A fairy tale specially tailored for elementary school students by bestselling author Hong Min-jeong!

Seohyun absolutely hates her mom, who nags her incessantly every day. Mom won’t let Seohyun dress however she wants, won’t let her wear whatever shoes she likes, and even insists that Seohyun, who dreams of becoming a cartoonist, must become a doctor—leaving her feeling utterly frustrated. Meanwhile, Mom is worn out by Seohyun’s constant backtalk and unpredictable temper. Fed up with the nagging, Seohyun slams her bedroom door shut and even posts a sign that reads, “No Mom allowed!”—which leaves her mom both shocked and furious.

To ease the tension between mother and daughter, Dad signs them up for an art class offered by the local district office. The class, called “Ding-Dong, Story Woodworking Workshop!,” brings families together to create wooden crafts while using the process as an opportunity to listen to each other’s hearts. Although neither Seohyun nor her mom is particularly enthusiastic about it, they still saw wood, sand it down, and work together to complete their project...

Can this class help Seohyun and her mom open the doors to their closed-off hearts and face their true feelings for one another?
This is a heartwarming fairy tale that reveals the love between a mother and daughter hidden behind a tightly closed door.

“Mom is so mean!”
“You’re the one who’s out of line—what kind of daughter behaves like this?”
This is a story about a mother and daughter who can’t seem to understand each other.

Though family members are the closest of all relationships, they can sometimes feel as distant as strangers. At times, you can understand each other perfectly without a single word—but other times, misunderstandings arise, and these misunderstandings can even cause deep hurt. This is especially true for children in the midst of growing up, as they begin to form their own sense of self and develop their individual personalities, often clashing with their parents in the process.

The story’s protagonist, Rihyeon, is no exception. On her grandmother’s birthday, her mother wouldn’t let her wear whatever clothes she wanted, insisting that she wear dress shoes instead of sneakers, which made Rihyeon feel suffocated. A nagging fit triggered by an accidental spill of Coke escalated into a comparison between Rihyeon and her academically outstanding cousin. But Rihyeon’s mother, too, felt exhausted by Rihyeon—Rihyeon not only talked back constantly but also kept hurting her mother’s feelings with her sharp, prickly temper.

On the day when accusations flew back and forth like arrows, Rihyeon slammed her bedroom door shut as soon as she got home and tore a page from her sketchbook, writing in big letters: “Mom—No Trespassing!” When her mother saw the note, she exploded in anger: “From today on, you’re banned from entering the kitchen, the living room, the bathroom, the bedroom—every single room in this house! Do you hear me? Just try coming out of your room!”

“Ding-dong, Story Woodworking Workshop!”
Can the relationship between me and my mom be repaired through the rhythmic sounds of hammering and sawing?

Dad signed Mom and Rihyeon up for a “Ding-dong, Story Woodworking Workshop” course offered by the local government. He hoped that over the two-month course, the mother and daughter could learn together and grow closer. At first, neither was enthusiastic about it, but Rihyeon was tempted by the chance to skip extra tutoring, and Mom decided to give it a try after hearing feedback from other parents that their children’s tempers had improved after taking the class.

Yet even in the workshop, the two couldn’t stop arguing. Mom thought Rihyeon’s sketches were just scribbles, while Rihyeon shot back with sharp words, refusing to back down. Even when making picture frames, their opinions kept clashing. Rihyeon envied other families who worked together harmoniously to create picture frames and even wished, “At least while we’re in woodworking class, Mom could be a different person.”

When Mom stepped away to use the restroom, Rihyeon, feeling frustrated, grabbed a saw and started cutting a piece of wood on her own. As a result, she was scolded loudly by her mother in front of everyone. Shame and resentment welled up inside her, and tears suddenly poured down her face. Will Rihyeon and her mother be able to finish the woodworking course without further conflict? And will their relationship improve as Dad had hoped?

“How can we open our hearts to each other?”
Now is the time to gently knock on each other’s heart doors!

From Rihyeon’s perspective, her mother is always interfering and overly nagging. From her mother’s perspective, Rihyeon is a daughter who talks back frequently and has a quick temper. Yet if you look closely at what’s in each of their hearts, you’ll find that they love each other more than anyone else—and both long to be the good daughter and the good mother in the other’s eyes. It’s only because they haven’t been able to fully express these feelings that misunderstandings and hurt have arisen. “Mom—No Trespassing!” uses a light yet delicate touch to capture these intangible, tangled family emotions.

Author Hong Min-jeong vividly portrays, through the sincere and endearing protagonist Rihyeon, the complex feelings that children in the early stages of forming their own sense of self and personality may harbor toward their parents. At the same time, she invites us to reflect: How deeply do we love our family members? And what kind of courage does it take to truly understand one another’s hearts? Illustrator Kim Jae-hee adds a playful twist to the story with lively expressions and dynamic movements, humorously capturing the “fiery” battle of nerves between mother and daughter and bringing a fresh kind of fun to young readers. Through her brush, she also tenderly reveals the hidden care and concern that lie beneath the surface of their relationship.

If your child feels that it’s hard to understand their mom or dad—or if you’ve had a similar experience yourself—why not pick up “Mom—No Trespassing!,” written by Hong Min-jeong and illustrated by Kim Jae-hee? You may find the courage to gently knock on your own heart door. Like Rihyeon and her mother, open your hearts and show your true feelings. If it’s hard to express your feelings directly with words, writing a letter is also a great way to convey what’s in your heart—even without a “mailbox that can talk,” there are still many, many other ways to share your feelings.

Hong Min-jeong
Living with her companion dog, “Happiness,” she has come to realize that the connection of hearts is more important than the connection of words. To become a writer who can truly understand children’s inner worlds, she continues to strive tirelessly.
To date, her creations include the “Cat Detective Meow Meow” series, the “Romantic Puppy Pongpong” series, as well as “The Nonsense Party,” “The Character of Elementary School,” “The Worry Laundry,” “The Daydream Laundry,” “Am I the Cat Grandpa?” “A Funeral Where Everyone Laughs,” “Here Comes Green Dad,” “The Lucky Box Without Luck,” and “The Sponge That Makes Tears Disappear,” among others.

Kim Jae-hee
She graduated from the Department of Fashion Design at Sungkyunkwan University and studied illustration at the Korea Illustration School (HILLS). Although she deeply cherishes familiar things, she always strives to keep her art and humor fresh and new.
She has written and illustrated the picture book “Uncle Is Here.” In addition, she has provided illustrations for the “Cat Detective Meow Meow” series, as well as for numerous other works, including “One Thousand Won Is Too Much!,” “Elementary Schoolers’ Inner Games,” “What Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up?,” “The Bad Words Dictionary,” and “The Mask Sprite and the Little Bee.”

No mom allowed!
Ding-ding-dang, the Story Woodshop
Just as expected
I also want to do better
Say it face to face
The Talking Mailbox
Author’s Note