- Overview
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This picture book depicts children who are lonely and heartbroken inside. They shout. "Don't Look! Don't Listen!" to expressionless adults, but what they really want to say is, "Please, look at me! Please, listen to me!"
- Book Intro
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All fathers and mothers love their children. They love them so much that they are ready to do anything their children wants. Delicious and nutritious food, soft dolls, toy cars, sweet chocolates… They will surely run and help if the children are in danger and calmly soothe them when they have to do something they are scared of or don't want to do, like going to the dentist. Children will be happy if they have parents like that, right? Is it really true?
Don't Look! Don't Listen starts with "I'm saying this because it's only you and me. I think adults were adults from when they were born. They don't know anything." Adults think that children are scared of peppers, dentists, injections, and foreigners they meet on the street, and that they tremble over monsters hidden in the dark. Kind of like the "I know my child the best" attitude. But actually, what children are really scared of, what makes their hearts fill with tears just by imagining it, are expressionless faces on adults no matter what their children do, parting from something they became attached to, dad's shouting resonating throughout the whole house, the stuffy feeling when nobody believes what they are saying, and a birthday they have to spend alone because everybody is busy.
Everything in the world starts and ends with human relationships. Children want to be accepted and loved by someone and receive attention. Adults just don't think about this because they take it for granted. Perhaps, what adults give is just hasty understanding, not love. So in the children's cry, "Don't look! Don't listen!," there is an opposite inner meaning: "Please, look at me! Please, listen to me!" Although this picture book reflects children's feelings of frustration when they can't communicate properly with their parents, it can be expanded to all "relationships" in the world. Since there is always a child who is lonely and hurt inside everyone, even a cold-hearted adult.
- About the Author
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Byun Sunjin
Same as Author
- Recommendation
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Whale Breathing Library, 2011, Recommended book for Summer Vacation
Open Kid, 2011, Recommended book for Summer Vacation
School Librarian Council, 2012, Recommended book
- Selection
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Association for Research on Children’s Book, Selected book
Children's Peace Book Selection Council, 2012, Children's Peace Book