Hey, Cheong! You can't go far.

Cheong-i and her father live alone.
Cheong's father can't see ahead.
He always guards around his daughter Cheong-i, so he won't lose her.
The sky that embraces the gentle breeze, the cherry blossoms that hold spring in their hands, the rain that pours down pitter-patter, the cold snow that melts at my fingertips. I'm curious about everything, but what I want to see the most is Cheong's face.
“Daddy’s hands are warm!” Cheong-i, who had always been surrounded by her father’s warm love, hears one day that if she offers 300 seok of rice to Buddha, her father will be able to see.
It's a price I can't even imagine, but if it means my dad can open his eyes, I'm willing to go to the deepest part of the ocean.
The only thing I'm worried about is being a single dad...
Will Cheong-i, who is troubled by her worries, set off to the sea for her father?

If there's Cheong-i, Dad and everyone can be there

It was the village neighbors who rolled up their sleeves and stepped forward to help the troubled Cheong-i.
The carpenter makes a white, strong walking stick for Cheong's father, and the women plant pieces of broken jars in the ground to mark the way for Cheong's father.
Even the smart Jindo diligently practices giving directions for his father, Cheong.
Thanks to the villagers' efforts, will Cheong-i be able to stay with her father instead of going out to sea? Choi Soo-jeong, who reinterprets and illustrates the Simcheong story, writes and illustrates the picture book "I am Cheong-i's Father," which doesn't dismiss Cheong-i's father's disability as a burden solely for Cheong's family, something that can only be overcome by a miracle.
The Cheong family gains strength through the help of their neighbors, and this work conveys the meaning of living together through their appearance.
A society where Cheong-i and her father can live without any problems on their own would be the beautiful world we all dream of.
But the reality is not like that.
Despite the help from those around her, Cheong-i had no choice but to leave for the sea.
Still, Cheong-i came back.
It was thanks to the neighbors around me who constantly worried and acted together.
There are numbers from 0 to 9.
Cheong-i is 0, Cheong-i's dad is 1, Jin-do is 2, and the carpenter is 3... each of them is in charge of a number. But what if Cheong-i disappears? How can we count after 9? Can Cheong-i's dad make it to 10? Can the carpenter make it to 30? This is why we are together.
Because we have each other, each of us has our own meaning.
Let's think about the beings that protect our meaning along with "I am Cheong's father."


A picture book with a fresh perspective on old tales, "I am Cheong's father."

"I am Cheong's father," which begins with the voice of Cheong's father and naturally progresses to Cheong's voice, is an attractive work with metaphorical and symbolic expressions.
In this beautiful painting, the villagers' efforts to help Cheong's family stand out.
The Braille blocks are made of broken pieces of a jar, and the sound signals are made of wind chimes swaying in the wind, naturally incorporating various devices for the visually impaired into the existing story.
In particular, the scene where Cheong-i falls into the sea and the scene where she returns are told immediately after each other without much time difference, and are given similar weight to other scenes. In addition, symbolic yet concise expressions are used, such as placing the women who rescue Cheong-i in the place where the props Cheong-i left behind were, so that even readers who are hearing the story of Simcheong for the first time can easily accept the old story with a new sense.
"I am Cheong's Father," which concludes with a brief synopsis for readers curious about the original Simcheong story and an introduction to devices for the visually impaired, is the first picture book in which author Choi Su-jeong's wit and sensibility shine.
I hope that through “I am Cheong’s father,” we can think about the precious life we ​​live together.