Abstract

Fire/Water/Human 　—— To you, who live with contradictions
A poem to walk through life with, now a picture book.

“To You,” a poem by Shuntaro Tanikawa, written for the graduates of his alma mater. Read at graduation ceremonies since 1968 for over half a century, it now comes to life anew in the world of The Cabin Company.

I will not offer you an answer
-— only a question

Author’s Information

Shuntaro Tanikawa was a poet. Born in Tokyo in 1931. In 1952, he published his first poetry collection, "Two Billion Light Years of Solitude." He has published over 100 poetry collections, including "Sixty-Two Sonnets," "Definition," "I," and "Dokkin." His translations include "Mother Goose Rhymes" and the Peanuts series, and his picture books include "Peace and War" and "Moko Moko Moko," among many others. He passed away in 2024 at the age of 92.

The Cabin Company is a picture book author/artist duo consisting of Kentaro Abe (born 1989) and Saki Yoshioka (born 1988). Both were born in Oita Prefecture and use a former school building in Yufu City, Oita Prefecture, as their studio. They create various works including picture books, sculptures, and videos, and exhibit them both domestically and internationally. Their main picture books include "Shingouki Pikori" and "Gakkou ni Maniawanai." She won the Grand Prize at the 29th Japan Picture Book Awards for her book "Melting into the Sunset".