★Shortlisted for the 2024 International Hans Christian Andersen Award for Writers, Lee Geum-yi is considered a pioneer of Korean children's literature and has authored a number of children's books in China.

★This book depicts the subtle human psychology lurking deep within children, such as prejudice, rejection, relative superiority, and hatred.

★Even if parents want their children to lead independent lives, few parents can trust them completely and leave all decisions to them. As long as adults still want to express themselves within the strict order of this society, children will never be able to escape the life of a puppets on a string.

2024 International Hans Christian Andersen Award Finalist Author Lee Geum-yi’s Collection of Youth Literature of 5 Books:
“The Whale in the Pocket”
“Hello, My First Love”
“The Cliff”
“Dance of the Puppets”
“We in the Land of Giants”

On the fourth day of Bom's absence, a bundle of papers of unknown origin are placed on the desk of the class teacher. When the first page is opened, the story begins, "The child has disappeared". The stories are titled by class number and tell different stories, all of which are intertwined with Bom, the "disappeared child". The words reveals the events, feelings, and inner activities that take place between the class and Bom before she is absent from class. However, the story of Bom is unbelievable to the class and even to the teacher. Memories of Prague, the handsome college boyfriend, the first kiss and the confession! Is this really possible for Bom, who is so overweight that her school uniform doesn't fit her figure? This book describes the subtle human psychology of prejudice, rejection, relative superiority and hatred that lurks within children.

In addition, it constantly asks the reader whose words are true and whose words are wrong, and what truths lie between the facts and the lies.

These questions about truth are symbolized by the dance of the puppets. Like a puppet unable to dance on its own, the story culminates in the realization of who is being manipulated and who will be the first to break free of the strings holding them back. Moreover, the phenomenon of "exclusion due to prejudice and hatred", symbolized by the strings of puppets, is not only happened limited to the children in the class. Aren't those children also puppets dancing on the strings of the world and adults?