The Frog and the Mouse
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Authors
Kang, Yoon-Chung
Kim, Bok-Tae
Issue Date
2000
Type
Book, Whole
Language
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Abstract
I first saw a wall-full of this series at Kyobo Book in Seoul in July, '04. I bought one copy, came home, and worked to order the full set of thirty booklets, workbooks, and audio cassettes from the publisher. Each set cost 9,800 Won. I have divided that cost among the book (6800 Won), booklet (1000 Won), and cassette (2000 Won). The colored booklet features twenty-eight thick, sturdy pages and excellent color reproduction. The art is cartoon-like, simple, and direct. This version deals in its own way with the issues that this story has presented down through the tradition. Frog suggests the tying up of legs, and mouse agrees. Mouse creates the first discomfort in the relationship when he drags frog off quickly to a field to eat. When frog gets the bright idea to swim, mouse mentions that he cannot breathe underwater and can't even swim well (14). After the difficulty of a first plunge, mouse comes to like swimming. It is fun. He gets tired, however, and here the frog shows his poor side. He does not care about mouse's needs or desires and starts swimming again. He asks after a while if mouse is okay, gets no answer, and realizes that he is dead. Too bad. I'll just keep swimming (22). What the hawk sees he recognizes as a dead mouse. The last picture is quite graphic: the hawk has swallowed the dead mouse, and the frog and string dangle from his mouth. Frog is next! I notice one inconsistency within this version. One leg of each is tied together according to all the illustrations and almost all of the text. Once the text speaks strangely in the plural: My legs are tied to yours, the mouse answers when the frog tells him that he can leave if he wants to (20). If you harm others, you will also be harmed.
Description
Citation
Publisher
Alific Language Plus