Korean / Republic of Korea
Na neun gae da
(I am a dog)
Baek, Heena
(Baeg, Hui Na)
(text/illus.)
Seoul: Chaek ingneum gom (Bear Books Publ.), 2019. – [42] p.
(Series: Geurim chaegi cham joa; 056)
ISBN 979-11-5836-136-5
Family | Pet | Dog | Animal welfare | Picture book
Reading age: 3+
White Ravens issue: 2019
This is another touching story by well-known Korean picture book author Baek Heena, who from 2014 to 2019 has annually been nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award. Her books often recall Claymation movies, their protagonists being sculptures arranged and photographed in miniature film sets. From a dog’s perspective, we are told how a puppy named Guseuli is adopted by five-year-old Dongdongi’s family once the puppy is weaned. Guseuli misses its mother and its sibling puppies terribly, and every time it hears dogs howling in the neighbourhood, Guseuli has to respond, because they might be its family. Guseuli’s new life consists mostly of waiting in the empty house for its human housemates to return. It wonders why Dongdongi and Grandmother stumble and get so angry when running for a walk together. Guseuli doesn’t understand why it is punished when it has an accident on the bed after having been fed junk food. Nonetheless, Guseuli becomes a real family member and gives – and is given – unconditional love by Dongdongi.