Dream of becoming a 5th grader 6
42 Reasons Why I Like Reason
Something big happened in Baekbaek Village 66
It's not that difficult, is it? 86
Even if there are no holes, there are too few 120
Recommendation 154

“My name is Samhee, my last name is Hong.
“Just call it red ginseng.”
My dad showed up in the classroom!
A strangely captivating fantasy with a twist of fantasy

A boy appeared in the fifth grade classroom, which was no different from usual.
Everyone burst out laughing when he told her to call him 'Hongsam', but Hong Ga-yoon was the only one who couldn't laugh.
Because Hong Sam-hee looks just like her father.
Unlike his father, he was talkative and playful, but no matter how you looked at it, Hong Sam-hee was a father.
Her father, who happened to be on a business trip overseas, is unreachable, her busy mother doesn't trust her at all, and Gayoon ends up in a desperate situation.
Samhee, who doesn't have idol-like looks or outstanding grades, keeps getting the attention of the class, and somehow the classroom seems to be changing around Samhee.
The classroom atmosphere, where it felt like we had to pretend to like idols and keep our distance from friends of the opposite sex, becomes refreshing thanks to Samhee.
On the day when Gayoon finally decides to believe that Samhee is just Samhee, Samhee announces this.
“My dream? I have already achieved it.
“I wanted to be a fifth grader, but I’m already a fifth grader.”

How many children dream today? Dreams can be "mental phenomena in which one sees and hears various things while asleep, just as one does while awake," or "hopes or ideals one wishes to realize."
Author Sim Soon harmoniously pushes forward two definitions of dreams.
The title piece, "The Dream of Becoming a 5th Grader," is a story that gives space to dream to "Ga-yoon," who is going through a frustrating school life, by raising the exciting mystery of "Is Hong Sam-hee really her father?"
In a literal 'dreamlike' situation where her father appears as a fifth grader, watching Samhee confidently say, "My dream is to be in the fifth grade," Gayoon asks for the first time what her dream was and what her father's dream was.


Finding the path begins with the question, "Why am I like this?"
A story that provides a breathing space for children who want to find themselves.

Have you ever read a story where a mouse, a hair, or a hole are the main characters? The appearance of an unconventional protagonist draws readers into the story, transforming familiar themes like "love," "solidarity," and "uniqueness" into something new and mysterious.
The short stories featuring characters with distinct personalities, such as the daughter-in-law who agonizes over whether to choose between love and survival ("The Reason I Like Reasons"), the residents of Bakbak Village who experience unexpected solidarity after a sudden loss ("Something Big Happened in Bakbak Village"), the raccoon who comes to ask for an apology from the child who has the hardest time apologizing ("It's Not That Difficult to Say"), and the holes who try to hide from troublemakers but end up being forgotten forever ("There Are Too Many Holes"), leave us with "questions of life" that we must ponder over for a long time.


As children advance in grade level, their identities and relationships become more shaky, and what they need is realistic empathy and the ability to look around.
Even in a story that begins with a feeling of loss, unrequited love that doesn't go as planned, and the sudden end of a relationship, if you follow author Sim Soon's cheerful prose, you will reach unexpected realizations and feel much better.
As critic Won Jong-chan said, this is the point where “the fairy tale-like quality is fully displayed” where “you can kill two birds with one stone without looking back.”


The narrative's lingering impact is further deepened by the illustrations of Lee So-young, an artist active in Korea and France who is expanding the boundaries between children's literature and art.
The spontaneous and sensual drawings and dreamy colors create a reading experience that is both hazy and vivid, like a long and short dream.
Let's follow the 'Dreamlike Today' presented by the two authors.
You will encounter a story that you will want to remember for a long time.


Short story introduction

"The Dream of Becoming a Fifth Grader"
A transfer student appeared, with a scraggly, broad face and a face that looked just like my father.
Don't you tell old dad jokes, don't you fart?
After Samhee, who has no attractive features no matter how you look at it, appears
The hostile classroom atmosphere is clearly easing.
“Ga-yoon.
“Fifth graders, isn’t that cool?”
Samhee said in his father's voice, which was all too familiar.

"The Reason I Like Reasons"
Guha, who had dedicated his entire life to studying rats, fell in love.
When I confessed to Lee Yu, the answer I got was, “Why do you like me?”
Now, think of a reason why you like to save
The modern mouse louse, which is said to have appeared 160 million years ago
It was considered more important than finding traces.

"Something big has happened in Baekbaek Village."
Residents living in the middle of a densely packed village disappeared en masse.
The confused residents took good care of the land, but the disappeared residents did not return.
One day, a black, shiny group entered the pale land.
They lean against the villagers with smiles on their faces… .
“I’ve lived for a long time, but I’ve never seen or heard of such a crowd!”

"It's not that difficult."
A raccoon visited Jimin's house.
The raccoon I encountered at the park the day I fought with Songmi.
The raccoon wanders around the house and breaks Jimin's rules, but strangely, there's nothing he can do about it.
Jimin suddenly thought of Songmi.
But I didn't think it was something to apologize for first.
“It’s not that difficult.
“Just do it.”
Jimin started jumping on the bed as the raccoon suddenly started talking.

"There are no holes, but there are none."
“This is an insult to the hole.
“Let’s not let the tiger mess with us.”
The holes, which were left untouched by the scratches and nicks, disappeared after the resolution was made.
With the holes for him to play with gone, Daeho no longer seemed like a child with many holes.
Daeho thought it was strange, but he was constantly bothered by the compliments from those around him.
The holes realized that they themselves were neither okay nor good.