(English) Books

"What is a book? Writing and paintings on paper? Or written records of someone's ideas or words? Although books are very familiar to us, it is not easy to explain what they are. It is perhaps because there are so many different types of books on so many different kinds of topics. Evolving into various shapes, books have been with us for a long, long time.

Book is a story about two Chosun Dynasty-era kids, Yuni and Suni, who get close through books. Yuni, who is a child from an aristocratic family, has a lot of books in her house. Suni visits Yuni to play with her. However, immersed in reading, Yuni does not pay attention to Suni. To Suni, who is from a commoner family, the books stacked in the room are new and strange items. Suni sits down next to Yuni, and they read books together. The next day, and the day after that, the two kids spend all day reading books. One day, Yuni begins to write things on paper, creating a story. Reading and writing stories together, Yuni and Suni become closer. Despite differences in social rank and class, books connect the two kids like a bridge.

During the Chosun Dynasty, books were a luxury only rich people and aristocrats could have and read. From the period of King Yeongjo and King Jeongjo, books became more accessible to commoners. Yuni, who is from an aristocratic family, could freely read books. But to Suni, who is from a commoner family, books must have been strange items. The new world that Suni met in the books must have been surprising, too.

Today, we can easily access books and read them, but fewer and fewer people read books. Is this because we have so many other things to see and to entertain us? It seems people do not appreciate books anymore. Nonetheless, books are filled with stories that make us smile and grow. Reading this heartwarming picture book about two kids, Yuni and Suni, we may have an opportunity to think about books once again.  "

(Japanese) 本

'朝鮮時代、本を通じて親しくなった二人の子供の話だ。ヨンとスンがその主人公だ。身分の高い家門の子供であるヨンの家にはたくさんの本があった。話し相手になってあげようとスンが訪ねて来ても、ヨンは気付きもせずに本の中に埋もれていた。平民のスンは部屋いっぱいに積まれている本がただただ不思議だった。ヨンが本を読んでいる間、スンもその横に座って本を読んだ。

次の日も、その次の日も二人は本にどっぷりと入り込んでいた。そんなある日、ヨンが紙をいっぱいに広げて何かを書いている。「物語」を作っていたのだ。

조선 시대, 책을 통해 가까워지게 된 두 아이 이야기다. 연이와 순이가 바로 그 주인공이다. 양반집 아이인 연이네 집에는 책이 아주 많았다. 말동무가 되어 주려고 순이가 찾아왔는데도, 연이는 아는 채도 않고 책 속에 파묻혀 있었다. 평민인 순이는 방에 한가득 쌓여 있는 책이 신기하기만 했다. 연이가 책을 보는 동안 순이도 그 옆에 앉아 책을 읽었다.

다음 날도, 그다음 날도 두 아이는 책에 푹 빠졌다. 그러던 하루는 연이가 종이를 잔뜩 펼쳐 놓고 무언가를 적었다. ‘이야기’를 만들고 있었던 것이다. 순이는 연이가 지은 글을 읽고 또 읽었다. 책을 나누어 읽고, 이야기를 지으며 연이와 순이는 차츰 가까워지는데….