夏のいちにち (Natsu no Ichi Nichi) contains beautiful illustrations. That’s what struck me first about this book when I first opened it.
This is one of those books that I think I’ve enjoyed more than my kids. The colour palette does exactly what is promised by the story title (an English translation might be “A day in summer”) – it reminds me of the Japanese countryside in mid-summer.
The storyline is about a boy who, for the first time without his big brother, heads out from home to find a stag beetle – that rite of passage for kids in Japan. It’s a tale of emerging independence for kids, and no doubt nostalgic childhood memories for parents.
The boy runs out from his countryside house, past the rice fields, puffs up all the steps to the local jinja (Shinto shrine), and in the woods behind, spies his prized beetle. Will he manage to catch it?
Thank you Eriko for giving this book to my boys when you came to visit us in Australia.
Enjoyment rating (max = 5 koi-nobori): (Explanation)
My kids: 🎏🎏🎏🎏
Me: 🎏🎏🎏🎏
Author: はた こうしろう
Publisher: 偕成社
🎏