Candy(Korean version)

Description

Issue date March 25, 2017
Guidance on the binding method for flat-type hardcover books
Number of pages, weight, size 48 pages | 257*258*10mm

I can hear your heart that I couldn’t hear!
I tell you my heart that I couldn’t tell you!
Baek Hee-na’s magic egg candy!

I bought a bag of egg candy at the local stationery store.
Various sizes, shapes, and colors
When he picks out a piece of candy and puts it in his mouth, he hears the sound of his heart that he couldn’t hear before.
This is a really strange candy!
Whose heart will you hear next?

Text drawing: Baek Hee-na

Interested writers Notification request Writer recommended artist file
She was born in Seoul in 1971. She studied educational engineering at Ewha Womans University and animation at the California Institute of the Arts. Based on her animation production experience, she creates picture books with unique characters and attractive storytelling. In 2005, he started to make his name known when he was selected as the ‘Illustrator of the Year’ at the Bologna International Children’s Book Fair for 『Cloud Bread』. In 2018, 『Roll Candy』 was selected as an IBBY Honor List by the International Children’s Qingdao Book Council and won the ’11th MOE Picture Book Store Grand Prize’ for the Japanese version of 『Roll Candy Amedama』. MOE Picture Book Store Grand Prize is an award given to the ‘picture book they want to sell the most’ selected after reading and voting by 3,000 employees in charge of picture book sales across Japan. It won the translation picture book category and the reader prize at the Japan Picture Book Awards at the same time, and the reader prize is more meaningful as it is decided by the votes of children, teachers, librarians, and picture book officials.

In 2020, She won the ‘Astrid Lindgren Award’, called the Nobel Prize for children’s books, and became widely known worldwide. The selection committee for the Astrid Lindgren Prize commented, “Heena Baek is reviving the medium of picture books. Her fascinating world of picture books captivates, surprises, delights, and moves us.”, China, Taiwan, France, the U.S., Canada, etc. Overseas fans are increasing as they have been introduced to such countries as 『I Am a Dog』, 『Strange Guest』, 『Roll Candy』, 『The Strange Mother』, 『Dung Fly Tasted in a Dream』 ”, “Longevity Fairy”, “Pipyak’s Mother”, “Yesterday Evening”, “Moon Sherbet”, “Pink String”, “The Boy Who Found the North Wind”, and “Cloud Bread”.

Publisher Reviews

Today too, Dongdong is playing marbles in a corner of the playground, hoping that his friends will talk to him first. However, the friends do not seem to be interested in marbles or Dongdong. He says, ‘It’s not bad to play alone,’ and he tries to pretend to be calm, but there is a limit to holding out.
Somewhat shy, Dong-dong sneaks away with the excuse that he needs a new bead. Then he stops by the local stationery store and buys a bag of candy. At first, he thought it was marble and picked it up, but fell for his grandfather, who was a very sweet owner.
But this is no ordinary candy. Among the candies of various sizes, shapes, and colors, there was a pattern that caught my eye, and I immediately put it in my mouth… You hear a strange voice. “dong… Dong Dong… Dong Dong… Dong Dong-ah… here it is… here… .” The old sofa is the owner of the voice calling Dong-dong anxiously. On the sofa, I complain that the remote control is stuck in my side and it hurts and that it is difficult to breathe when my dad farts sitting on top of me.
The egg candy then tells the story of the old dog Seulgi, who is being dragged around by Dongdong’s hand all day, the father’s innermost heart, who constantly nags at Dongdong whenever he makes eye contact, and the happy regards of his grandmother, whom he misses so much but cannot meet. After learning about his heart that he had never thought of even in his dreams, Dongdong now has a clear piece of candy left in his hand. Whose heart will this candy tell Dongdongi?


“love you!” “I miss you.” “Do you want to play with me?”
Magical candy that gives you the courage to say the easiest and most difficult words in the world!
Dongdong is a child who is not good at expressing his feelings or understanding the feelings of others. Considering that Gong Cha has three friends, he doesn’t seem to refuse to ask to join first, but he doesn’t say that until the end. Then, the friends criticize, not criticize, such as saying that they don’t know how fun marbles are and that they only play among themselves. In the eyes of his friends, Dongdong will look like a kid who has no interest in soccer, but he can’t even guess what those friends are looking at, so it’s frustrating.
Friends came to Dongdong’s mind first and said, “Hey, what is that? sounds fun! Join us too.” There is only a scenario that says, “Please include me too.” There is no scenario to say. Maybe it’s because of shyness, but it’s also because they don’t know how to understand the other person’s position.
Egg candy tells Dongdong the ‘heart’ of other beings. The uncomfortable situation on the sofa, the difficult situation of Gu-gi, Dad’s sincerity, Grandma’s regards… After listening to the various voices of the heart, Dongdongi finally understands the hearts of others, even a little bit. It’s like seeing a friend who appeared like a new season at the place where a season left after a splendid greeting, saying a word that he hadn’t been able to say to anyone.
I hope that will bring the same magic that happened to Dongdongi to countless children who are probably not much different from Dongdongi. The magic of empathy, the magic of courage, the magic of growth.

P.S. In this book, two people who appeared in the author’s previous works appear as cameos. Among them, the stationery owner’s grandfather may have known about Dong-dong’s situation and suggested magic egg candy. Even if you were at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, you had a face that would suit you very well. Guessing who the other cameos are should be left for the reader’s pleasure.