Misunderstandings pile up, worries deepen,
Are we going to drift apart forever like this?

In the picture book 『Greetings』, the fox child who was playing a game of wits with the wolf next door to see who would greet him first is now faced with a new dilemma.
Lately, my best friend, the lion, seems to have become much closer to the raccoon.
I'm worried that I might end up getting closer to the raccoon.
Lions are also struggling with the same problem.
Lately, it seems like the fox has been hanging out with the monkey who lives next door (it seems like Mr. Wolf has moved out and the monkeys have moved in).
I'm worried that I might end up getting closer to the monkeys.


The raccoon keeps approaching the lion and the monkey keeps approaching the fox, unaware that the two friends are having such worries.
If the fox and the lion are 'I', then the raccoon and the monkey seem to be 'E'.
The lion and the fox, who share the same timid side as best friends, cannot refuse the advances of the raccoon and the monkey who approach them without hesitation, and as this happens repeatedly, misunderstandings between them grow.
“Isn’t the lion now more fond of the raccoon than of me?”, “Isn’t the fox now more fond of the monkey than of me?”

The fox and the lion try to mend their relationship, but their relationship becomes increasingly strained due to the inadvertent intervention of a raccoon and a monkey.
Then, eventually, they reach a point where they pretend not to see each other.
The fox and the lion, who were once best friends, will they end up drifting apart forever?

A story that everyone can relate to
A writer who solves problems more wittily than anyone else

Author Kim Seong-mi, who brought empathy and laughter to readers from all over the world, from Asia to Europe, with her picture book 『Greetings』, has returned with a new picture book 『Friend』.
"Friend" deals with the problem of 'relationships' that everyone, from children to adults, has experienced at least once.
Among them, I am talking about the very delicate problem of existing relationships being shaken by the introduction of a new friend.


In this book, author Kim Seong-mi demonstrates her skill in capturing the "small" hearts of "ordinary" people, eliciting empathy and laughter.
“You’ve been hanging out with raccoons/monkeys a lot lately.
“Do you happen to like raccoons/monkeys more than me?” They can’t say those words, they feel bad about taking revenge, they regret it, they hesitate and miss the chance to apologize… Every single scene seems to be looking at the children’s words, actions, and hearts through a microscope.
These are scenes that make both children and adults say, “I’ve been there too.”
And what about the laughter brought about by the raccoon and monkey who always intervene without notice and act as licorice?
It's a comedy when you step back, but it could also be a tragedy for children who are currently going through this. It's the humor that permeates every corner of the book that makes you look at it from a distance, enjoy it, and think about it.


In reality, the fox and the lion might have drifted apart forever, but after much deliberation, the author chose to reconnect them in the direction of expanding their friendship.
It is the ‘adult’s heart’ that wants children who are still ‘potential’ to experience more relationships.


The author's new work, "Friend," is significant in that it shifts the focus of the work to children while retaining universality that can be empathized with by everyone, from children to adults.
A red fox, a blue lion, a green raccoon, a yellow monkey… … I hope to see a picture book someday where the lion, who previously co-starred with the fox, takes on a leading role, and where the raccoon or monkey, who were previously just supporting characters, take on a leading role.
So, I hope that the author's world will be filled with even more colorful colors of children.