When Passing Through the Foggy Forest

Written by Song Mikyoung, Illustrated by Chang Sunhwan

Synopsis

One fall morning, a television announcer suddenly turns into a giraffe. In an instant, every adult in the world is transformed into an animal. After a short period of confusion, the adults are at peace, as if they’ve been waiting for this day all their lives. Babies are visited and cared for by animals, and young children are adopted by adult animals. Only children over the age of 14 live in their own homes as humans.

When teenager Yeon boards a train to visit her sister Seol, who has been adopted by a wolf couple, she falls asleep and wakes up just as the train arrives at the last stop. Late at night, when all transportation has stopped, a deer wearing a muffler talks to Yeon as she tries to figure out how to get to Seol’s village. Unsure of where to go and how to get there in the middle of the night, Yeon follows the deer into the foggy forest.

The world is silent, the fog is thick, and the moon is exceptionally bright. The deer leads Yeon to a forest cafe. The owner, a pig, serves her bread with raspberry jam, honey tea, and milk. Yeon is anxious to meet her sister before dawn, but the deer insists that she sleep for a while and takes her to a cave where a fox lives. As Yeon falls asleep, she dreams that she meets Seol.

They set off again and reach the river. It’s time to farewell. Yeon bends down and the deer leans her neck over Yeon’s shoulder. It’s only then that Yeon realizes that the deer that guided her along the way is her mother. The pig she met on the way was her aunt, and the fox was her dad. Each of her parents and aunt have welcomed her in different ways.

Yeon crosses the river alone. The fog gradually clears and snow falls. She meets Seol, who has turned into a wolf, and her wolf family. She says goodbye to Seol’s family, hoping to see them again. Yeon watches as the snow covers everything.

Author : Song Mikyoung

Song won the 2nd Woongjin Junior Literary Award for 《The School for Children Who Don't Want to Go to School》, the 54th Korea Publishing Culture Award for 《A Child》, and the 5th Changwon Children's Literature Award for 《A Child Who Chews Stones》. She has written children’s books such as 《Hamlet and Me》, 《A Bear on a Spring Day》, and young adult novels such as 《The Insane Surgery Report》, 《Do I See a Bird?》. She has also written and illustrated 《I Became a Rabbit》, 《Today’s Dog and Bird》, and so on.

Illustrator: Chang Sunhwan

Chang is an illustrator and picture book author and has taught at a university. He wrote and illustrated 《Surfing the Waves》, 《Tidal War》, 《A Railroad Worker》, and so on. He drew pictures in books such as 《When Passing Through the Foggy Forest》, 《The Child Crossing the River》, 《I Flow》.