Abstract

A Big, Tiny Family's Meticulous New Year's Preparations New Year's is just around the corner. Every household is busy preparing for the New Year. "Scrub, scrub, scrub, let's clean up, New Year's is almost here." Oh dear? You can hear a little singing voice coming from under the floorboards. Yes, under the floorboards lives Dad, Mom, and a big family of 18 mice: Tomato, Caramel, Yozora, Sora, Tulip, Kuro, Milk Tea, Momo, Grape, Konoha, Yuki, Wakaba, Sumire, Mikan, Himawari, Lemon, Chocolate, and Ichigo. This picture book gently and tenderly depicts the New Year's activities of these 20 mice, from New Year's Eve to New Year's Day, including cleaning, making rice cakes, decorating, making zoni (rice cake soup), flying kites, playing karuta, and more. The book's flowing, soft touch is simple and smooth, yet it feels as if the 20 animals are being gently embraced, and you can sense the author's kindness. This is a book that will warm your heart.

Author’s Information

Born in Tokyo. Picture books include "Where does Sparrow-kun eat?" (Fukuinkan Shoten), "I'm a Chameleon" (Grand Mamasha), and the "Shiro-chan and Hari-chan" series (Hikari no Kuni). Selected for the 21st BIB Bratislava International Picture Book Exhibition ("I'm Born" Alicekan). Winner of the 16th Japan Picture Book Award for "Five Wonderful Mice Moving Plan" (Holp Publishing).