Should I say hello? Or not? The inner feelings of children and adults are the same.

A fox family moved in next door to Mr. Wolf.
Mr. Wolf and the fox make eye contact, but they don't exchange greetings and turn away, pretending not to see each other.
Mr. Wolf overslept because of the broken clock, and the fox was in a bad mood because his mother scolded him in the morning.
I promise myself, 'I'll definitely say hello next time!' but I always hesitate and miss the opportunity.
I regret not stopping to say hello, but I just pass by, thinking I'll see you again next time.
Then one day, as the fox was walking along the road, he saw a wolf walking from afar.
I made up my mind to say hello today, so I gathered my courage and said hello first.
But the moment the fox bowed its head politely, someone suddenly jumped out in front of it.
Mr. Lion was so happy to see Mr. Wolf after a long time that he quickly walked over to him and greeted him.
Mr. Wolf didn't see the fox, but the fox misunderstood that the man was ignoring him.
Mr. Wolf doesn't know about the fox's feelings, and when he meets her in the neighborhood a few days later, he pretends to recognize her happily.
As I was coming out of the bakery, I picked out some bread that the fox would like and greeted him.
But the fox, who was so angry, passed by without even giving him a glance.
Mr. Wolf really hates that kind of fox.
As the misunderstanding between the two grows, the discomfort grows.
I feel like I should just say hello right now, but I feel like I'd lose if I said hello first, and it'd be too weird if I said hello now, so we're just looking at each other...
Who will be the winner of this breathtaking game of wits?

The first step to breaking down the walls of the heart: greetings

The basis of social life is ‘greetings.’
There are many cases where a pleasant greeting can relieve tension or wariness between people.
However, it is not as easy as it sounds to greet both children and adults first.
“Hello?” “Hello?” It takes a lot of courage to say just these simple words.
We've all had that experience of hesitating whether to say hello or not: running into a neighbor in the apartment elevator, coming out of the local convenience store after paying, or running into a new classmate.
It's because I feel awkward, a little shy, and still unfamiliar with the situation that I can't open my mouth. Sometimes, I hesitate out of anxiety, wondering what to do if the other person doesn't greet me.
There are countless times when I pretend not to see something and just roll my eyes and pass it by in a hurry, only to regret it later.


I don't know what the hell is it that everyone is so desperately trying to say hello to.
Both Mr. Wolf and the fox struggle to say that short word.
'Eight.
'We'll just say hello next time, okay?' After passing each other once or twice, we ended up living next door and avoiding each other.
If you don't get the first button right, the rest will be even more difficult.
Pretending not to know the person in front of you may avoid an awkward situation for the time being, but the discomfort that builds up inside you without you knowing it will only make things more and more difficult for you.


The wolf and the fox, who had been looking at each other from the corner of their eyes, meet at a crosswalk after some time has passed.
I greeted a familiar face in a flustered manner and smiled brightly when I saw it for the first time.
This is the moment when the long game of wits becomes meaningless.
They say that greeting is the first step you take from your heart toward the other person.
Everything takes courage at the beginning.
But once you overcome your hesitation and fear and take that first step, getting closer to each other won't be so difficult.

A picture book with a new sensation, like watching a flash animation.

"Greetings" is a picture book that stands out for its directing sense, which creates tension until the very end through the appropriate use of rhythmic scene arrangements and unexpected dialogue.
The sight of a red fox and a blue wolf pushing and pulling each other against a background drawn with black pen lines gives readers the pleasure of watching a flash animation.


Another outstanding aspect of this book is that it redefines "greetings" from the perspective of building relationships and communication, rather than placing children and adults on the same level and unilaterally demanding manners from children.
The author humorously portrays situations that anyone can relate to, giving both children and adults something to think about.
Adults say this to children who think everything will be easy, and to adults who have become accustomed to receiving at some point.
I'm very much looking forward to the world of picture books that artist Kim Seong-mi will present in the future, as she captures the small but meaningful stories of our daily lives from her own perspective and tells them in a lively and lively way.