1.
Dog - Gaeko
2.
Giraffe - as big as a giraffe
3.
Hawk - Hawk's Eye
4.
Eagle - like a bald eagle
5.
Crocodile - Crocodile Tears
6.
turtle - turtle neck
7.
Goldfish - Goldfish Memory
8.
Cat - Cat Washing
9.
Owl - Owl Life
10.
Magpie - Magpie House
11.
Crab - like a crab closing its eyes
12.
Flea - Flea liver
13.
Ant Ghost - Ant Hell
14.
Bedbug - Bedbug sticks
15.
Kangaroo - Kangaroo Tribe
16.
Tiger - Toothless Tiger
17.
Goose - Goose Dad
18.
Ant - like a worker ant
19.
Bejjangi - Bejjangi Life
20.
Bee - like a queen bee
21.
Mayfly - Mayfly Life
22.
Ox - Ox's stubbornness
23.
Snake - like a snake
24.
Tree frog - like a tree frog
25.
pufferfish - looks like pufferfish

“A must-read for any animal lover.”
A unique knowledge resource that captures both literacy and inquiry skills.

People who have a short memory and forget things quickly are called 'goldfish memory'.
There is also a widely spread myth that goldfish have a memory of three seconds.
Is that really true? Let's get the scientific "truth" out of the way: contrary to popular belief, goldfish actually have a pretty good memory.
It remembers not only the location of food but also social relationships.
(See page 42, 'Goldfish')
《The True Animal Encyclopedia》 is a book that seeks the truth by taking a fresh look at frequently heard animal idioms, and a total of 25 animal idioms appear.
Expressions that have become fixed and different from actual information, such as 'goldfish memory', have been corrected, and expressions that are appropriately used, such as 'toothless tiger', have been supported with scientific evidence.
In reality, tigers whose teeth have fallen out or become weak due to aging or injury have difficulty hunting or even chewing and swallowing their prey, making it difficult for them to survive for more than a few days.
As such, teeth are essential for a tiger's survival.
(Refer to the 'Tiger' section on page 92) In addition, there are various expressions that compare animal characteristics to the human body, such as a dog's nose, eagle's eyes, and turtle's neck, as well as expressions that compare our lifestyle habits or living situations, such as a cat washing its face, an owl's life, and kangaroos.

Each chapter begins with a fun six-panel cartoon that shows the situations in which animal idioms are commonly used, and then proceeds to examine the truth of the expressions through the vivid voices of twenty-five animals.
A dog candidly and unequivocally reveals whether a human's sense of smell is as good as a "dog's nose," a cat candidly and sloppily reveals whether a cat washes its face haphazardly and carelessly, and a grasshopper candidly reveals whether it is just playing without any preparation for the future.
In addition, the information was enriched by introducing the unique characteristics and special abilities of each animal.
The 'Animal Ability Test' included later is a witty set of questions that allow you to cheerfully reflect on the truths about animals you've already learned.
This book is both an animal guide and a literacy book. It goes beyond simply conveying information about animals, and provides opportunities to check the usage of idioms and apply them correctly.
This is a unique knowledge information book that combines both exploratory power and literacy skills, naturally improving Korean language skills while accumulating interesting scientific knowledge.

The 'truth' in this book

□ Do you think deliberately acting in the opposite direction is like a frog? The truth about 'a frog'!
☞ When you don't listen to others and act contrary to them, they say you're like a frog in a tree.
That's a misunderstanding that arises from different habitats.
Usually, frogs live near the water, but when it rains, they come up onto the ground or trees.
However, tree frogs that live on trees come down to the ground when it rains to avoid the danger of shaking leaves or pouring rain.
I'll tell you what a real frog is on page 140.

□ Eating the liver of a flea? The truth about 'flea liver'!
☞ They say that when you covet the possessions of someone who has little, you are stealing the liver of a flea.
At first glance, fleas are small, but you might wonder how much smaller their livers are.
But in fact, fleas don't have livers.
There are no insects with livers, not even fleas.
However, a tissue called 'fat body' replaces the liver.
Find out how a flea without a liver survives on page 68.

□ Kangaroos who don't become independent as adults? The truth about 'kangaroos'!
☞ People who live with their parents and do not become independent even after becoming adults are called "kangaroo tribe". This term probably came from observing kangaroos raising their young in pouches.
Kangaroos, whose gestation period is only about a month, give birth to immature young weighing less than a gram.
That's why pocket life is necessary.
Besides, these baby kangaroos leave their mothers' nests after a year.
See page 86 for more details.

A unique concept never seen before,
An animal guide appropriate for our circumstances, published by a domestic expert

Animals are a subject that children especially enjoy, and have been consistently published and greatly loved in various fields.
However, in the case of the animal guide, the range of choices was not wide.
Not only was it difficult to find domestic books, but even when they were available, most of them were listed as information-oriented.
In comparison, “The True Animal Guide” arouses readers’ curiosity with its fresh concept.
You can read the information about your favorite animals with 'Eagle Eyes', but it is also a good animal guide to read from beginning to end in one sitting 'like a crab closing its eyes'.
The author of this book, Dr. Choi Hyeong-seon, studied ecology at Ewha Womans University and has been researching animal survival strategies for over 30 years.
Having taught at a university for many years, he now serves as an animal mentor for children, providing accurate information that reflects the latest research.
It is also significant that a domestic expert has published an animal guide that is suitable for our country's circumstances.
Add to this the witty and unique illustrations of artist Chayada, and you have a special picture book that you will want to keep for a long time.


Knowing and understanding the true nature of animals,
The first step toward respect and coexistence

In August 2025, animal rights groups held a press conference in the National Assembly calling for the gradual "abolition" of regulations permitting bullfighting.
There are two parallel views: one that bullfighting, which has been going on since the Three Kingdoms period, is a "traditional event" and the other that it is "animal abuse" to force bulls into fights and injure them.
To approach these sharp claims, the first thing we need to do is to have the right information.
Only after knowing the 'truth' about what kind of animal a cow is can I finally express my own voice.
(For the truth about cows, see page 128, ‘Bulls’) The author of ‘The True Animal Guide’ also emphasizes this point.

I believe that respect begins with a correct understanding.
The more you learn about animals, the more you will understand them and become interested in ways to live together with them.
I hope this book will be the first step toward that change for you.

-From the author's note

Why should we understand animals?
I keep forgetting this, but it's probably because humans are also animals.
Examining animals with affection is no different from exploring humanity.
Knowing the truth that the sex of baby turtles is determined by the incubation temperature of their eggs (female if warm, male if cool), we can face the reality that the recent serious sex ratio imbalance (female:male = 116:1, data released by the World Wildlife Fund Korea) of sea turtles is due to the climate crisis.
If you learn about the history of bedbugs, which have tenaciously survived from the Mesozoic Era when dinosaurs lived to the present day, you will be able to understand the epidemic of bedbugs that spread around the world by hiding in travelers' luggage.
Ultimately, "The True Animal Guide" is also a guide that conveys the truth that coexistence begins with a correct understanding of animals.

■ Recommended Reviews

· I will make my mom, who says I am like a frog, read this book.
-Oh Ye-rim (5th grade)
· I've already become friends with several of them.
I think we'll meet in our dreams.
-Chujihan child (2nd grade)