Na Choe-go Beauty Salon

Written by Jeong Eunjeong, Illustrated by Choi Doeun

Synopsis

Wang-gu is an eleven-year-old boy with an ambitious dream. He has been collecting photos of hairstyles since he was younger, and has saved his pocket money for three years to buy a set of hairdressing scissors. He is a cheerful and determined boy who wants to take care of his father, who has a brain hemorrhage that makes it difficult for him to function, and cut his father’s hair. But his mother doesn’t approve of his dream. She thinks he is fooling around because she is a hairdresser, and scolds him when he insists that he is serious about becoming a hairdresser.

On his way home from school, Wang-gu accidentally meets an old lady named Na Choe-go. She tells him that she owns a hair salon nearby. Afterward, Wang-gu deliberately walks past the salon on his way home from school, and one day, he sees an employment advertisement for a hairdresser and rushes in. When Wang-gu asks if he can’t work there because he is young, Ms. Na welcomes him with open arms, saying that no one is too young or too old.

At the salon, there are also two other old ladies, Ms. Bong, who carefully curls her bangs every day, and Ms. Four o’clock, who has a big mouth. The customers who visit the salon are also unique. From an old man whose hair barely covers his head, to a woman who hasn’t been to the salon in a long time, to a little girl who is dragged by her mother because she doesn’t want to get her hair cut, each one of them has their own story. In each case, Ms. Na uses her wits to create a hairstyle that pleases the customer. After gaining experience at Ms. Na’s salon, Wang-gu finally gets his first customer. It is his mother. She approves of Wang-gu’s dream and encourages him with a new set of hairdressing scissors.

Author : Jeong Eunjeong

Jeong won the 28th Changbi Good Children’s Book Grand Prize for 《Anything Stationery》. She has written picture books 《What Day Is It Today?》, 《Open the Lid》, 《Mom is Warm》, and children’s books 《The Shy Little Snake》, 《Bubblegum that Grants Wishes》, 《The Three Dungballs》, and so on.

Illustrator : Choi Doeun

Choi majored in design at university and studied at HILLS(Hanguk Illustration School). She wrote and illustrated 《A Useless Afternoon》 and 《A Layered City》.