Lion mart

Publication date March 28, 2023
Guidance on the binding method for flat-type hardcover books
Number of pages, weight, size 40 pages | 388g | 215*262*10mm

137 wind picture books. This is the second picture book by Kim Yoo and Sobok Lee. Saja opened ‘Saja Mart’ in an apartment complex. It was the name of Mr. Saja, and it was a mart with the hope that people would come to buy a lot of things. A lady entered Saja Mart. Mr. Lion greeted her, but when her aunt saw her, she was startled and turned around and left. After that, people in the neighborhood gossip about Saja Mart. “You seem to have a nasty personality.”, “You look like a lion.” Saja Mart has become a place where there are scary lions instead of goods. What will happen to Saja's 'Saja Mart'?

Publisher Reviews
What is prejudice?

Preconceived notions are fixed thoughts based on what you have seen or heard beforehand, and do not accept other opinions. In 『Saja Mart』, Mr. Saja, who opened a mart, appears. He arranges things neatly, cleans up, and prepares to welcome guests, but Mr. Saja's appearance is a bit rugged. It's a scary feeling to see. An old lady comes to the mart and is surprised to see Mr. Lion, so she runs away. And he spreads the word that he looks scary to people, and people misunderstand Mr. Lion because of his appearance and what he heard from his aunt.

『Saja Mart』 clearly shows what 'prejudice' is at the eye level of children who will read picture books. Even so, it doesn't solve it like it's wrong. Nor does it make Mr. Lion go to great lengths to look good in people, such as sprucing up his appearance. Mr. Lion just shows the behavior that reveals his original heart, and makes people realize it through an accidental opportunity.

Whose fault is it for having preconceived notions? 『Saja Mart』 does not say anything wrong to Saja, who does not decorate his appearance, or to those who have prejudices. We often misunderstand in our lives. The important thing is always to take good care of the other person, and I am talking about the courage to quickly resolve misunderstandings.

Themes expressed in color harmony

Colors such as white, black, and gray located between these extreme colors are called achromatic colors. These achromatic and chromatic colors are expressed in harmony in the paintings of 『Saja Mart』.

The prejudice and prejudice we commonly have is to look at only one side that stands out and think. Author Soboki emphasizes this with contrasting color expressions. In particular, the faces and bodies of the figures are equally colorless. It's just that the clothes and accessories that each person is wearing are colored. This refers to looking at a person through the clothes that reveal their personality and guessing their personality. However, it symbolically represents that it is never all of that person, that just as my inner color is hidden, so are all people.

The picture book story told by Kim Yoo

Many people shared their kind hearts on the ‘Maeum Bus’. We are presenting the second story in return for the overflowing love and support. ‘Saja Mart’, which can be seen if you look closely at the Maum Bus as if you are looking for hidden letters, is the space in this story. The story of Saja Mart started with the word ‘saja’, which has the same shape but different meaning.

Sometimes we don't know much, but there are times when we look at the outside and think. It's like wearing colored glasses and seeing only one color. If you think about one side and see it, you won't be able to figure out the other meaning or different look. Saja Mart’s ‘Saja’ was named after the owner Saja, but it contains Saja’s heart that he wants many people to come to buy goods. But at some point, people regard lions as ‘terrible lions’ and stay away from SajaMart. If you take a closer look at it, you will see it better, but relationships in busy daily life don't even give you the time to do that.

Then one day, the apartment complex suddenly loses power and the whole world becomes black. Even if you wear glasses or take them off, the apartment, Saja Mart, and people are black. And the first customer of Saja Mart, the children's sister, says to Saja, who is worried about the darkness, "I can see it well when I look closely." After that, as if magic happens, other adult guests come and look at Mr. Lion without colored glasses. At the end of the story, cat sisters resembling children's sisters appear. Perhaps he is the protagonist who caused the magic of Saja Mart, and he is said to go on a journey again in search of a dark place. Even at the next destination where the cat sisters arrive, people's dark hearts will be a little brighter, right? In addition, just as we did the letter play with different bases through Maum Bus, we also recommend a letter game through Saja Mart to find opposite words like ‘saja-palja’ or words with different meanings that are the same as ‘saja’.