Whispering, can you hear me?
My heart wants to become closer to you!

Get closer by whispering,
Becoming friends with your heart
A story about children's first friendship

Soeun likes whispering.
In the classroom, in the cafeteria, whenever I get a chance, I lean my face close to my classmate Hyunji and whisper to her.
When asked by the locals, “Why do you keep whispering?” Soeun answers without hesitation.
“Just for you to hear.”
It's just a simple word, but it's full of a desire to become closer to the local people.
At Soeun's words, Hyunji's heart starts pounding.
He was very happy that Soeun considered him a 'special friend'.

It's incredibly exciting to be considered someone's "special friend."
"Whisper Friend" is a fairy tale that affectionately depicts the thrilling excitement, the intimacy created by secrets between two people, and the moments of friendship that bring you closer to a friend.
Korean Andersen Award-winning author Jo Young-seo warmly captured the hearts of children who want to share secrets only with their favorite friends, and illustrator Woo Geo-jin, who is loved on social media, added sparkle to the story with her cute and lovely drawings.

But friendship isn't always smooth sailing.
Dong-sik, a classmate, finds out that Hyun-ji and So-eun were whispering secrets and teases them.
This incident begins to create a rift between the two friends.
Soeun misunderstands that Hyunji spread the secret.
The locals feel wronged.
I clearly didn't tell anyone, so how did Dong-sik know the secret?

We've all probably had the experience of having a relationship with a friend go sour due to a minor misunderstanding, and feeling anxious because we don't know how to resolve it.
Even adults say that interpersonal relationships are difficult, so it goes without saying that children who are just learning how to make friends are difficult.
Hyunji also feels upset and goes to the bathroom to avoid Soeun.
And when I see Joohee and Yura whispering there, I feel bad for some reason.
Then suddenly I realize.
Even when Soeun and I whisper, it might seem like we're ostracizing or gossiping about other friends.
And after thinking about it all night, he gathers his courage and approaches So-eun and confesses his true feelings.
Along with handing over the ‘secret notebook’ that I prepared myself.
I figured out through my own reflection that there are ways to become closer to friends without whispering.
That's how Hyunji and Soeun learn how to become real 'besties'.

More important than sharing secrets is caring for one another and having the courage to reach out again even after a fight.
The feelings that accumulate in this way make friendship deeper and stronger.
"Whisper Friends" offers warm comfort and encouragement to readers who struggle with friendships by showing children becoming closer through whispers and becoming friends through their hearts.

Tailored to the reading level of children aged 6 to 8
'678 Reading Independence' series

Professor Choi Na-ya (Department of Child and Family Studies, Seoul National University), a literacy expert, says, “As readers grow, their reading experiences must also change.”
The new '678 Reading Independence' series from Book Reading Bear aims to provide the reading experience necessary for readers aged 6 to 8 who are transitioning from picture books to reading books, and from reading books read by parents to reading books on their own.
We've added rich illustrations like a picture book to short fairy tales of 30 to 50 pages, so that readers can adapt to the flow of the book while reducing the burden of reading.
Additionally, we mainly use simple sentences, simple words, and pure Korean expressions tailored to the reader's reading level, and we make reading more enjoyable by using colloquial language, onomatopoeia, and mimetic words in abundance.
This will give children who are trying to become independent readers for the first time a sense of accomplishment from having read a book.

Ages 6 to 8 are the time when children first experience independence, not only in reading but also in many other ways.
They enter elementary school, begin their social life, and even try to sleep alone for the first time.
There are exciting presentation times and I also write in my diary.
What should you do when you're sick at school without your mom? This book contains stories that encourage children to face the various "firsts" they face, and stories that offer joy and comfort from the stories of friends who are like you.


Aren't our writers the ones who know best what our children are going through, where they are hurting and where they are itching? Here, right now, we've collected stories that our children can relate to, nodding along to as they experience and grapple with their concerns.
Various domestic writers, both established and new, who sympathized with the series' purpose, contributed their efforts.


In addition, we have included Professor Choi Na-ya's writings, which will serve as easy and informative guidance for young readers and their caregivers who are concerned about how to read and how to be read.
Also, while reading the book, I created a vocabulary list by selecting words and expressions that I found difficult.
By looking through the vocabulary list at the back of the book, you can review the story and learn new words.