Magical blue bucket

Author: Masako Narita
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-06-01
Features: When I was a child, the park where I often played was always full of kids. Although we didn’t know each other at first, we quickly became friends by building a sand mountain together. Sometimes, stray dogs and cats would wander in, and they became friends too. Playing with friends like this would spark so many fantasies: small puddles would turn into oceans, and if the swing went high enough, we could fly to the sky. I wanted to share these dreamlike fantasies with children, which led me to start creating picture books. Later, I held a "storytelling session" with a friend who loved stories, and through that, I met many children who are with me now. Their focused gazes filled with anticipation as they listened to the stories made me even more determined to create more interesting ones. Picture books are a mysterious and joyful treasure that allow the child I once was to meet the children of today. In the park after the rain, I found a blue bucket. When I filled it with water and stuck my hand inside, oh, what a wonder! The bucket grew bigger and bigger, and all my friends were so excited. In the fold-out pages, the children swim alongside a whale in the vast, open sea. Through dreamlike and joyful stories, children’s imaginations can be nurtured and developed.