Deep in the night, inside the pencil case
If you have written anything
What's there to worry about?

“Warm and lovely pencil chatter!
The unique characters vividly convey the children's concerns.
“It’s lovely to see them cheering each other up.”
- From the comments of the judges Kang Jeong-yeon, Kim Ri-ri, and Yoo Eun-sil

◆ “Even pencils are having a hard time!”

The pencils in Dam-i's pencil case start each day with motion sickness.
This is because Dam-i, who sleeps in late every day and doesn't pack her bag in advance the day before, always rushes to school.
Dam-i's school bag, the pencil case inside the school bag, and the pencils inside the pencil case all bounce around and bump into each other, and she's already exhausted before even starting her schoolwork.
Dam-i's pencils have many other complaints besides this.
I feel like I'm being chewed out by Dam-i, who is struggling to write a diary that has nothing to write about, and I feel incredibly miserable every time I write, "Today was a fun day too," at the end of a diary that isn't enjoyable at all.
It is difficult to write at the same time, and it is also difficult to solve math problems that become more complex as the grade level changes.
Also, why do we learn English?
The worries of the pencils ultimately represent the worries of the children who are the pencils' owners.


“Can’t we live without writing a diary?”
“That’s right, it’s the same every day, so what do you want me to write?”
“That’s right, if we don’t use it, the gallbladder will chew us up!”
… “Poetry is also too difficult.
“I don’t know why you keep making comparisons.”
“Math too.
“Multiplication with carry is too difficult.”
“Just speak Korean well. Why learn English?”
“Even drawing is easy.”
… “I want to finish school quickly and go home.”
“What are you going to do with the mask?
“I have a mountain of homework.” _From the text

A friend tells of the thrill of writing a fun diary entry and solving math problems with ease using a pencil borrowed for a day, and of the excitement of drawing a circle with a new pencil for the first time using a compass on paper.
The pencils also feel the thrill of writing a letter to a friend you love.


“When I was writing poetry and solving math problems, I felt like the child’s thoughts were flowing into me.
When I was writing my diary, I felt like I was really into that child's heart.
“It was my first time experiencing something like that.”

“The gallbladder is beating like a heart at the tip of a finger.
So, my heart is pounding as if I have become a gall bladder.”

The bell rang to end first period and the two pencils finally came back.
Both with excited faces.
“We used a compass.”
… “It was really, really fun.
“It was hard, but I want to do it again!”
… “You don’t know how difficult that is.
I twisted my wrist and the circle got dented twice.
The third time, I gritted my teeth and held on, and the circle turned out so well.
right?"
The new pencil looked back at the dolphin pencil and asked.
“Yes, the new pencil really helped center it well.
I just kept moving.” _From the text

This story, written with the imagination of what the 'pencils' might feel in various situations, ultimately depicts the hearts of children.
However, it does not seem right to schematize this story as 'a story that shows innocence through the mouths of pencils.'
This is because it conveys the feelings and concerns that pencils would truly feel and have through unique situations.
What makes this story special and so interesting is the ability to peer into the minds of pencils you've never thought about before and eavesdrop on their secret conversations.

◆ A 'kind and happy fairy tale' filled with kindness

When Dam-i writes a letter with all her heart to convey her feelings to her friend, the pencils cheer her on with their hearts pounding in unison.
I worry about how Dam-i will feel when a new pencil that has never been used gets bitten by a puppy and one end gets ripped off.
It's funny to see them decide not to ask each other about what they've been doing outside their pencil cases, out of consideration for the new pencils that Dam-i doesn't use and just keeps. I'm also impressed by their kindness.
Finally, the new pencil gets sharpened for the first time and goes out into the 'field', and when it gets nervous, he gives it various tips, encourages it, and gets anxious with it.


“You don’t know how upset Dam-i was when he saw me like that.”
The moment they heard those words, the pencils started to cry.
What the new pencil went through was already horrific, and I couldn't even imagine what Dam-i was going through.

“How can I get Dam-i to use a new pencil?”
“There is nothing we can do.”
“The problem is that Dam-i is too frugal.”
"that's right.
“Without even cutting it.”

“I’m so nervous.”
“Don’t be so nervous.”
“If you keep doing it, you’ll get used to it like us.”
Even the pencils who said a word to the new pencils were a little nervous inside.
_In the text

The kind and pretty hearts of the pencils that appear here and there are evident in their words and actions.
At first, they are so innocent and innocuous that they just blankly admire the new pencil who secretly ignores them and acts like he doesn't know the concept of 'acting like he's smart'.
Perhaps the warm experience of reading, empathizing with, and laughing together with the stories of these cute and kind pencils is the gift this book seeks to give its readers.


◆ Illustrations that exceed the limits of cuteness, and have both humor and lyricism.

Because the object called a pencil has such a clear appearance, its personification can easily be obvious.
However, it is not possible to draw in a completely strange shape that is completely different from the pencil.
Looking at artist Sim Bo-young's paintings, it seems like she has given this part a lot of thought.
Characters called Strawberry Pencil, Water Drop Pencil, Whale Pencil, Rainbow Pencil, and Carrot Pencil all have the unmistakable appearance of a pencil, yet each has a distinct personality.
If a pencil like this actually came out, I would want to use it.
Here, the humorous and rich expressions and gestures are added to tell more stories than are contained in the text.


Also, even though the story takes place in spaces with little change, such as inside a pencil case or on a desk, there is no sense of monotony in the background.
It is a familiar environment that we all know, but it is a completely different world where pencils and erasers live, and it perfectly embodies the fantasy space that exists in everyday life without being forced.
As a bonus, the beautiful colors and cute elements are a delight to the eyes.