- Overview
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This book is about Seokdong, a rough-spoken, ill-natured troublemaker, and what happens when a footprint kid, who looks exactly like Seokdong, appears in front of him.
- Book Intro
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Park Seokdong always pestered his parents for things he couldn't get at home, was rude to elders in the neighborhood and snatched his friends' belongings or teased them at school. This was his life. One day, another kid, exactly like him, appeared in front of him.
In an alleyway, he made a few footprints on some wet cement. Those footprints gathered into a lump, then arms and legs are formed and eyes, a nose and a mouth appeared. The footprints became another Park Seokdong, and Seokdong himself became invisible when the footprint kid appeared.
The footprint kid looks like Seokdong and has the same name, but he acts in a totally different way. He waters plants at home even when his mother doesn't ask and neatly arranges the shoes. At school, he buys ice cream for other children and returns things that Seokdong took from his friend. Not only his mother and friends, but also the teacher is moved by the footprint kid, the new Seokdong. The invisible Seokdong now has to follow the footprint kid in order to get his body back.
In The Footprint Kid, Seokdong struggles alone to find himself after becoming invisible when a kid who has the same name and face as him appears. Can the real Seokdong reveal the truth about the footprint kid and return to his old self?
The author is not ordering Seokdong to become a nice person through the footprint kid. This book helps Seokdong to realize things on his own and grow bit by bit through the footprint kid. Seokdong will not become a new Seokdong as soon as he gets his body back. But he can consider his footprints as he looks back once in a while. Isn't this probably the reason why the footprint kid came to Seokdong in the first place?
- About the Author
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Lee Nayoung
(English) Lee Na Young (F), born in Seoul in 1973, studied biology and creative writing at university and children's literature and children's story writing at the Children's Story Writer School and graduate school. She started her career as a writer after winning the 13th Munhakdongne Children's Literary Award in 2012.
She has written one picture book, How did Mom Know?, and the children's stories Time Shop; The Red Thread; The Footprint Kid; and Twelve Years Old, A Lovable Me.
(English2) Lee made her debut with Time Store, which won the 13th Munhakdongne Children's Literary Award. Since then, she has gone on to write other books such as Rise Grasslands Villa, Red Thread, The Footprint Child, Twelve Years Old and In Love, The 13-Year-Old's Dunk Shoot, Protect Ari!, and Blue Marble.
Lee Gabgyu
(English) Lee Gapgyu studied painting in college and is now studying poetry in graduate school. He is constantly trying to make funny, playful picture books for children. He wrote and illustrated A Book Actually About Nosepicking, The Trampoline, and A Scary Story. He won the Hankook Publishing Culture Award with A Book Actually About Nosepicking, which was also included in the 2017 IBBY Selection of Outstanding Books for Young People. He illustrated Grit for Children, The Shapeshifting Pig, The Rumor Virus, Giraffe’s Wings, The Laundrybot Disappeared!, Kids Who Study on Their Own, and other books.
(Chinese) 曾在大学学习绘画，目前在读诗歌专业的研究生。正在努力创作欢乐、活泼、充满智慧的童话绘本。图文作有《真正挖鼻屎的故事》、《弹床》、《可怕的故事》。其中《真正挖鼻屎的故事》曾获第55届韩国出版文化奖，2017年其作品还入选IBBY世界残疾儿童绘本。曾为《孩子需要毅力》、《变身猪》、《传闻中的病毒》、《长颈鹿的翅膀》、《红色机器人消失了！》、《自学的孩子》等作品创作过插画。
- Recommendation
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Korean School Librarian Association, 2018, Recommended book
Open Kid, 2017, Hottest book of the Month
- Selection
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Hanuri Reading Culture Campaign, Recommended book
