Angthong is in deep sorrow after his watermelon was stolen!
Like a watermelon that is hard on the outside but soft on the inside
We pursue perfection, but our inner selves are imperfect.
A picture book of self-reflection that allows you to look inside

Angthong's watermelon field
Angthong carefully grew watermelons.
The watermelon field, lined with fresh, dark watermelons without a single space between them, was truly perfect.
Until a whole watermelon was stolen.
Although he only lost a watermelon, Angtong, who had poured all his heart into it, fell into an uncontrollable and deep sense of loss.
My mind was filled with thoughts of the lost watermelon, and the hollow space was filled with sadness.
Angtong, who was suffering from extreme injustice, sadness, and nightmares, finally decides to protect the watermelon field.
But as the night deepens, my eyelids grow heavier, and my body and mind grow weary… What will become of the once-perfect watermelon field? Will Angtong ever be able to escape this endless anxiety and worry?

A watermelon with a different outside and inside
The watermelon that Angtong cherished so much looks hard on the outside, but it splits easily with even a small impact.
Moreover, the inside is very soft, somewhere between a solid and a liquid.
It's like we want to be flawless and perfect, but we get hurt by small mistakes and easily fall apart from failure.
The obsession with [perfection] is not only for adults but also for children, and the more we try our best, the greater the fear of mistakes and failure.
Like Angtong, whose daily life was ruined because of a single watermelon.
But if you think about it, most of the worries that tire us out come from the expectations we set for ourselves, like, "It can't be wrong! It has to be perfect!"
So, aren't most of the worries we face today a matter of our mindset? Like sweet watermelon that soothes the summer heat, I hope that both children and adults can cultivate their own unique flavors and aromas.


Sweet and fragrant picture
This book is an attractive picture book with a concise and profound writing style and dreamy illustrations.
In particular, the sensual paintings clearly show Angthong's anxiety and worries.
In the first scene, Angthong stands in the empty space left by the stolen watermelon, as if he cannot accept the fact that he has lost the watermelon and is filling the gap with his whole body.
Then, the sight of Angthong bowing his head between the giant watermelons reveals a sense of loss and self-loathing.
The picture of a watermelon in the sky shedding tears exudes the utmost sadness of the sorrowful heart, and together with the picture of the moon in the back, which resembles the eyes of a surprised cat running wild, this can be said to be the essence of iconotext.
Also, the paintings are so sensitively produced that you can hear the dusky sky, the watermelon fields, the sounds of insects and their wings, and just looking at them, you can feel the physical anxiety, mental anxiety, and unconscious anxiety that Angtong is experiencing.
Although the overall picture is directed with a left-right contrast, the book also has the charm of adding tension by gradually breaking the balance with things like antongs, tears, shadows, cats, and the moon.
Finally, the contrast between the first scene, which has nothing but neatly arranged watermelons, and the last scene, which features a cat, a butterfly, and a ladybug among the watermelons, makes us reflect again on the concept of 'perfection.'

Editorial Notes
I really liked this book, which was published by another publisher.
So when I first found out it was out of print, I was upset.
Then soon I became greedy.
After thinking about it for a few weeks, I found out through a nearby agent that it was out of print even with the French copyright holder.
It's unbelievable! This wonderful picture book is disappearing from the world... After several weeks of sadness and regret, I finally asked my agent to contact the authors.
Fortunately, we were able to contact each other within a few weeks, and after understanding each other's intentions and discussing it for several months, we finally signed a contract directly with the writers.
Of course, this time too, I went through a period of worry, like a rite of passage that I go through every time I make a book.
After several months of conversations with the translator, I received a fragrant text, and after several months of working with the designer, I completed a sweet design.
Looking back, I've been plagued by a lot of worry and anxiety for a full year, from last summer when I decided to republish this book until now.
What if I can't get a contract? What should I do with the tone? What words are appropriate? Should I reduce the format by 7%? Should I use the original title? Should I reduce the font size to make the illustrations stand out more? I sometimes lose sleep over the editor's unknowable concerns.
But now that I have this new book, I am no longer anxious.
I poured all my love and sincerity into this book, just like I did when I was growing a watermelon field, but regardless, this book is perfect, just as it was when I first started.

* Tick-tock-tick-tock Nuri Books are foreign picture books introduced by the Picture Book Workshop.
We will continue to present new emotions and visual pleasures through clear themes and colorful expressions.

Curriculum linkage
Nuri Curriculum Social Relations: * Knowing and Respecting Myself_ Knowing and Cherishing Myself / Taking an interest in myself & Cherishing Myself.
* Regulating your own and others' emotions_ Try to regulate your own emotions.


Elementary school curriculum linkage
Korean 1-1 1.
4. With a happy heart.
Tell me how you feel
Korean 1-2 1.
Share your feelings 6.
Let the story bloom, 8.
Read with thought, 9.
Spread your wings of imagination
Korean 2-1 4.
Send your thoughts 5..
What is important? / Korean 3-1 8.
Express your feelings 10.
Just as vivid as it is