Waiting for the Bus

by Ryoji Arai

A man with his belongings waits at a bus stop in the middle of the desert. He has his radio, his imagination...view details

Where Has the Elephant Gone?

by Taro Gomi

An elephant is taken away from his home in the African grassland by a big black truck. He's shoved into a box...view details

Whirly Swirly Spirals

by Kazuo Miwa

Spirals are everywhere: the elephant's nose, the seahorse's tail, Maori tattoos, unopened buds of Morning Glory. Why are spirals so common in...view details

1000 Winds, 1000 Cellos

by Hideko Ise

A concert in aid of victims of the 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake provided the inspiration for this picture book, which tells the...view details

Burying Beetle

by Hiroshi Tateno

This illustrated book depicts the life of the burying beetle, which uses the flesh of dead animals to carefully feed its young....view details

Go on! Don’t Give up Slug!

by Kazuo Miwa

From all appearances, there is a shell; it's a slug and a snail. However, how about if we trace the slug's ancestors?...view details

Moonlight Bus

by Mikiko Sugi

Sporadic traffic travels along a coastal road. In the night sky the full moon shines. In the distant headland a lighthouse gleams....view details

Oil Beetle

by Hiroshi Tateno

The oil beetle might look quite dull, but it has one of the most extraordinary life cycles in the insect kingdom. Its...view details

Rock Crawler

by Hiroshi Tateno

Rock crawlers are born deep under the rocks and stones, and immediately start searching around in the darkness for prey, keeping aware...view details

Taciturn Rabbit and the Snowy Day

by Naoko Awa

illus. by Chikara Higashi

The late Naoko Awa was a modern-day writer of traditional fairy tales. Inspired by both Japanese folklore and the fairy tales of...view details

Taciturn Rabbit and the Stars

by Naoko Awa

illus. by Chikara Higashi

As Taciturn Rabbit star-gazes with mole, he has a rather wonderful idea – to plant an azuki bean. Talkative Rabbit helps, too,...view details

Taciturn Rabbit and the Yellow Umbrella

by Naoko Awa

illus. by Chikara Higashi

Naoko Awa was a teller of fairytales, and these two stories count among her most charming. In the first, Taciturn Rabbit hasn’t...view details

Taciturn Rabbit, Talkative Rabbit

by Naoko Awa

illus. by Chikara Higashi

Taciturn Rabbit lives all alone and wishes he had someone to talk to. Which is why he is so happy to meet...view details

The Book Garden

by Hirokazu Miyazaki

One day, the Gardener finds a photograph of his father standing among some very unusual plants. He cannot stop thinking about the photograph and about his father,...view details

The Cello Tree

by Hideko Ise

A tale of a young boy learning to love music through the cello, lovingly crafted by his father, a maker of musical...view details

The Ocean Studio

by Rimako Horikawa

“Grandma, who is this little girl?”. “Well, that’s me”. Then begins a story told from grandmother to granddaughter. A story of learning,...view details

The Skipping Green

by Naoko Awa

illus. by Iku Dekune

Mimizuku the owl is so determined to protect the Spirit of Spring that he resolves never to sleep, keeping watch to ensure...view details

The Warty Toad

by Kazuo Miwa

"Toads are so disgusting! They are different from frogs." "Toads can't jump as much as frogs can. They are useless animals." The...view details

The World is Full of Curious Things

by Taro Gomi

Award-winning author-illustrator Taro Gomi's latest publication follows a little boy as he moves through the world noticing all the curious things that...view details

The Cat’s Office

by Kenji Miyazawa

illus. by Ken Kuroi

A cat working as an office clerk is persecuted because he has sooty fur. The petty attitudes and poses of the cat's...view details