Hung Pei-tsen

Smokestacks rise like organ pipes over a coastal city, lined with oil refineries. Accidents at the plants occur with troubling regularity, and environmental disaster has become part of daily life. Residents protest the refinery’s planned expansion, even as they must coexist with the very neighbors who work there.

Joy, a fishing village girl who dreams of becoming a captain, and her friends Smelly and Beans always fantasize about the vast sea beyond the breakwaters. They secretly plan to build a small boat together during winter vacation, aiming for an adventurous voyage before Smelly leaves the village.

These days, Cheng-Cheng seems different. He doesn’t play baseball anymore and stays away from the field. It feels like he has something he can’t tell anyone. His mom tries to help but doesn’t know why. The fear and confusion come from one of the adults he trusts the most. One evening, Cheng-Cheng stands by the field, holding his bat, wondering—should he swing, or not?

A boy’s closest friend is a cow he has grown up with. When the cow faces an uncertain fate, the boy embarks on a journey, determined to keep his friend safe. Along the journey, he comes to see that love, care, and understanding are far more complex than he had imagined.