Japanese children are so very lucky to have such a beautiful library where they can find wonderful
Japanese
books and also see what children around the world are reading. It is only by getting to know each other
through the very best books that we can know how fully human each of us is, no matter where we come from.
Children need books that are windows so they can see the world beyond themselves and children need books that
are mirrors so that they can know themselves better. Japan's society grows more and more complex every day
as more and more children from other places come to live amongst you and share their lives with you. You can
all learn about each other and learn to love and respect each other by reading and looking at the windows and
mirrors you can find in this library.
My admiration for Japanese picture books goes back to 1979 when I served on the Hans Christian
Andersen Award Jury. Suekichi Akaba was the jury's final nominee and I always believed that he won the
Andersen medal –
in part – due to my enthusiastic comments during the jury meetings.
Japan is known for exquisite art and design and Japanese picture books are a part of that
creative tradition.
They have come to the United States – in translation – for over half a century and have greatly
enriched
American children's literature.
Congratulations on your exhibiting these fine Japanese ambassadors.
Dr. Sybille A. Jagusch
Chief, Children's Literature Center, Library of Congress
パリ近郊の労働者の町クラマールの児童図書館“La Petite Bibliothèque
Ronde”（小さな円形図書館）では、子どもたちはずっと前から「ぐりとぐら」を仲間として認めています。子どもたちは安野光雅のあっと驚く斬新なアイディアを楽しみ、駒形克己、谷内こうた、手島圭三郎のとても独創的な絵本に感嘆し、赤羽末吉が語る日本の昔話に感動しています。私たちはみんな、日本の絵本の世界に見られる繊細な芸術と子どもの精神が大好きです。今日、
“La Petite Bibliothèque
Ronde”は国際子ども図書館の10周年記念を共に祝います。国際子ども図書館がそれらの宝物を世界中に知らせながら、光り輝き続けますように！
A la petite bibliothèque ronde de Clamart, dans cette
banlieue
ouvrière
proche de Paris, les enfants ont depuis longtemps adopté la compagnie de Guri et Gura. Ils s'amusent des
trouvailles surprenantes de Mitsumasa Anno, ils s'émerveillent des albums si originaux de Kutsumi
Komagata,
Kota Taniuchi, Keizaburo Tejima ; ils sont émus par les récits du Japon ancien racontés par Suekichi Akaba.
Tous
nous aimons cet art subtil et l'esprit d'enfance qui habite le monde de l'album japonais.
Aujourd'hui, la petite bibliothèque ronde s'associe à la
fête
de
la BICL. Qu'elle continue à rayonner en faisant connaître dans le monde entier ses joyaux !
60 years ago, Jella Lepman, the founder of the Internationale Jugendbibliothek (International
Youth Library)
in Munich / Germany – the first library for international children's literature – was convinced that
children's books can build bridges between different people and cultures. It is obvious that, in order
to do so, these books need special places. The ILCL in Japan is one such place of communication and reading
promotion and it is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. I am delighted that this “bridge of
children's books” connects Germany and Japan and would like to wish the ILCL all the best for
their future and many successful and fruitful encounters within the boundless world of international
children's and young adult literature. I hope that a lot of readers, both young and old, will discover
and enjoy the Japanese children's books in this exhibition!
