Poet's words

Part 1: A place only bright-eyed children can discover
Part 2 If you have a dinosaur egg
Part 3 I am a rabbit who is not bored at all
Part 4 The bonfire continues without going out

Commentary | Grandma Etchi, Who Moves Between Dreams and Beyond_Kim Je-gon

An imaginary country where you create your own world

Poet Lim Su-hyeon, who began her career by winning the Changbi Children's New Writer's Award in 2016, has established herself as a solid pillar in the world of children's literature, winning the grand prize at the 7th Munhakdongne Children's Poetry Literature Award and the children's poetry category at the 27th Changbi 'Good Children's Book' Manuscript Contest.
The poet is consistently loved by critics and readers alike for his delicate gaze that examines the heart of a lonely child and his unique imaginary world created with fantasy based on reality.

There is a country where shadows live together / It is a country where dogs, people and sardine shadows / All speak the same language // Fish fly / Birds swim in the water / People fly like birds / Birds laugh like people / Everyone is a mother and a father / It is a place where everyone is a friend // Trees big and small covered with thorns / And grass grows thick like a castle / It is a place where only bright-eyed children can discover // Now! Close your eyes / The night is getting darker.
―「The Land of Shadows」

"Putting on a Rhinoceros Hat" begins with an invitation to the "Dark Shadow Country," a free and equal place where dogs, people, and even sardines speak the same language.
It is a space where even a cat lying in the sun and crying that it doesn't want to go to school ("Cat Student Wanted"), a rabbit pretending not to be bored but actually being very bored ("The Rabbit Who Is Not Bored at All"), and even 'I' asking absurd questions to a snail building a tall nest ("Building a Snail's Nest") can run around freely without any hesitation.
In an adult world full of set rules and difficult questions, children who are not fully understood often feel lonely.
The poet hopes that through poetry, one can freely talk about and let go of the loneliness that has built up over time, and based on this, he encourages the creation of a "world of one's own" where one can visit whenever one feels lonely.
Furthermore, through the stories of animals that embody our own image, we can deeply look into our own emotions, express our helpless feelings as they are, and realize that even asking absurd questions out loud is a great stepping stone to creating our own world.

A loving gaze toward others
Children who grow by ‘playing’ together

Unlike the previous work, which focused on the inner self of an individual, this work, 『Putting on a Rhinoceros Hat』, stands out for its affectionate gaze towards others.
A child who overcame loneliness by drawing a hammock and a puppy in an unfamiliar sea plans to put a hat on a rhinoceros that is struggling under the bright sunlight.
He invites a friend to climb the ladder with him and a cat in boots to help him pole vault, suggesting they play together.
While walking along a mountain path, he imagines a baby snake he met by chance eating a whipped cream cake, and he comforts both his own startled heart and the baby snake's heart that was startled because of him.
The child, who was looking deeply into his own loneliness, also noticed the loneliness of a rhinoceros twice his size, and the fear of a baby snake smaller than himself.
Then, they gather their scattered friends together and have fun, forgetting their loneliness and washing away their fears and regrets with a sweet cake.
Empathizing with the sorrow of others beyond one's own and imagining new 'plays' that can provide strength to one another will serve as an important foundation for children who will walk through countless hardships.

The sun is shining brightly / The sand is sparkling / Let's put a hat on the rhinoceros / A straw hat would suit him / A baseball cap would be fine / But who's going to put the hat on him? / Let's put up a ladder and climb it / Who's going to climb it? / Let's make a slingshot and put it on him / Who's going to make a slingshot? / Let's pole vault and put it on him / Who's going to make a pole? / Let's ask Puss in Boots / Where can we find the cat? / Let's tell the rhinoceros to sit down for a moment / Who's going to talk in its ear? / The sun is shining brightly / Sweat is dripping down / The rhinoceros, who was just listening / Splashes into the water! ? "Putting a Rhinoceros Hat on"

While walking with mom / I saw a baby snake // Ouch! It's a snake / I tugged at mom's skirt // Will the baby snake also gasp / and hide behind mom / and swallow its saliva? // From the next day, whenever we passed through the grass // Mom snake, dad snake, baby snake / gathered under the thistle flower // On the round, flat stone table / It seemed like we were going to eat / the strawberry cream cake with our lips full / of snakeberry cream cake.
?「Under the Rose」

Poet Im Su-hyeon, who weaves together warm stories, takes on the role of guardian of a free world of imagination where children can play and have fun for half a day.
His small but wise poems, which diligently walk the alleyways to find the mother of a lost cat, and secretly push the back of a child carrying a heavy bag, will give great courage to many young readers as they dream of a new world.

Judges' Comments (Kim Je-gon, Won Jong-chan, Bae Yu-an, Ivandi)

I trust the poet's skill in sensitively and delicately handling the emotions of a lonely child.
There is a unique sense of fun in works that expand the world by making animals the main characters and using them as metaphors for human society.
Although there are works with serious and slightly dark colors, they also capture the unique liveliness of children.
Overall, these works stand out for their meticulous observation and lyricism.