The Christmas Clementine Fish

A warm winter tale carried on the tiny fins of a clementine fish

Do you know the magic that stirs on a moonlit Christmas Eve?

A black cat peers through a curved glass vase and mistakes a clementine for a fish. And the moment someone truly sees a clementine that way, it begins to transform—becoming a shimmering clementine fish. The clementine fish awaken the fruits nestled in a basket and swim out into the night in a bright, gentle shoal. They glide past the lonely moon hanging in the sky, then drift down to warm a man selling clementines, before wrapping the shivering dogs in gentle warmth. They draw closer still— to children playing on their own, to a man quietly weeping, and to everyone in the streets who needs a touch of warmth. Like offering a single clementine on a cold winter’s day, the kindness carried by these tiny fish fills Christmas with the soft, fragrant glow of clementines.

I studied Primary Education and Children’s Literature. I write poetry for children and create picture books. I was awarded the 16th Changbi Award for Children’s Poetry and received the Grand Prize at the 13th Munhakdongne Children’s Poetry Awards. I am also the author of the poetry collection The Bitter Taste of Society.