LET'S PLAY JEGI

A childhood game breaks barriers in this Korean import.

“Tok. Tok. Tok.” Dongje, a Korean boy who lives in the village of Yonggol, immediately recognizes the sound. He runs toward the source to find a group of boys playing jegi, a childhood game similar to hacky sack, where participants must keep a jegi (a flat round base with tassels or feathers) airborne using only their feet. Dongje has never been able to kick the ball more than once, and the other boys, led by Han, refuse to let him join in. Dejected, Dongje goes home, where his grandfather surprises him with a fancy feathered jegi he found discarded. When Grandpa’s ox defecates on the jegi, Dongje washes it off, but his smelly jegi results in even more ridicule when he meets up with the others. However, he finds it far easier to kick this lightweight new jegi and eventually upstages Han. Will Dongje take Han’s title—“the king of jegi”? Dongje decides to take the high road, finding a way for everyone to enjoy themselves. The text is told primarily through simple dialogue, while layers of colors textured with patterns and scribbles combine with exaggerated facial proportions, capturing the emotional arcs of the characters. Information about the origins of jegichagi and simple rules for playing the game follow.

High emotions and sportsmanship play out in this amusing venture.