Written by Lee Geum-yi and Illustrated by Kim Jung Eun


This book is based on a story which the main character, Cha Dae Gi, who used to be shy and introverted due to his nickname, restoring his self-esteem while hanging out with his friends and family members. The writer has come up with this story after seeing an elementary school homework to interview with a person with the same name by accident through the Internet. She thought that if a child has a unique name, that child would feel difficult doing this kind of homework, and then, she came up with the name of ‘Cha Dae Gi’. The writer has delicately expressed how characters have felt in this book and made them realistic characters in this book. Moreover, she also contained ordinary episodes or common concerns of children such as episodes related to nicknames, searching my name in the Internet, taking care of wandering cats, or children dreaming of becoming a youTube creator. She also warmly comforts children having complicated emotions. The illustrator, Kim Jung Eun, also expressed the minds of characters in a comforting and warm way using clear and cozy illustrations.

In this book, there are children with secrets. Cha Dae Gi is afraid of revealing his nickname to his friends. Kang Yoon Seo is also worrying that people would find out the fact her parents got divorced due to her sister, a famous youtube creator. Dae Gi has to be famous not to be called by his nickname, and Yoon Seo has to be more silent to protect her family. These two children express how they really feel about everything to protect themselves. They don’t just follow the rules or stereotypes decided by others, but they think, speak up, and take actions what they really want. Through this process, readers can realize that they own their lives, and think of what they really are. Furthermore, these characters have shown that we all can be proud of ourselves and love ourselves more only when we accept just the way we are.