From the true meaning of love (『Train and Fish』), to the world of letters that spark the imagination (『Book Cleaner Soso』), the heartwarming path of a father (『Mr. Elephant and 100 Drops of Water』), the courage to challenge the walls of the world (『Hedgehog X』), to a hymn to the one and only you in the world (『Your Day』), author Noh In-gyeong has included diverse and meaningful themes in her picture books. What she has expressed in her sixth original picture book is 'relationships.'
It contains the process of small inconveniences that arise as a relationship deepens and become big conflicts, the difficult but necessary self-reflection and acceptance, and the courage to overcome the difficulties of the relationship.
If we have the courage, we can be happy together and apart.
To begin the story, the author turns on the stage for a play called "Mr. Bear's Chair."

"It's fun, but somehow... it feels uncomfortable."

When you open the bookshelf, sunlight illuminates the long chair like a spotlight.
The bear sitting on the chair reads poetry, drinks tea, and listens to music.
He is the main character of this book, 'Mr. Bear', who enjoys a regular and quiet life.
One day, a rabbit carrying a large backpack passes by Mr. Bear.
Mr. Bear, who is not only polite but also kind, offers a corner of his chair to the tired-looking rabbit.
The rabbit, who introduces himself as an explorer, tells Bear about the dynamic adventures he experienced firsthand.
The story of the explorer rabbit brings Mr. Bear a joy he has never experienced before.
Mr. Bear is fascinated by the surprising stories of a world he never knew about and the energy of an explorer rabbit with a different temperament than himself, and soon becomes friends with him.
Explorer Rabbit gets married and has children, and naturally, Mr. Bear makes more friends.
But the strange thing is that Mr. Bear's mood is getting darker day by day.
The story of the explorer rabbit is as entertaining as ever, and the rabbit children are so adorable… …but Mr. Bear seems to be losing something important.

To have fun with someone, sometimes you need the courage to be honest.

The free-spirited energy of the rabbits that had captivated Mr. Bear becomes a difference from him as time passes, and eventually a source of discomfort in his heart.
If only I could enjoy the sunshine, drink tea, and listen to music like I used to, if only I could sit alone in a chair for a while, then time with the rabbits would be enjoyable again… … .
Unable to bear it any longer, Mr. Bear tries to convey his feelings and needs to the rabbits, but he did not know that expressing his feelings would be this difficult.
This is the first time for Gomsi to be in conflict with someone or to express his feelings.


Mr. Bear tries to express his feelings through actions rather than words.
Lie down on the chair so that no one can sit on it, paint the chair leaving only my spot, and place a large rock on the chair.
I hope the rabbits understand my feelings, but Mr. Bear's actions often stimulate their curious nature and are often misunderstood as a message saying, "Let's play together!"
After repeated instances of communication failure, Gomsi loses even his original gentle and elegant self.
But at the end of that vicious cycle, Gomsi gains great courage.

I deeply empathize with the feelings of those who have difficulties in relationships.
At the same time, it helps us realize that facing our inner selves, acknowledging even our ugly aspects, and expressing them accurately are the foundations for healthy relationships.
The final scene, where Mr. Bear, who confessed his true feelings to the rabbits, goes beyond the chair he had never left before, that is, beyond his own boundaries, and walks through the forest, makes us imagine the new world that the courage he had worked so hard to achieve will open up for us.

Characters and scenes meticulously directed on a stage like a small theater,
Shining a spotlight on subtle relationships and intimate feelings

『Mr. Bear's Chair』 started two years ago.
The author says he wanted to tell a detailed story that takes place in a small space.
He had a long-standing interest in small, limited situations, to the point where counting grains of rice and finding unusually shaped beans among washed beans were his childhood games.
What entered the writer's mind was a heart that was like an ugly bean among smooth beans, unable to adapt well to relationships and wounded and tangled.
So the author decorated the space in the work like a small theater stage.
It was to focus on the shape of the heart that reacts moment by moment in a deepening relationship.
The things that appear in the work are simple: a few rays of sunlight, a long chair, a bear, and a rabbit.
Changes in props, space, and composition were also reduced to allow readers to easily discover the intimate psychology and subtle changes in the hearts of the characters.
The bear character, which pursues a regular and static life, is depicted in black and white, while the rabbit character, which pursues a free and colorful life, is depicted in red, which symbolizes extravagant decorations and passion, creating a visual contrast between the individualities of the two beings.
As the delicately directed space and characters interacted with each other, they soon came to life and moved vividly.
The lack of communication between Mr. Bear and the rabbits was also humorously expressed, easily bringing forward a topic that could have easily become heavy.


“Actually, Mr. Bear, who has difficulty expressing his feelings, is also a reflection of myself.
Ever since I was young, whenever I had problems in a relationship, I had a hard time telling the other person how I felt.
“Whenever something I didn’t like happened, I would keep my mouth shut and gradually distance myself from the other person,” the author confessed. Every time he encountered difficulties in his relationship, he gradually released his stagnant feelings through writing and drawing, and eventually brought the main character, Mr. Bear, out of the chair.
Readers who have crossed their own boundaries with Mr. Bear while turning the pages of the book will be able to cross the next boundary without difficulty.