education. In
2000, it was selected as a “good book” by Chosun Children’s Daily.
www.wjbooks.co.kr
By Choi Seongkyu
Woongjin ThinkBig
Bad Boy Sticker
(Nappeun Eorini Pyo)
Hwang Seon-mi
Illustrator : Kwon Sa-woo
1999, 104 pages
ISBN 978-89-0106-859-6
163
Week-Long Friend 3-165
What do toys at the toy rental shop whose friends change every week dream about? A WeekLong Friend 3-165 (Iljuil Jjakgung 3-165) is a story that reflects on “true communication” and
“relationship building” through the stories of rented toys. When a yellow ducky comes to the
shop, she is assigned the number 3-165. Though she hopes to meet a child who understands
her and keeps her for a long time rather than just a week, the reality is not so simple. Thus, the
toy 3-165 waits for her kind friend Gyeongo with whom she shares her true feelings for the
first time. However, she gradually grows weary as she is tossed, kicked around and bit by
mischievous children. She exclaims that “everyone’s dream is but a dream [ ] but I can’t give
up dreaming!” Finally, the toys that used to argue all the time due to their different points of
view come together and decide to escape from the rental shop. The toys, which leave the
confined space where they were waiting to be picked to search for friends themselves and
never cease to dream of genuine communication despite the pain caused by senseless violence,
make a lasting impression. The toys that wait for friends to whom they can open their hearts
completely provide much to ponder, for their little rental shop reminds us of the world in
which we live. This book is ideal for older elementary school children who are seeking true
friendship.
By Kim Jung-mi
www.wjbooks.co.kr
Woongjin ThinkBig
A Week-Long Friend 3-165
(Iljuil Jjakgung 3-165)
Kim Nayeon
Illustrator : Oh Jungtaek
2008, 156 pages
ISBN 978-89-010-9007-8
164
LTI Korea
I Need A Friend
Eunae is in third grade and her classmates call her a jijiri (helpless ninny) because she is short,
plain-looking, inept at her studies, and always dressed in dirty clothes. Eunae wants to make
friends but is always alone because she cannot speak kindly to others. She strays even further
because of her parents who are professionally competent but indifferent to Eunae’s school life.
One day, Eunae’s aunt tells her four ways to make friends: be confident, share good things
with friends, compliment them as much as possible, and approach friends first. Vowing to
make friends by becoming a better friend to others, Eunae carries out her aunt’s advice one by
one. It is not easy at first but she slowly breaks down the invisible wall that used to separate
her from others by opening up her heart and initiating conversations. It is a joy to watch Eunae
discover the light hidden inside her and grow closer to her friends. As the book tells the story
in the voices of children, young readers will be able to relate easily to the story. This book is
ideal for the lower-grade child who is resolved to be kinder to his or her friends first before
expecting to be remembered as a good friend.
By Kim Jungmi
[email protected]+82 2 3670 1168
www.wjbooks.co.kr
Woongjin ThinkBig
I Need A Friend
(Chinguga Piryohae)
Park Jeong-ae
Illustrator : Kim Jin-wha
2008, 95 pages
ISBN 978-89-010-8236-3
165
Tooth-brushing Champion!
This picture book shows children the right way to brush their teeth with fun illustrations so that
they can follow each step. The author is a dentist, a mother of a five-year-old girl and a
popular “power-blogger” who has been writing a reading diary of children’s books. Through
the main character Kongi, the book shows the development and treatment of tooth cavities.
After getting her treated at the dentist’s, Kongi learns from the dentist how to maintain her
teeth healthy and puts methods she has learned into practice. Each step is explained with
illustrations. “A hippo eats cheese and goes ‘merong’ (sticks his tongue out).” So goes the
spell the author uses to help children brush their teeth. It makes tooth brushing fun and
effective, for instance, by pointing out the parts they have to brush. The spell goes on to say:
open your mouth wide like a hippo and brush the chewing surfaces and the inner teeth, say
“cheese” and roll your brush in circles to brush the outer teeth; then finally say “merong”
while sticking your tongue out to clean the tongue. Children can easily follow the instructions
in the spell after reading the book.
By Choi Hyunmee
www.wjbooks.co.kr
Woongjin ThinkBig
Tooth-brushing Champion!
(I Dakgi Daejangiya)
Lee Yoonjeong
2009, 32 pages
ISBN 978-89-01-09809-8
166
LTI Korea
A Butterfly’s Dream
This is a biography of an internationally known the modern Korean musician Yun Isang
(1917-1995). The story begins when Yun’s opera Sim Cheong based on a Korean folktale of
the same title opens the Munich Olympic Games and traces his life back to childhood.
Born in Tongyeong, a fishing village by the sea, Yun dreamt of becoming a musician while
listening to the sound of the wind, the waves and the gulls and to the fishermen’s songs. He
traveled to Germany to study music at the age of forty and successfully performed Music for
Seven Instrument for the first time at the International Summer Courses of Contemporary
Music in Darmstadt. In 1967, however, South Korean military government accused him of
espionage in East Berlin. Yun was then kidnapped by the South Korean secret police and
sentenced to life imprisonment. He was exiled in 1969 and left again for Germany. Despite the
world’s respect and welcome, he could never return to his own country. It took forty years to
clear his name of espionage.
This book portrays Yun’s life that was turned away from his own country and how he
contributed to Korea’s democratization in the process. It also depicts in a simple yet symbolic
language how he overcame historical twists and turns, and how he used his personal struggles
to create his own world of music.
www.wjbooks.co.kr
By Oh Yunhyun
Woongjin ThinkBig
A Butterfly s Dream
(Nabiui Kkum)
Lee Hyun-sook
Illustrator : Lee Hyoung-jin
2010, 40 pages
ISBN 978-89-0110-509-3
167
The Stone Temple of Seokguram
At the last Bologna Children s Book Fair held in Bologna in March of 2010, there was one book, a unique picture
book about a black-and-white statue of the Buddha, that caught people s attention. The title of this book was The Stone
Temple of Seokguram. This book received mention in the fiction section amidst the flashier, more colorful prizewinning books in that category. The resting spot for that Buddha is in Korea, situated at the very tip of the peninsula
that is at the eastern tip of the Eurasian continent and faces the Pacific Ocean.
Seokguram is the name of a temple built in 774 AD during the Silla Kingdom. It is a unique temple in that it was built
as a cave from stone. The remains of this temple are today considered among the masterpieces of Asian Buddhist art.
At the center of this temple is the gracefully peaceful stone Buddha, the epitome of Buddhist sublime beauty. Notable
is its architectural design which naturally eliminates humidity despite its proximity to the sea, and this structure
prevents the buildup of moss and other deterioration. The fact that this stone statue still stands in one piece even after
1,200 years is very surprising. This masterpiece, which brings together architecture, mathematics, geometry, religion,
and art has been chosen by UNESCO as a World Heritage site.
The first charm of The Stone Temple of Seokguram is its stimulating pictures, which allow for the viewer to vicariously
experience this beautiful world heritage site. Tohamsan mountain in the city of Gyeongju, which is home to
Seokguram, is also famous for its beautiful sunrises. The path to Tohamsan leading up to the temple before sunrise is
foggy. Those who plod up the mountain to make their wishes are truly earnest, and the possibility of their wishes
coming true is as white and wispy as the fog. It is impossible to relax until one passes through the four guardians of the
Buddha and until one arrives directly in front of the statue. But at the sight of the Buddha s benevolent smile, one feels
at ease. This book captures the process of emotional development from fear to tension to relief through detailed ink
paintings that bring these feelings to life. The most notable scene is the moment when the mother and child finally find
themselves standing in front of the Buddha and gaze at his smile.
This book s other charm lies in its narrative. The poet, Kim Mi-hae, manages to create a bright and affectionate
narrative that resonates with the reader even while it inspires through the weighty images produced only by the play of
light and shadows. The child is waiting for the father to come back from a long journey that has taken him far away;
through the Buddha s shiny forehead and the rising sun, the child s mournful appeal is transformed into hope.
During the Bologna Children s Book Festival, an American editor looked through this book, which was on display for
its achievements, and expressed a very favorable opinion: I was deeply moved by the mysterious beauty of this
unmoving stone Buddha, and by the dignified child who moved the Buddha s heart. Children s books usually feature
bright experiences and spaces occupied by children bursting with energy. All things considered, then, the fact that a
story about the silent interaction between a child and a Buddha received such positive responses deserves our attention.
It is for this reason that this book goes beyond pleasing an audience within a limited cultural context and is worthy of
receiving international praise.
By Kim Ji-eun
Woongjin ThinkBig
www.wjbooks.co.kr
The Stone Temple of Seokguram
(Dollo Jieun Jeol, Seokguram)
Kim Mi-hae / Illustrator : Choi Mi-ran
2009, 45 pages
ISBN 978-89-01-10209-2
168
LTI Korea
The School Life of Pouty-Face
Also working as an elementary school teacher, the author has been writing about the bubbly
daily life of children. This work also tells the story of children she has encountered at school.
The main character is bored of school life and finds it joyless. He is indifferent to everything
so his nickname is “Sikeundungi” (A Korean term to characterize someone who is indifferent).
As he finds school boring, O Sikeundungi causes all kinds of unimaginable trouble. He turns
the lockers inside out, crawls behind the teacher’s desk and jabs the teacher’s buttocks, and
hides in the custodian’s closet. When he is scolded by the teacher and kicked out of the
classroom, he has fun on the jungle gym, climbing it all by himself. Then one day, a big
change takes place within O Sikeundungi, hitherto a real troublemaker and a problem child.
School unexpectedly becomes fun for him when he befriends Kim Ttungbo (“Fatty Boy
Kim”). This story shows the transformation of a troublemaker as he adapts to school and the
importance of friends. It also provokes reflection on the difficult, competitive nature of our
children’s lives which only revolve around school, after-school activities and private lessons,
and home, with special focus on school life which does not seem fun even from the teachers’
perspective.
By Choi Hyunmee
www.wjbooks.co.kr
Woongjin ThinkBig
The School Life of Pouty-Face
(O Sikeundungiui Hakgyo Saenghwal)
Song Eon
Illustrator : Choe Jung-in
Woongjin ThinkBig, Co., Ltd.
2010, 125 pages
ISBN 978-89-0110-744-8
169
When Waste Continues to Pile Up
How much waste do we produce each day? Where does it go and how is it treated? Starting
from these questions, this educational picture book delivers a step-by-step investigation to
satisfy children’s curiosity. The author, an expert on waste who has been working in
environment-related fields for the past 15 years, is currently working at the Sudokwon Landfill
Site Management Corporation. Having researched ways to turn waste into green energy, he has
written this book in order to inform children about the seriousness of environmental pollution
caused by waste. He explains in detail waste treatment as well as waste recycling and wise
consumption habits. In order to reduce waste, we have to consume wisely by being economical
with what we already have and buying only the things we need.
The illustrations by Lee Kyoung-kook, who was selected as the Illustrator of the Year Award
at the 2008 Bologna Children’s Book Fair, keep a topic that otherwise might have been dry
interesting for the readers. Lee visited landfill sites several times and used the photos from his
visits to create various collages, which add fun as well as visual beauty to the book.
By Choi Hyunmee
www.wjbooks.co.kr
Woongjin ThinkBig
When Waste Continues to Pile Up
(Sseuregiga Ssaigo Ssaimyeon)
Park Ki-Yeong
Illustrator : Lee Kyoung-kook
Woonjin ThinkBig Co., Ltd.
2010, 36 pages
ISBN 978-89-0110-812-4
170
LTI Korea
The Children of Delta
This children’s story casts a critical view on the way society creates fake heroes whose only
objective is fame. It is the winner of the 2009 Children’s Literature Award given by Woongjin
ThinkBig Co., Ltd., a publisher specializing in children’s book. Elementary school student
Dongmin’s older brother sleeps all day. After he failed to get into a prestigious high school, he
fell into a deep slumber and has not woken up yet. Dongmin’s parents cannot do anything but
keep a close eye on him.
Then Dr. Jamno and his research become a topic of great interest. The doctor is currently developing
a machine called “Delta” that can control people’s sleep cycles. Dongmin’s parents believe that
Delta will be able to cure Dongmin’s older brother. Fund-raising events are organized to provide
money for the development of Delta, while Dongmin and his friends open an online fan site for Dr.
Jamno to show their support. Dr. Jamno becomes a children’s hero overnight. But soon, allegations
questioning the veracity of Dr. Jamno’s research are raised and some members of Dr. Jamno’s fan
site begin to oppose sleep manipulation technology. They opine that it is not right to eliminate sleep
completely from human life. The book criticizes adults who exaggerate or fabricate their
achievements for fame and consequently hurt children as well as the tendency to undervalue sleep in
order to produce better results.
By Choi Hyunmee
www.wjbooks.co.kr
Woongjin ThinkBig
The Children of Delta
(Deltaui Aideul)
Yim Eo-jin
Illustrator : Cho Seong Yon
2010, 96 pages
ISBN 978-89-0110-699-1
171
100 Essential Mathematical Questions
for Elementary School Students
The author, an elementary school teacher and a consultant for a children’s educational program
on EBS, explains elementary school mathematics in this fun picture book. At over 304 pages,
it is a thick book-perhaps too thick for a children’s book-that covers the contents of
elementary school mathematics (grades 1-6) including fractional and prime numbers, shapes,
probability and statistics, symbols and equations and regularity and function. However, the
author explains by linking mathematics with stories easily found in everyday life rather than
with numbers, equations and calculations so that children can understand the principles of
mathematics. She tells interesting stories of mathematics by answering questions like: When
were numbers invented? How did our ancestors count numbers? Why do telephone numbers
always end with four digits? Why are all soda cans tube-shaped? And what is the probability
of winning the first prize in the lottery? Children can select the section they want to read
depending on their grade or start from the beginning and progress to higher mathematical
concepts. Lee Yoonsun’s illustrations and general knowledge of mathematics make the book a
fun and interesting read.
By Choi Hyunmee
Copyright Agent : Claire Ko/BoA Kim
[email protected]/[email protected]
+82 2 3404 9247, 3404 8459
www.yearim.co.kr
YeaRimDang
100 Essential Mathematical Questions for Elementary School Students
(Chodeunghakgyo Ttae Kkok Arayahal Suhak 100)
Kim Youngji
Illustrator : Lee Yoonsun
YeaRimDang Publishing Co., Ltd.
2009, 304 pages
ISBN 978-89-3023-307-1
172
LTI Korea
PUBLISHER_Kim Joo-youn
Korea Literature Translation Institute at
108-5 Samseong-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul,Republic of Korea 135-873
Telephone : 82-2-6919-7700
Fax : 82-2-3448-4247
E-mail : [email protected]
www.klti.or.kr
www.list.or.kr
Cover Illustration:
Kim Dong-sung, <The Wildflower Kid>, Gilbut Children Publishing Co., Ltd.
www.klti.or.kr www.list.or.kr

An introduction to Korean

Transcription

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