Picture books by Park Wan-seo, a representative author of our time
Seven Years of Sleep

The clear and clean song of cicadas heard in the midsummer sunlight adds vitality to the refreshing summer scenery.
For this brief moment, cicadas spend most of their lives underground.
It's to enjoy a short but hot time in the sweltering summer heat.
Then the cicada ends its life by carrying new life in the ground.
"Seven Years of Sleep" is a picture book by Park Wan-seo, a representative writer of our time, that tells the story of ants who discover a cicada larva that has been asleep for seven years, waiting for that ecstatic time.
The cicada's cry may be considered a trivial and noisy noise to some, but to others it is a lively and comforting song.
This work is in line with the author's debut work, "Namok," which tells the story of people who came to terms with the true value of life amidst the bleak reality of the 1970s, including war, division, and social structure.
This is because it speaks not only about the perseverance and patience that cicadas endure as they molt from larvae to adult cicadas, but also about the conflicts and worries of ants surrounding cicada larvae, and even about the purpose and correct values ​​that we, weary of life in today's harsh materialistic world, should truly pursue, in a plain tone.
What on earth happened to the ants?

“Hey, it’s big and fresh food.
Fresh and big… … .”

A young ant looks deep into the dark earth.
Soon, the ant's eyes widen and he shouts.
“Hey, it’s big and fresh food.
Fresh and big… … .” Finding food is always a joy, but young ants are especially excited.
The world above the ground, covered in concrete everywhere and with cars belching exhaust fumes, was so different from the vast green fields of the past.
Perhaps that is why there have been several years of poor harvests in Ant Village.
The mine was completely empty, and the ants that had gone out to find food had to return empty-handed, exhausted.
It was unclear how much longer this village would last.
What a treat at a time like this! The ant colony is abuzz with excitement upon hearing this news, and the ants run towards the food with a cheerful gait.
Now, the ants have a large, fresh, mouth-watering piece of food right in front of them.
There is nothing more to see.
We need to hurry and get the food to the light.
Just as all the ants rush to the food, a wise old ant blocks their way.
This food is none other than cicada larvae that have been cultivating their voices and wings underground for a full seven years.
After waiting for a long time, the cicadas will soon rise above the ground and shed their shells, so they cannot be dragged away and eaten.
The hungry ants begin to fight, unable to understand the seven years of time and the efforts of the cicadas who wait patiently underground to sing a song for such a short time.

Pure and vibrant nature captured on canvas

Painter Kim Se-hyeon, who captures the world our children face on canvas with the pure beauty of Oriental painting, sought to capture nature in its entirety in “Seven Years of Sleep.”
The land, the foundation of life, and the cicadas that spend long periods underground, waiting to emerge from the ground, all use materials obtained from nature.
The land is made of Andong clay, and the cicadas are colored with natural mineral pigments, conveying a deep color and the vitality of nature.
The artist, who encountered the work of author Park Wan-seo again after the publication of the children's book 『The Cicada is Strong』 in 2001, has depicted the vibrant rhythm of nature, including the land, the foundation of all living things, ants, and even cicadas, in a sensual yet beautiful way through various compositions.
Like the cicada larva's long and arduous journey underground, the painting, honed over a long period of time by the fingertips, has escaped stereotypical images and is alive and breathing in a simple yet vivid way.
In particular, the appearance of the ants is quite different from the ants we are familiar with.
But you can tell at a glance that it's an ant.
From the large eyes, round head and tail, to the thick body with rough lines and long legs, each with its own distinct thoughts and emotions.
The harmony created by restrained lines and surfaces creates a new kind of ant that cannot be seen anywhere else, eliciting exclamations from readers.
Not only ants, but also cicada larvae and individual leaves are imbued with a unique vitality, and the artist's loving gaze on nature is fully reflected.

Behold the beautiful and amazing miracle of life.

The ants decide to give up their food, which is as precious as their lives, and help the cicadas.
If these cicadas are not dragged into the light, the ants will have to go out again to find food.
Still, there's no telling if they'll ever find food.
Still, the ants decide to endure their hunger a little longer and make way for the cicadas to greet them for a new day.
Last summer, I couldn't forget the song of the cicadas, which allowed me to look around at the beauty of the surroundings and relieved me of the hardships of working hard and sweating.
The ants, who had moved cicada larvae above ground for the first time in their lives instead of underground, realized something.
As precious as filling one's stomach with food and filling one's stomach is enriching and strengthening one's mind.
This book says that the true value of life that all living beings deserve is not in the pursuit of material things.
Even though there is not enough food right now, we must learn to be grateful that there is still a handful of dirt left, warm sunlight shining down, and trees providing cool shade.
Realizing the preciousness of life and always pondering what is meaningful and valuable in life—isn't that the message that Park Wan-seo, a representative author of our time, wanted to convey to our children living in this era?
Now the ants set out again.
Listening to the cheerful song of cicadas.

The Dorandoran Our Picture Book series

There was a time when I would tell my children old stories by the light of a lamp after bedtime.
Now, the lamplight has been replaced by electricity, and the stories we used to hear have been replaced by picture books that read aloud.
There is no one who has never encountered a picture book while growing up.
Whether you like books or not, you can say that you have been with picture books since you were very young and even after becoming a mother or father.
We have compiled our own original picture books filled with our emotions and thoughts so that anyone who sees, reads, and feels picture books can achieve happy communication.
〈Dorandoran Our Picture Book〉 is composed with colorful illustrations and profound text so that not only our children but everyone can enjoy it and talk about it properly.
Through "Dorandoran Our Picture Book," which is filled with reflections on life and the joy of stimulating imagination, our pure and innocent children will develop broad hearts and open eyes, and it will also comfort the hearts of adults who live with dreams and preserve their childlike innocence.