Mary, a cheerful dog who greets everyone she sees,
A grandmother who seems to care about me without any concern
The world's three most cheerful puppies tell the story
A scene of a life filled with affection and a sense of commotion.

'He doesn't bark at anyone and just wags his tail'
A heart that shows care with actions rather than words,
The power of a story that gently embraces without revealing

On the morning of New Year's Day, at the suggestion of grandfather, "Let's raise a puppy too," father brings home a puppy from the neighboring village.
It's Merida.
The first night Mary, a little puppy, comes home, she whines all night long looking for her mother, but as time passes, she grows up and becomes a cheerful country dog ​​who 'doesn't bark at anyone and just wags her tail.'

This picture book tells the story of Mary, who comes to this house, meets a stray dog ​​in the neighborhood, gives birth to three puppies, sends them away one by one, and is left alone again, in a simple and straightforward manner, using words that rhyme like a song. In between, it intersperses detailed scenes and stories of people that give a sense of daily life.

After Mary came on New Year's morning, all the grown children returned home, and as time passed, the grandfather passed away, leaving the grandmother alone.
The carefree country talk of a country grandmother with a slightly hunched back and a perm that she enjoys wearing in bright, dark clothes fills every scene of the picture book with endless cheerfulness and warmth.
The grandmother threatens the puppy that eats persimmons, saying, "If you keep doing that, I'll tie you up," and scolds the puppy, saying, "You don't guard the house, you just shake your tail around," but she also tells the neighborhood grandmother who takes in the puppy, "Sometimes even the little ones grow up well," and takes its side, saying, "Even if you cause trouble, you're smart."

Although Mary doesn't receive the same level of care and attention as a pet dog these days, she enjoys a happy life at her grandmother's house, eating melons in the summer, watching ripening persimmons in the fall, and eating delicious Korean beef ribs during Chuseok.
He never barks, but he happily wags his tail to people passing by and gets used to spending time with his grandmother.



Each character has a rich story,
A sense of fullness enhanced by pleasant country speech and scenery

Unlike previous works, the picture book “Mary” does not cross over from everyday life to fantasy.
Instead, each character has their own story, and the handwritten country language, small household items, and background pictures are also full of stories.
A truly full sense of life holds the hand that turns the pages of the book.

The grandfather who first said, "Let's raise a Kang-saeng-i," said something absurd on the day Mary came home, "Kang-saeng-i likes the color red," which in fact hinted that he was suffering from dementia.
Instead of immediately responding to the grandfather's words, the grandmother simply turns her gaze to Mary and says, "Hey, this is your house."
On the day her grandfather passed away, Mary wagged her tail brightly, oblivious to anything, but seeing the pile of poop next to the doghouse, she realized that time had stopped in this house for a moment.

Grandma's room is like any other country grandmother's room, with untidy notes and hair, a red flyswatter, and a few dead flies, and the flies follow Mary's poop in the yard.

The old lady from the neighborhood who came to visit did not spare a single piece of delicious meat for her puppies while playing cards, and the old man from the supermarket who delivered the heavy bag of rice was so grateful that she gave him a bag of Vegemil.

The grandmother next door, Chunja, is left to raise her young granddaughter alone due to her son's divorce. The last puppy she takes with her is cheerful and squirming the whole time, so it's not easy to notice, but if you look closely at the picture, you'll discover that the puppy, like the child, has been in pain.



Like a deep comfort
A picture book that brings warm satisfaction, "Mary"

My grandfather passed away from dementia, and my grandmother was left alone.
The night Mary sends all three pups away, she stays up late at night staring at the front door and whining.
The grandmother next door is upset by her son's divorce, and her granddaughter is separated from her parents.
Now, a puppy born with one of its front legs shortened will guard that granddaughter's side.

Like ordinary people, the characters in this picture book also have pain.
But like the cheerful 'Mary' who wags her tail at anyone she sees, she lives by pouring out her pain and then accepting that pain as if it were nothing.
They show care with their actions rather than words, and the giver does not show off and the receiver accepts naturally.
So after reading the picture book, my heart is filled with a warm sense of satisfaction, as if I have received deep comfort.
Mary's cheerfulness, as she simply wags her tail to greet me without any selfish intentions, enters my heart.