The Fairy of Longevity Soup in Full Gown

In April 2024, the Jangsu Tang Fairy was renovated with a new sign.
The rhythmic changes in visual elements and the changed dialogue of Deokji that brings out the originality of the original add a new charm.

** First, a new price list was posted at the Jangsu Tang counter.
Looking at the fare table, the adult fare increased from 4,000 won to 7,500 won, and the preschool child fare increased from 3,500 won to 5,000 won.
These fee increases seem like the bare minimum necessary to maintain and maintain the old bathhouses, considering the inflation over the past decade.

** Subtle changes were made to the text, preserving the original manuscript.
Deokji, who runs to the cold water, previously simply expressed his preference by saying, “I like the cold water the best.” This time, he ignores his mother’s words and expresses his firm determination by saying, “I’m going to play in the cold water for a while.”
Additionally, by boldly reducing the description of the scene where Deokji plays alone in the cold water, the reader's experience and room for imagination were expanded.
After all, solo play must remain secret! By further refining the character's personality and the narrative's delivery, the author's intentions are brought to life and the reader's immersion is heightened.
Oh, and don't miss out on Deokji's secret recipe for how many times you should count in hot water to get the timing right.

** The book's visual elements, which add to the depth of the narrative, are also noticeable.
The cover and cover design show the sweet moments and cold daily life of the fairy inside and out, and the meeting between the fairy and Deokji in the front and back, further enhancing the physicality of the book and the depth of the narrative.
Inside the cover is a blurry photo of a raw scene from the book, along with a storyboard.
The painstaking work of creation seems to be fully conveyed between the artist's hand holding the doll and the invisible hand pressing the shutter at that moment.
Additionally, the cool green cotton, like a towel, briskly opens and closes the beginning and end of the story, and the author's signature and line drawings stamped in green on the cover flap celebrate the new beginning of the story bowl.

** The rhythmic frame changes according to the structure of the story and psychological changes also add to the sense of immersion.
The frame changes before and after meeting the fairy grandmother in the cold water represent the boundary between the stuffy daily life and small fantasy.
When the fairy grandmother appears, the dramatic direction that signals the start of a full-fledged cold-water fantasy by disappearing the frame, and the meticulous direction that crosses the page boundaries with Deok-ji's powerful opening are also outstanding.
Additionally, the rhythmic text variation that follows the fairy's finger pointing at the yogurt adds a different kind of fun from the previous book.

The story of the old bathhouse

A public bathhouse, is there a more bizarre and special place than this?
As the author says, “The bathhouse was an unrealistic space for me as a child,” here, strangers gather naked and soak in the water together, washing away each other’s old grime.
What's even stranger is that when we all do it together, it all looks okay.
In a bathhouse filled with hot and humid air, boiling water, and the scorching heat that seems to swallow you up, the cold water is the only space of liberation for children.

This is how the story was born.
Baek Hee-na, a child who went to the bathhouse alone with her mother, was fascinated by the cold bath with its waterfall mural and artificial rocks.
About twenty years ago, I recalled my childhood memories of the bathhouse and came up with the fantasy story of the siblings who meet a mountain spirit in the bathhouse of "Cloud Bread."
But something didn't resonate with me, so I kept the story quiet for years.
In late spring of 2012, while talking with some publishing house workers, I brought up the story of the bathhouse I had been keeping.
At that moment, I had a feeling that the time had come.
A story came to mind in which a girl named Deokji appears (instead of siblings) and a fairy appears (instead of a mountain spirit).
I wanted to see them right in front of my eyes.
I imagined a visual that featured a doll instead of a human as the main character, set in an actual bathhouse.
It fits well with the small fantasy stories that happen in everyday life.
I started making dolls by making a pile of picture books and adding flesh to the skeleton with polymer clay (Sculpey).
After repeating the process of making, baking, and painting, about 50 dolls of Deokji, Fairy, and Mother were completed.
My body felt like it was going to break, but I couldn't stop because it was so much fun.

I also went around looking for a bathhouse that would serve as a backdrop for the workers.
There was even a funny incident where a male employee went into the men's bathhouse holding a Barbie doll to gauge the size of the waterfall mural, which was only in the men's bathhouse.
That summer, the first shooting began at dawn at a bathhouse in Gye-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul, with dolls that had been dressed up, artificial rocks and trees, and camera equipment.
It was the moment when the story that had been kept in the writer's arms for a long time came out into the world, one by one.
『The Fairy of Longevity Soup』 is a work that the author first created alone and then experienced the joy of creating together, so it holds a special meaning for the author.
I hope that those who read this book will live without losing the balance between 'alone' and 'together', and enjoy the joy of sharing.
Just like Deokji and the fairy grandmother, how sweet and delicious is the yogurung shared between soulmates!

“The Fairy of Longevity Soup” is a special book for me.
“It’s like I’ve gained the power of a fairy!” _Baek Hee-na

I like playing the most: riding on the back of a fairy like a blue whale

A fairy who lost her wings and lives in a bathhouse, that makes me have a lot to say.
How long has she been here? I am truly curious about the story of the fairy who endured all kinds of hardships and came to live in the old bathhouse.
Does the ticket office lady know the fairy's story? Unable to ascend to heaven without her wings, the old fairy, battered by time, lives alone, a powerless being.
In the real world, her divinity is just a story from beyond and has no effect.
In the harsh reality where the innocent live as the weak, the old fairy's refuge is an old, cold bath covered in water stains.
A boy named Deokji suddenly appeared in the cold fairy's daily life.
Just because he's a young human doesn't mean his situation is any better.
The longing to go to the newly opened Spa Land was a distant dream, and from the first morning breeze, I was dragged to the bathhouse by my mother's hand.
Cold water is Deokji's only escape.
In the midst of an unavoidable, stifling reality, Deokji is a wise man who knows how to enjoy himself on his own.
In this way, the meeting between the fairy and Deokji is so inevitable.
The two of them play together, naked, skin to skin.
There's nothing like play to break down the walls between us.
There are no obstacles or barriers when playing.
Whether we are strangers or acquaintances, old or young, heavenly fairies or human children… playing alone is good, but playing together is even more fun.
In the bathhouse, a microcosm of reality, Deokji and Seonnyeo begin to share the joys they each discovered in their own world.
It's more exciting when two people splash together.
Neither the waterfall that pours down so powerfully that it seems like it will pierce your flesh, nor the breathtaking waters are scary at all.
Deokji now feels like he can ride on the back of a fairy like a blue whale and go to the deep, deep Dragon Palace.

Living for this taste: Yogurong Power

Deok-ji is a deep friend who pretends not to know the well-known story of 'The Fairy and the Woodcutter' and listens to it until the end.
He is a considerate friend who endures the heat to give a delicious yogurt to the fairy grandmother.
Consideration is understanding the situation of others and doing something good.
It is completely different from the meddling that involves excessive interest and interference without empathy.
Consideration brings out the beauty of each other.

Thanks to Deokji, the fairy grandmother experiences the cool and sweet moments of the world.
It's a taste that makes your eyes light up and the corners of your mouth turn up involuntarily.
The fairy who had locked herself in a corner of the cold bath became curious about the world beyond the cold bath after meeting Deokji.
A fairy rides a blue boat and travels around.
The will to move was born through the power of Yogurong.
First of all, I was curious about Deokji's well-being.
That evening, the fairy grandmother quietly approached Deokji, who had a terrible cold.
The fairy cools Deokji's hot forehead and softly confesses:
“Thank you, Deokji-ya, for the favor.
“Get well soon.” Sharing is more powerful than any magic.
Yogurong is refreshing like a carbonated drink, but it doesn't make your heart race like caffeine, and it's really sweet and affectionate.
Even though Yogurong can't make a smooth, flowery path, he has a small, affectionate magical power that makes today truly worth living and makes you a little curious about tomorrow.
We desperately need that kind of 'Yogurung magic' in our lives too.

What was the fairy grandmother thinking as she gazed at the yoghurts displayed in the bathroom refrigerator in the middle of the night? Readers will wonder what happened next.
Was it all Deokji's dream, or the fairy grandmother's dream? Or was it the delusion of some grandmother who longed to become a fairy? It doesn't matter whose dream it was.
This is probably why this tender, mysterious fantasy tale has been captivating readers' hearts for over a decade... What is the power that keeps you alive in this very taste? What is your wish today?
If you miss the short but sweet taste of Yogurong in your bitter life, read 『The Fairy of Longevity Soup』 again.

Bathhouse Regiment

All the characters in this book come out naked.
Moreover, only women appear.
There are young women, old women, and slightly less old women.
So there are only big bodies and small bodies.
Of course, based on this, there is no created body.
Who can speak carelessly of their bodies?
Even the fairies of heaven wouldn't avoid this body! Having lived a life of sagging, deeply wounded, and curved lines, it diligently cleanses its body and mind each day through rituals that cleanse it of the filth of this worldly world.
These bodies gather at the water's edge, submerge themselves together, and wash together.
So, only the noble bodies are gathered here.
This work does not reveal a flashy background or a grand scale.
Rather, there are more things that are rough, worn, and raw.
But just seeing the scene where an old being and a young being touch each other's flesh is heartwarming and creates a warm sense of solidarity.
Like Deokji and the fairy grandmother, don't we sometimes need a bathhouse friend like this in our lives? If you want to soak in a hot bath and cleanse your mind of the old grime, let's head straight to an old bathhouse.
Close your eyes tightly and say to the person who came alone, “Would you like me to rub your back?”
If you have an old back, that's even better... If you can't open your mouth, just hand me some yogurt without saying anything.
Then flowers will bloom in each other's hearts.
There are so many places to go, but why this old, water-stained bathhouse? Perhaps it's because it's the perfect place for a fairy grandmother to hide out? Perhaps it's because it seems more affectionate? Of course, it doesn't have to be a longevity bathhouse, and it doesn't even have to be a fairy.
Anyway, if today was sweet and fun, that's enough.

Come to 『Jangsu Tang Fairy』, a land full of used goods with a retro feel!

List of awards

2005 Bologna Children's Book Fair 'Fiction Category Author of the Year' 'Cloud Bread'
2012 53rd Korean Publication Culture Award: 『Jangsu-tang Fairy』
2013 3rd Changwon Children's Literature Award: "The Fairy of Longevity Soup"
2018 11th MOE Picture Book Bookstore Award: "Alsatang"
2020 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award
2022 Boston Globe Horn Book Award Winner: Moon Shabet
The 3rd Yong-A Cultural Awards in 2023
2023 Premio Andersen Award 'Book of the Year': 'Alsatang'