★A satirical story of a child whose wish to walk on walls freely is not accepted by the rigid, conventional adults of the “Ordinary Village,” encapsulating the reality where people draw the boundary between “me” and “others” perhaps too easily.

★The author’s unique wit and humor cleverly point out the way we erect barriers simply because others are different.

★Kyobo Bookstore MD's Choice

★3-5 years old

In the “Ordinary Village” lives one child who walks on walls. And all the “strange children”—as the adults put it—are trapped in Hat Castle. The child’s parents try to cure the boy’s wall-walking habit. Sometimes they yell at him, and at other times invite all kinds of specialists—such as doctors, experts, scientists, and religious people—but nothing works. Having reached his limit, the boy cries, “I’m a wall-walking boy!”

Assuming he will soon be thrown into the castle like other “strange children,” the boy walks a full circle around the room, from the floor to the walls and the ceiling. Then he hears someone say from outside the window, “Hello!” It is a child from Hat Castle. A brilliant idea crosses his mind. He strides out of the window and heads to the castle.

Why did the boy willingly go to Hat Castle? What sort of future awaits the wall-walking child and other children in the castle?

With this story, the author illuminates societal perceptions of “difference,” which could be anything from skin color to disability or divergent opinions. The adults of the Ordinary Village may represent “me” and even “all of us.”

The author highlights a world in which difference is recognized as diversity, a society that respects minorities, and solidarity that promotes courage. What stands out in the book is the author’s profound insight into those who draw boundaries without fully understanding the essence of others. The book also extols the virtues of tolerance and kindness, emphasizing their role in embracing even the most marginalized and stigmatized voices.

Choi Minji
Choi Minji is a picture book writer who received the WEE Korean Children’s Picture Book Award in 2019 and published The Octopus Sauna, The Elephant Hair Salon, and Look at Me.