Description: A new picture book from author Park Hyun-min, whose distinctive color palette brings imagined worlds vividly to life. Known for designing perspectives both inside and outside the page, Park Hyun-min has consistently surprised readers by making full use of the physical qualities of the book itself. Through playful use of space (Enormous Snow, Let's Play, Friends!, In Search of Light), the introduction of new viewpoints (City Flight), and reflections on relationships (White Dog), the author has explored a wide range of themes—and in this latest work, delivers a longer, more flowing narrative with remarkable grace. How to Become a True Friend features the legendary Yeti as its protagonist, posing a profound question about diversity and coexistence. Set against the breathtaking spectacle of snowy mountains, the story of befriending an unfamiliar being unfolds like a film. The original imagery, created through a harmony of color and empty space, sparks the imagination. Throughout the story, blank space takes on many forms—the Yeti, steep mountain ridges, snowstorms, and night skies. Using only three glossy spot colors—purple, magenta, and green—the illustrations offer readers a special aesthetic experience that can only be felt in a printed book. A Unique Metaphor for the Relationship Between Humans and Nature The story begins with Yujin, the head of the Yeti Research Institute, making her way across towering snowy mountains toward the institute. Tasked with the mission of turning the Yeti into humanity's friend, Yujin sets a trap at the Yeti's expected location, using rice noodles—known to be the Yeti's favorite food—as bait. Just as the Yeti appears and falls into the trap, a massive mountain suddenly begins to move. It is the mother Yeti. Yujin hides for a moment, but ultimately succeeds in bringing the young Yeti back to the institute. Through the conflict between the Yeti, a symbol of wildness, and the 'Yeti Association,' which seeks to assimilate him into human society, How to Become a True Friend reveals how humans truly treat nature. It brings to mind the reality of how humans casually call animals or nature their 'friends' while treating them as objects, and how what is presented as a scientific, rational approach often ends up alienating nature itself. Meanwhile, in the mountain scenery behind the institute, readers may catch a glimpse of the mother Yeti's face, subtly hidden within the shadows of the mountain. This invites us to consider that if nature has expressions and emotions, then reading them carefully may be the very key to coexisting with it. A Black Comedy That Exposes the Hypocrisy of Civilization "To become friends with the Yeti, you must first capture him." From the very beginning, the story is steeped in irony. The sight of Yujin carrying rice noodles over snowy peaks, or teaching the Yeti letters and table manners, brings a smile—but beneath the humor lies humanity's desire to capture and tame. In a decisive moment, the Yeti acts on instinct, and is immediately taken to a city laboratory, where he is forced to wear a helmet designed to suppress his wild nature. The story then poses a challenging question: in this situation, who is truly the savage one? If this story offers any hope, it lies in Yujin's gradually changing attitude. Through the time she spends with the Yeti, and the crisis of nearly losing him, Yujin comes to understand what it truly means to care for another being. How to Become a True Friend conveys the value of looking eye to eye with those different from ourselves and respecting them just as they are. Only when each of us can check in on one another while staying true to who we are can we truly say we have become 'real friends.'