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Osaru no Mori
(Boy Monkey Goes to the Woods)
Text and ill. by Hiroshi Ito
Tokyo: Kodansha, 2003
78 pp: 216 x 151 mm
ISBN : 4-06-198152-8
Ages : 6-9
Love of Family, Trusting
Noma Prize for Juvenile Literature 2003 |
This is a story about a boy monkey and his little sister who has not yet learnt to climb a tree. The boy monkey tries to help his sister but fails. Then he remembers the day when he climbed a tree for the first time. He actually succeeded in climbing the tree because he was frightened by a snake. So the boy monkey tries to frighten his sister with a snake but this does not work. Then he gets the idea that his little sister might be able to climb the same tree that he had first climbed. He begins to search for that tree but the woods are too big. Finally he realizes that he himself, through kindness and patience, can teach her to climb. However, when the boy monkey eventually finds his sister he discovers that in the process of trying to catch a beautiful blue feather she has already climbed a tree by herself. The boy monkey feels very happy. The book is illustrated on each page.
Hiroshi Ito was born in Tokyo in 1957. He started creating picture books when he was a student of pedagogy at Waseda University. Among his award winning works are, Manhoru kara Konnichiwa (Hello from a Manhole, 2002), Ruraru-san no Niwa (Mr. Ruraru’s Yard, 2001), Daijoubu, Daijoubu (Don’t Worry, It’s OK, 1995), Kumokun (Cloud Boy, 1998) |
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