Abstract

[Recommended for elementary school students in grades 1-2!] ・Perfect for summer vacation book reports! ・A swallowtail butterfly larva has gone missing... Who forgot to close the lid? ・Leaves you with a refreshing feeling after reading! -------------------------------------------- Kazuma, a first-grader, loves "Natchan," a swallowtail butterfly larva kept at the after-school club. Every day after school, he picks fennel to feed it and heads to the club. But today, he can't find Natchan in the breeding box. Then his friend Mei says, "Huh? Wasn't there a lid on the breeding box?" Kazuma mistakenly thinks that Ren, who came earlier and fed Natchan, forgot to close the lid, and he treats Ren coldly... Natchan transforms from a larva into a pupa, and then into a beautiful butterfly. This book depicts the emotional growth of children as they cherish this tiny life and watch it change, from the unique perspective of children's literature author Sakura Miyama, who has carefully captured important feelings found in everyday life. It is a book that leaves you with a refreshing feeling, like a clear summer sky. [Publisher's comment] A few years ago, Sakura Miyama raised a swallowtail butterfly larva and witnessed the moment it emerged from its chrysalis. Based on that experience, this story was born from imagining how cool and lovable a larva would appear in the eyes of a child. The illustrations are by Keisuke Shimohira, an illustrator who has also worked on many famous anime. The illustrations vividly depict Natsumi, who eats lots of leaves, poops, and lives her life to the fullest, and the children who are drawn to her.

Author’s Information

Sakura Miyama was born in Kaminoyama City, Yamagata Prefecture. Her works include "Himari and the Mysterious Girl" and "I Said It!" (both published by Iwasaki Shoten), "My Swallow Picture Diary" (Froebel-kan), "The Train Library" and "I Love Uncle's Library" (both published by Bunken Shuppan), "The Scarecrow Grandpa," "The Little Sparrow and Yuki," and "I'm a Book Doctor" (all published by Kosei Shuppan). She won the Hirosuke Children's Story Award for "The Frog Grandpa and the Water Strider Flower" (Kyoiku Gakugeki). She is a member of the Japan Children's Literature Association. / Keisuke Shimohira was born in Ibaraki Prefecture. He works as an illustrator, mainly for children's books. His major illustration works include "Hakkeyoi, Kogappa!", "Mecha Sukiyanen", and "I Mane o Shimashita" (all published by Bunken Publishing), "Boku to Ken Ojisan to Yama no Gakko" (Kokudosha), "Happyoukai e no Michi" (PHP Institute), and numerous others such as "Ohanashi SDGs: Safe Water and Toilets for the World - What if there was no water and toilets?" and "Ohanashi Science: Future Food - What will we eat for school lunches in the future?" (both published by Kodansha).