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International Library of Children's Literature, Japan Official Web

International Library of Children's Literature, Japan Official Web

International Library of Children's Literature, Japan Official Web

International Library of Children's Literature, Japan Official Web

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Exhibitions and EventsDigital ExhibitionsYummy Children’s BooksChapter 2: Eating

Chapter 2: Eating

Eating is essential for living. Moreover, sharing a table with family and friends has a meaning beyond simply satisfying hunger. Eating with someone is also about conversing and an opportunity to deepen bonds.

At celebrations such as Christmas, New Year’s, and Chinese New Year, relatives gather and feast. At harvest time, people gather at the table with their friends and family and celebrate with gratitude for the land. Food prepared for the deceased may also contain the precious thoughts of the family.

In this chapter, we introduce works that depict characters gathering around the table and sharing food, and works that depict food representative of special days in various cultures.

Kyo no Gohan [Today’s Dinner]/Written and illustrated by Kato Yasumi/Kaiseisha 2012/Y17-N12-J937

The scenery of each household’s dining table is depicted from the perspective of a cat that looks into houses with delicious smells one after another.

14 Hiki no Asagohan [The Family of Fourteen Fix Breakfast]/Written and illustrated by Iwamura Kazuo/DOSHINSHA PUBLISHING 1983/Y17-9550

The day of a family of 14 mice living in the forest begins with everyone preparing breakfast and eating breakfast around the table.

Ocha no Jikan ni Kita Tora [The Tiger Who Came to Tea]/Written and illustrated by Judith Kerr, translated by Harumi Kohei/Douwakan Group 1994/Y18-10199

A mother and child entertain a hungry tiger who came to tea time. They run out of food and water, but thanks to the idea of the father who returned home, they go to a restaurant for dinner.

Tanjobi [The Birthday]/Written and illustrated by Hans Fischer, translated by Otsuka Yuzo/Fukuinkan Shoten Publishers 1965/Y17-55

Today is Grandma Lisette’s birthday. While Grandma is out, the animals who live together work hard to prepare for her birthday, baking a cake and picking flowers.

Zettai Tabenai Kara Ne [I Will Not Ever Never Eat a Tomato]/Written and illustrated by Lauren Child, translated by Kisaka Ryo/Froebel-Kan 2016/Y18-N16-L366

A picture book depicting siblings’ interaction about liking and disliking food.

Tukupa o Tabeyou: Indo no Gochiso Supu [Thukpa for All]/Written by Praba Ram and Sheela Preuitt, illustrated by Shilpa Ranade, translated by Amagai Hiromi/Imagination plus 2020/Y18-N20-M241

Thukpa is a soup with noodles, which is passed down in the Ladakh region in northern India. A blind boy and his grandmother make nutritious vegetable thukpa together and treat the people in the neighborhood.

Arigato Amo! [Thank you, Omu!]/Written and illustrated by Oge Mora, translated by Mihara Izumi/Suzuki Publishing 2020/Y18-N20-M248

Omu shares stew with visitors who came attracted by the delicious smell. The stew pot becomes empty, but with the dishes brought by everyone in return, the best dinner is completed.

Yokoso! Koko wa Minna no Gakko dayo [All are Welcome]/Written by Alexandra Penfold, illustrated by Suzanne Kaufman, translated by Yoshigami Kyota/Suzuki Publishing 2020/Y18-N20-M95

It conveys the wonderfulness of diversity by following the day of children from various countries attending a certain school. In the lunch scene, various foods from each country that the children brought are depicted.

Bonchan no Bon Yasumi [Bon-chan’s Obon Holiday]/Written and illustrated by Aoki Hiroe/Kodansha 2010/Y17-N10-J698

Bon-chan, who went to his grandmother’s house during the Obon holidays, is taught about the Japanese Obon customs, including the shoryo-uma (spirit horses).

Kotatsu [The Japanese Foot Warmer]/Written and illustrated by Aso Tomoko/Fukuinkan Shoten Publishers 2020/Y17-N21-M297

It depicts the year-end customs in Japan, such as toshikoshi soba (year-end buckwheat noodles) and osechi ryori (New Year’s dishes).

Inu ni Natta Oji: Chibetto no Minwa [The Prince Who Became a Dog: Tibetan Folktales]/Written by Kimishima Hisako and illustrated by Goto Jin/Iwanami Shoten 2013/Y17-N14-L8

A story that tells the history of barley, the raw material for tsampa, the staple food of the Tibetan people. It depicts the custom of feeding new tsampa to a dog first when they harvest the barley and make it.

Column 1: Drinks

What is your favorite drink? Juice? Or milk? Some adults may say coffee or alcohol.

We have more opportunities to drink in our daily lives than we do to eat. Drinks are essential for quenching thirst, when you want to take a break when you’re tired, and even when you’re having a good time with family and friends.

Also, water is the source of life. There are many drinks around us, but we must not forget the importance of a glass of water.

Here, we introduce works that depict water and drinks in various forms.

Mizu o Kumu Purinsesu [The Water Princess]/Written by Susan Verde, illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds, translated by Sakuma Yumiko/Saela Shobo 2020/Y18-N20-M154

A girl goes every day to a river far from home to fetch drinking water. Based on the real-life experience of Georgie Badiel, a world-famous supermodel, it conveys the importance of clean and safe water.

Ohisama no Wain [Wine of the Sun]/Written by Komori Kaori, illustrated by Kobayashi Yukiko/Gakken 2009/Y8-N09-J231

The harsh winter of a certain northern country. Everyone in town is looking forward to the hot wine at the Christmas market. However, the shop owner is enchanted and falls asleep. Adults who drink the blue wine sold instead are all cursed with a bad spell. Then, the children unite to help the shopkeeper.

Moka to Shiawase no Kohī [Mocha and Happy Coffee]/Written and illustrated by Tone Satoe/NHK Publishing 2016/Y17-N16-L416

“I”, who is exhausted in both mind and body and has fallen asleep, meets Mocha, a white and small rabbit, in a mysterious world, and is offered coffee.

Column 2: Fantasy Dining Tables

Many appealing foods appear in children’s books. Many people probably remember foods that made them wonder, "What would that taste like?", such as the castella from Guri to Gura [Guri and Gura] and Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans in Hari Potta to Kenja no Ishi [Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone].

In translated works, foreign foods may be replaced with familiar Japanese words so that children can understand them. This was especially seen in the era when foreign cuisine was not yet familiar. What kind of food was the spaghetti in Hitomane Kozaru [Curious George Takes a Job] and the Queen of Hearts’ tart in Arisu Monogatari [Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland] translated into? Please pay attention to the efforts of the translators at that time.

Guri to Gura [Guri and Gura]/Written and illustrated by Nakagawa Rieko, Omura Yuriko/Fukuinkan Shoten Publishers 1967/Y17-M98-793

The giant castella cake that appears in this book was translated as “la galette géante” in the French version.

Hari Potta to Kenja no Ishi [Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone]/Written by J. K. Rowling, translated by Matsuoka Yuko, illustrated by Dan Schlesinger/Say-zan-sha 1999/Y9-M99-228

The sweets popular in the magical world, Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans, appear in this book. Traditional British cuisine is also depicted.

Hitomane Kozaru [Curious George Takes a Job]/Written and illustrated by H. A. Rey, translated and edited by Iwanami Shoten, Publishers/Iwanami Shoten 1954/児726.7-cR45h

There is a scene where George the monkey finds “udon” in the cafeteria. This translation replaces “spaghetti” from the original book.

Arisu Monogatari [Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland]/Translated by Kikuchi Kan, Akutagawa Ryunosuke, illustrated by Hirasawa Bunkichi/Kobunsha 1927/児乙部全集-S-28

In the final part of the story, a trial is held over the tart made by the Queen of Hearts. In this book, the tart is translated as “manju” (steamed bun).

Column 3: Being Eaten

What kind of feeling would it be to be eaten by someone? Would you be terrified and want to run away? If you don’t give up, someone might help you, or you might be able to fight back against your opponent with ingenuity.

Like in Chumon no Oi Ryoriten [The Restaurant of Many Orders], there are times when you thought you were the one eating, but you realize that you are the one being eaten. In stories, anyone can be on either side of the eating.

Here, we introduce stories in which the characters are eaten or are about to be eaten.

Taberu Tonchan [Ton-chan is Eating]/Written and illustrated by Hatsuyama Shigeru/Holp Shuppan 1974/KH6-23

Ton-chan is a pig that eats everything, including garbage and sweets. Ton-chan, who got fat from eating a lot, is sold to a tonkatsu (breaded pork cutlet) restaurant and eaten.

Chumon no Oi Ryoriten [The Restaurant of Many Orders]/Written by Kenji Miyazawa, illustrated by Ota Daihachi/Kodansha 2009/Y8-N09-J1107

Following the orders of the Western-style restaurant Yamaneko-ken, two gentlemen unknowingly prepare themselves to be eaten.

Wani to 7wa no Ahiru no Ko [7 Ducklings in the Pond]/Written by Caio Riter, illustrated by Laurent Cardon, translated by Matsumoto Noriko/WORLD LIBRARY 2015/Y18-N16-L319

Six ducklings are eaten by the crocodile. The seventh duckling uses her wit to save her siblings.

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