Abstract

◆A fantasy about Shima the long-tailed tit and Momo the flying squirrel playing together
◆Lots of adorable long-tailed tits and flying squirrels!
◆Enjoy a heartwarming story along with beautiful forest scenery

Shima the long-tailed tit was spending her time leisurely in her nest when Momo the flying squirrel unexpectedly jumped in. The two became friends and were playing in the forest when... The cute long-tailed tit looks like a snowball rice ball. The flying squirrel also lives in the forest and flies through the sky. Perhaps these two are really playing together somewhere in the winter forest? This story will make your imagination run wild. Enjoy this gentle story spun by poet and author Naoko Higashi, along with the wonderful illustrations by Nanako Matsuda.

Author’s Information

Naoko Higashi is a tanka poet and writer born in Hiroshima Prefecture. In 1996, she won the 7th Tanka Prize. In 2016, she won the 31st Tsubota Joji Literary Prize for "Ito no Mori no Ie" (House in the Forest of Threads). Her numerous works include the short story collection "Toritsukushima" (which was made into a film), the novel "Flannel no Himo" (Flannel String), the tanka collection "Haruhara-san no Recorder" (Sunohara-san's Recorder), the introductory book "Tanka no Jikan" (Time for Tanka), and the picture books "Ame Popopo" (Rain, Rain), "Cabbage-chan no One-piece" (Cabbage-chan's Dress), and "Watashi no Manto wa Boushitsuki" (My Mantle is with a Hat). In recent years, she has also been working on illustrations.

Nanako Matsuda is a painter and picture book author born in Hokkaido. After winning the 1st Hakusensha MOE Picture Book Grand Prix in 2012, she made her picture book debut with "Chocho" (Butterfly) (text by Kaori Eguni). Her numerous picture books include "Yasai Petapeta Kakurenbo" (Vegetable Sticky Hide-and-Seek), "Mitsukete Kureru?" (Will You Find Me?), "Fuutte Shite" (Blow on It), and "Yuki no Yousei" (Snow Fairy), which depicts the arrival of winter in the northern country. In the 2020 animated film "Josee, the Tiger and the Fish," he was in charge of the artwork used in the film.