펭귄이랑 받아쓰기

This is a collection of four stories:

• 용용 김용: On her way to school, a girl meets a dragon and invites it on her class trip to the amusement park.
• 펭귄이랑 받아쓰기: A boy brings his magical toy penguin to school to disrupt a class he dislikes.
• 신호등 옆 북극곰: A boy goes on an adventure with a flying polar bear and a harmonica.
• 도서관에서 만난 친구: A girl befriends a statue that comes to life and they explore the library together.

As you can probably tell from the descriptions, these stories are imaginative and fantastical; sadly, I didn’t find them all that enjoyable. They feature children overcoming problems such as loneliness using their imagination, but most of the stories don’t have any real plot, rather they just seem like a series of loosely-related events occurring one after the other. While their absurdity may appeal to children, there’s not much to enjoy for adults.

The vocabulary and grammar are relatively simple, although the stories don't exactly make for a smooth reading experience: the focus of the sentences changes quickly and often; random events occur rapidly in succession; the choppy sentences are peppered with onomatopoeia and mimetic words… I felt a bit seasick, to be honest.

I was hoping for charming, whimsical tales, but the stories didn't leave any sort of impression on me; instead, I was glad when I finished. It's not a book I would recommend unless you really don't have anything else to read.