candy cane

** First of all, on the cover, Dongdong is holding a transparent candy instead of a pink candy. This reflects the original creative intention of the author. The transparent candy that Dongdong ate last had the most important meaning in the story. This transparent candy, which “remains silent no matter how much you suck on it,” is a simple candy with no magical effect. However, Dongdong can speak his true feelings even without magic. So Dongdong decides to “speak first.” It reflects his true voice and will. When I look at myself with a clear and transparent mind, I can fully understand the world around me, so this candy must be transparent. Therefore, the transparent candy is the “core” and “foundation” of the candy.

** When you open the front cover hidden under the cover, the close-up of Dongdong's face moves out of focus, and the scene changes to Dongdong and Guseul standing in a living room bathed in sunlight. It feels like looking at a warm photograph. This composition creates movement and liveliness like a scene from a movie within the limited space of paper, and increases the reader's immersion.

** The scenes and paratexts on the cover and inside cover of the existing book - the scene where the empty lot where he played alone changes into an empty lot where he plays with friends, the fallen leaves and beads on the ground, and the first line, "I play alone." - have been naturally incorporated into the text. These changes delicately and actively show Dongdongi's internal growth and change, and further enrich the narrative of Alsa-tang. The green inside cover and inside cover, which use margins that signify growth and new beginnings, delicately and beautifully conclude the story, and convey deep aftertaste and the breath of the story to the readers.

**Dongdongi's psychological state and the various beings that convey his feelings are delicately expressed through frame changes. In the beginning, the square frame that symbolizes Dongdongi's separation from the world gradually transforms and expands freely as he learns about the minds of beings. The appeal of the old sofa, the companion dog
The conversation with Seol-i and the image of Dong-dong running outside following the sound of fallen leaves are transformed into a circular frame reminiscent of candy, visually expressing the state of recovering one's inner self and feeling lighter. This visual change allows readers to understand and empathize with the protagonist's growth and change more deeply.

** The inside of the cover includes a storyboard written and drawn by the author, allowing readers to get a glimpse into the process of creating the work. In addition, the author's signature and Dongdongi's image engraved in gold on the cover flap add to the charm of wanting to collect it.

** In addition, the handwriting containing the voices of the sofa, marbles, father, grandmother, and fallen leaves is a meaningful result of collaboration with the author's family and acquaintances.

# The Universe of "Alsatang" unfolds in the story bowl
“What we need to make life sweeter is storytelling.” _ Baek Hee-na
Baek Hee-na's character and scene settings are meticulous and delicate. Dong-dong, who has difficulty communicating, is awkward in expressing his feelings and cannot accept the feelings of others. To visualize this, the author made his eyes, nose, and mouth small and covered his ears with a bowl-shaped head. (When he eats a candy and his ears open, Dong-dong begins to converse with the world, and in the process, his covered ears are revealed.) Dong-dong's father also symbolizes an adult who has difficulty communicating through the light reflected on his glasses. (In Dong-dong's confession, his father's sincerity is revealed through his eyes that are dimly visible through the lenses.) Also, the friend who appears next to Dong-dong is wearing the sweater of Hong-bi, the main character of "Cloud Bread." He is another side of the affectionate Hong-bi and is probably an old friend who remains only in the author's heart. Friendly scenes from the author's real life also stand out. The text of the father's nagging was inspired by the words the author's son often heard from his father. Since these were words he was tired of hearing, he was able to fill them all up in an instant. Also, the scene where the son hugs his father was actually sketched after the son hugged his father.
The scene where Dongdong approaches the trees in the autumn sunlight was the most important scene for the author and the one he put his heart and soul into. In order to capture Dongdong growing in the sunlight, he captured the falling leaves against the backlight, capturing a fantastic yet warm light. Dongdong listens to the sounds from outside and goes out of the house. It is the moment when he takes a step toward the world on his own. As if welcoming him, the falling maple leaves in the autumn sunlight greet him. “Leaves fall, but the fallen leaves become fertilizer that will sprout next spring, so they also mean a new beginning. So the goodbye of fallen leaves is both a ‘goodbye to separation’ and a ‘goodbye to meeting.’” As the author says, Dongdong’s autumn is not sad. Like the leaves of various colors, the child still has many dreams and possibilities…

# Round things: Candy and the universe
Candy, marbles, Dongdong with a round face… 《Candy》 is full of round things. As Dongdong says, marbles are fun to play. The way the round marbles collide and push each other reveals various aspects of our human relationships. The sweet candy slowly melts in your mouth reminds you of how precious the short but sweet moments of life are. The round shape has no beginning or end, and is perfectly harmonious without bias. That is why the shape of the sphere is cosmic and essential. Like planets and stars in the universe, 'candy' and 'marbles' are like small universes that children can touch and feel. Just as planets move along their own orbits under the influence of gravity, we also influence each other and live with our own unique narratives. We are, clearly, beings moving within the truth of the universe.
There is a small piece of candy in Dongdong's hand. When he puts the candy in his mouth and rolls it, he hears the sound. 'Sound' has the power to awaken our hearts and souls beyond the realm of hearing. The magical candy is transformed into an invisible, intangible sound (auditory) through the sense of taste. The magic of the material called candy changing into the immaterial sound has occurred.
Dongdong listens to their voices. His sincerity awakens the inner voice, understands others, and awakens us to the fact that we are one being connected to the universe. 《Alsatang》 makes us dream of a harmonious life. It rediscovers the meaning of small things in our daily lives and reminds us that we are all connected to one large universe. Listen with an earnest heart. My endlessly expanding universe will open up.

# “Want to play with me?”
We are quite familiar with each other. The 《Alsa-tang》 that I met after 7 years is still the same. It remains in my heart, sympathizing and comforting me. Baek Hee-na's comfort is not always direct. She just leaves something there from an appropriate distance. It doesn't matter who put the magic alsa-tang. It was Dong-dong who went to buy new beads to find his own and others' hearts, and who found the magic alsa-tang in a pile of dusty things.
“Would you like to play with me?” Dongdong speaks again. He encourages us by saying that the world is still beautiful and that truth shines. Listen to his quiet invitation and respond. This is how Baek Hee-na comforts. The author does not want her story to be covered up by numerous awards and fancy modifiers. The author’s simple sincerity in wanting stories to be told as stories is the true meaning of this re-publication.
I hope that “Alsatang,” which has returned in the new spring, will still remain in the hearts of readers.
And, I hope that the story of "Alsatang" will become "your Alsatang" that speaks to my heart and someone else's!