A flurry of commotion caused by false rumors

‘I heard someone saw it’, ‘I heard it from so-and-so…’ These are words that are passed around lightly, leaving the judgment of truth to others.
Rumors come more often than you might think.
There are small rumors that gossip among friends, as well as big ones that shake up schools, workplaces, and sometimes even the entire society.
These days, things spread in an instant through social media.
Of course, rumors aren't always bad.
Because sometimes, something that someone has been hiding with malicious intent leaks out little by little, revealing the truth to the world.
But most of the rumors we hear are either hurtful or overblown and end up as empty commotion.
Like the monkfish and the school of fish in "The Fish with a Cold".
If you think about it carefully, you might realize that something is strange, but the scared fish don't notice the anglerfish following them.
There is no will to overcome the situation with friends.
The fear that it might spread to me made the fish close their eyes, ears, and even their hearts.
Only when the number of fish left is so small that it can no longer be called a school of fish, does one black fish ask suspiciously.
“Have you ever seen a fish with a cold? Who started the rumors?”
It's a bit late, but could this belated awakening bring about a reversal?

A charming picture book that leaves a bittersweet aftertaste

"The Fish with a Cold" is the third original picture book by the unique young author Park Jeong-seop.
Rumors, lies, bullying… the subject matter is heavy, but the illustrations are full of playfulness.
Against the backdrop of a deep blue sea, the school of fish gradually shrinks, sometimes expressing it as if its bodies are being cut off, and sometimes boldly expressing it by filling the surface with only primary colors such as red and yellow.
Another interesting thing is that instead of using text to describe the scene, the story is told solely through dialogue between the ogre and the school of fish.
The characters' personalities are brought to life with bold, 'raw fish'-like sentences.
The carefully designed typography here adds to the pleasure of reading and viewing.

The sight of a school of fish being swayed by the false rumors of the devil is frustrating, annoying, and at the same time, pitiful.
But in the end, we nod our heads because their words and actions resemble something within us.
The final scene, reminiscent of a black comedy, leaves a bittersweet aftertaste.
It has the power to make you close the book and ask yourself, "What would I do?"
An extraordinary picture book was born.