A top-tier restaurant created exclusively for nighttime animals.

The Cat Swimming Class series (affectionately nicknamed “Cat Swim Class” by readers) is a beloved children's fantasy series with cumulative sales exceeding 200,000 copies. The series' large cast of soft, adorable cat characters has captured the hearts of countless young readers.

Noh Ye-ji, the creator of these uniquely charming cat characters, has now published her first picture book as both author and illustrator—Day and Night Restaurant. The protagonist of this new work is a dog chef named Brown, who guides readers into a world of visual and culinary comfort.

A graduate of a prestigious culinary academy, Brown opens a restaurant in a village inhabited by nocturnal animals. He carefully selects high-quality ingredients and prepares exquisite dishes—yet during the daytime, almost no customers come. Even when a customer does finally show up, Brown stubbornly insists on his own culinary philosophy and often turns them away.

Just as the restaurant is on the verge of closing, Brown hires an employee named Cheese—a cat who can faithfully follow recipes—and begins operating at night. Once Cheese takes over the kitchen, the restaurant becomes packed every single night. Curious about the secret to Cheese's popularity, Brown disguises himself as a customer and visits the restaurant late at night. There, he discovers an unexpected truth about Cheese…

Dogs, squirrels, honey badgers, and a variety of other nocturnal animals each bring their own unique charm to the story. The adorable and whimsical orders from animal customers, the wonderfully varied complaints, the mouthwatering dishes like scallop and abalone steak, and the lively restaurant scenes every night—all of it keeps you reading straight to the final page. I'm already looking forward to seeing which animals will appear in the next volume and what delightful stories will unfold.

— Song Jin-kyung, Children's Book Product Planner (2026.07.03)

When a chef's pride in his craft meets the gentle, thoughtful consideration of a staff member, the neighborhood can truly enjoy a good meal. This book conveys a simple truth: the ideas that warm the world always come with room for others and the ability to see things from their perspective.

— Seo Young-in, Elementary School Teacher

★ A new work by Noh Ye-ji, bestselling author of the million-copy-selling Cat Swimming Class series.

A restaurant that only opens during the day, in a village of nocturnal animals? A story worth reading again and again, day and night, has been born!

Noh Ye-ji, author of the 200,000-copy bestseller Cat Swimming Class, returns with a new work, Day and Night Restaurant. This beloved illustrator, who won the hearts of countless children with her beautiful watercolor cats, presents her first picture book written and illustrated entirely by herself. The protagonist has now changed to a cooking-loving puppy, bringing fresh, adorable illustrations and a new kind of reading pleasure.

Chef Brown, a confident graduate of a top culinary academy, opens a restaurant in a village of nocturnal animals. But he only opens during the day, when the villagers are all asleep, and keeps his doors closed at night when the village comes alive—so hardly any customers come. Even when a customer does occasionally show up, Brown stubbornly sticks to his own rules, often turning them away.

On the verge of failure, Brown decides to start nighttime operations and puts out a job ad. A new nocturnal employee named Cheese is hired—someone who knows how to put herself in others' shoes and flexibly cater to customers' needs, all of which Brown is completely unaware of. Conflicts and disagreements arise between them, but through this friction, Brown gradually comes to understand that a truly delicious meal is made with a heart that cares for others. Brown, who once stubbornly believed his way was the only right way, undergoes a transformation, and the story naturally conveys to young readers the importance of communication, inclusiveness, and empathy.

Dogs, squirrels, and honey badgers all make appearances! Noh Ye-ji's animal world grows richer and more diverse.

Known for her cat illustrations, Noh Ye-ji now leads readers into a broader and more varied animal kingdom. By day, Chef Brown serves daytime animals like raccoons, honey badgers, and sloths. After nightfall, employee Cheese takes over, running the nighttime restaurant. Wild boars, bats, owls, hedgehogs, hyenas, and all sorts of other little animals come visiting one after another, filling the restaurant with delicious aromas and cheerful, lively sounds. And for readers hoping to see the author's signature cats—you won't be disappointed: Cheese, the cat who keeps the night restaurant running and fills it with energy, is, of course, a cat.

Searching the pages for the little details and Easter eggs the illustrator has hidden throughout is one of the unique joys of reading this book. Most of the customers are nocturnal, but daytime animals are scattered throughout the illustrations, making it a fun hidden-picture game to discover them all.

The author's signature clear, soft watercolor style shines even brighter in this new work. The sunlit daytime scenes contrast beautifully with the warm, glowing nighttime scenes, immediately capturing the reader's attention. Like a restaurant you'd want to visit again and again after just one visit, this book will become a favorite that children will want to read over and over.

Not just pursuing perfect flavor, but meals that fill the heart as well.

Brown is widely recognized as a top chef, but he is inflexible—obsessed only with creating dishes that taste absolutely perfect. It is only after meeting Cheese, a young nocturnal cat, that he gradually realizes that a great dish is not just about perfect flavor, but about the desire to bring joy to others. Like Brown in his earlier days, we too may find ourselves trapped in our own fixed ways of thinking, overlooking the people around us. This story vividly and convincingly tells children that when we learn to understand what is in others' hearts, our own world magically becomes broader and fuller.

Noh Ye-ji (Author / Illustrator)

A full-time children's book illustrator. Her representative works include the Cat Swimming Class series, Fluffy Cats, and Cat Heater. Day and Night Restaurant is her first work written and illustrated entirely by herself.

Recent works: Day and Night Restaurant. She has published a total of 12 titles.