Abstract

When you bite into your favorite apple, or when you listen closely to the song of a bush warbler—a poem suddenly appears. With its pleasant
rhythms and flowing illustrations… this collection is filled with 20 joyful poems that make you happy to read and look at. Created by poet Chihiro Ishizu and picture book author Ryoji Arai, this picture book of poems is full of the delight of experiencing the world through words, perfect for enjoying together with children.

Author’s Information

Chihiro Ishizu is a poet, picture book author, and translator. Born in Ehime Prefecture in 1953, she graduated from the French Literature Department of Waseda University and lived in France for three years. She is well-known for her works, ranging from baby picture books to poetry collections, all written in warm language. Her picture books include "A Cat is Coming to Our House Tomorrow" (Kodansha, winner of the Japan Picture Book Award), and her poetry collections include "Tomorrow's Me Will Be a New Me" (Rironsha, winner of the Mitsukoshi Sachio Children's Poetry Award). She has also translated many works, including Simler's works such as "The Blue Time" (Iwanami Shoten) and the "Lisa and Gaspard" series (Kawade Shobo Shinsha).

Ryoji Arai is an artist and picture book author. Born in Yamagata Prefecture in 1956, he began creating picture books after graduating from the Department of Fine Arts at Nihon University College of Art. In 1999, he won the Bologna International Children's Book Fair Special Prize for "The Riddle Journey" (written by Chihiro Ishizu, published by Froebel-kan), in 2005 he became the first Japanese person to receive the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Prize, and in 2012 he won the Sankei Children's Publishing Culture Award Grand Prize for "It's Morning, So I'll Open the Window" (published by Kaiseisha). He is a leading picture book author in Japan, active both domestically and internationally. He also served as the artistic director of the "Yamagata Biennale," an art festival in the depths of the Tohoku region.