Peach and Caterpillar: Hello Dal Picture Book

Author Ahn Nyeong-dal · Publisher Changbi · Published 2026-07-06 · ISBN 9788936429690

About the Book

An imaginative play that unfolds refreshingly both inside and outside a peach.

One summer day, a child meets a caterpillar eating a peach on the wooden floor. "You're so lucky. You can eat a peach much bigger than you until your whole body is full," the child says enviously. The caterpillar boasts that it can even poop peach-scented droppings. And then, as if doing a favor, it suggests, "So, shall I switch you?"
Surprised by the offer, the child hesitates for a moment before deciding to swap bodies with the caterpillar. After that, an ordinary summer day becomes extraordinary. The child, now a caterpillar, makes a path inside the fruit, eats peaches to its heart's content, and creates a 'spinning slide'. It climbs up and down with its whole body, playing without restraint. Meanwhile, the caterpillar, in the child's body, walks through the grass and bites into cold chocolate, discovering the joys of being human. 『The Peach and the Caterpillar』 nonchalantly crosses the boundaries between everyday life and fantasy, leading readers into a delightful world of play.

A world discovered beyond the boundaries of 'me' and 'you'

Until now, author Ahn Nyeong-dal has compassionately portrayed lonely and marginalized beings such as elderly women living alone, abandoned dogs, and forgotten snowmen. In her recent work 『To the Stars』, she delicately captured the inner growth of an individual parting with a precious being. In her new work 『The Peach and the Caterpillar』, the author unfolds the courage and curiosity of a child who unreservedly plunges into the life of another being through a charming transformation narrative. The imagination of swapping bodies becomes a process of understanding and solidarity, beyond mere play. When the child plays by making a slide inside the peach, and when the caterpillar experiences the joy of walking through the grass and the difficulty of writing, they naturally empathize with each other's situations. This experience of looking at the world anew beyond the boundaries of 'me' and 'you' affirms the willingness to understand and embrace those different from oneself, leaving a deep resonance.

A day that shines brilliantly, where anything can be

After a fun time playing, the child and the caterpillar return to their original bodies. The child asks the caterpillar, "What will you become when you grow up?" and the caterpillar replies that it can be anything, such as a cicada or a butterfly. The conversation between the child and the caterpillar, who burst into laughter saying that what they want to be keeps changing, is one of the shining moments in 『The Peach and the Caterpillar』. The belief that one can freely imagine and create one's own future makes children look forward to tomorrow, and reminds adults of the childhood dreams they had forgotten.
Eventually, the scene where the fully grown caterpillar leaves the child's side, saying, "Have a good dream!", gently soothes the readers' hearts. The author's wish for readers to simply have good dreams, without the burden of having to become something, will linger with them long after they close the picture book.

Synopsis

One summer day, a child meets a caterpillar eating a peach. Envious of the caterpillar eating a peach bigger than its own body, the child and the caterpillar swap bodies at the caterpillar's suggestion. The child, now a caterpillar, roams inside the peach, and the caterpillar, now a child, walks through the grass and tastes chocolate, spending an unforgettable summer day.

* Certification Type: Supplier Conformity Confirmation

Table of Contents

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