Children Roar with Laughter at Poems by Mado Michio! "Onara wa Erai" Picture Book Reading Reveals the Power of Rich Language.

Holp Publishing Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Yuko Matsuoka) published the picture book "Onara wa Erai" in June and held a reading session at a nursery school in Tokyo. The venue was filled with the laughter of children.

Cover of the picture book "Onara wa Erai"

Children burst into laughter at the works of poet Mado Michio, known for poems like "Zosan" and "Yagi-san Yubin." During a reading session of "Onara wa Erai" (Poetry by Mado Michio / Illustrations by Yoshirou Okamoto) at a nursery school in Tokyo, the children were in stitches. The reader was Tsuyoshi Otomo, who conducts picture book live events nationwide. While drawn to the familiar theme of "farts," the children enjoyed the world of Mado Michio's humorous words.

Children Roared with Laughter! Reading by Tsuyoshi Otomo (Video)

It wasn't just "farts" that captivated the children.

As the reading began, the children responded to the rhythm of the words that unfolded one after another, laughing and guessing what would come next as they immersed themselves in the world of the picture book. It wasn't just the theme of "farts" that excited the venue. Mado Michio's unique perspective and wordplay seemed to stimulate the children's imagination.

Words of a Poet Loved for Over Half a Century

Mado Michio was a poet who continued to express his observations of living things and nature in gentle and humorous language. "Onara wa Erai" embodies Mado Michio's characteristic creativity, re-examining a familiar phenomenon from a fresh perspective. The children's reactions at the reading session served as a reminder of the power of words that transcend generations. A video capturing the day's events shows children laughing, surprised, and engrossed in the picture book. Their candid reactions tell the story of the humor in "Onara wa Erai" and the charm of Mado Michio's words.

Now on sale at bookstores nationwide and online bookstores. Rakuten BOOKS is also selling "Onara wa Erai" with an <original photo frame>. (Sales period: Until May 21, 2027 (Fri) 11:59 AM)

- Book Information -

Onara wa Erai

Poetry by Mado Michio

Illustrations by Yoshirou Okamoto

Price: 1,650 yen (tax included)

Onara wa erai detekita toki chanto

aisatsu suru

Mado Michio's delightful poems have been made into a powerful picture book. This short poem is packed with many things.

https://www.holp-pub.co.jp/book/b676333.html

Profile

Mado Michio

Born in Yamaguchi Prefecture in 1909. At the age of 25, his poem submitted to a magazine was recognized by Hakushu Kitahara, leading him to seriously pursue creative writing. He gained popularity writing lyrics for many children's songs, such as "Zosan," "Yagi-san Yubin," and "Ichinensei ni Nattara." In 1967, at the age of 58, he published his first poetry collection, "Tempura Piripiri" (Dainihon Tosho). In 1994, he became the first Japanese recipient of the Hans Christian Andersen Award, often called the Nobel Prize for children's literature. His poems, written in gentle language, convey a warm gaze towards everything in the world—including, of course, farts. He passed away in 2014 at the age of 104.

Yoshirou Okamoto

Born in Yamaguchi Prefecture in 1973. Graduated from the Department of Oil Painting at Musashino Art University. He has published picture book works in a diverse range of styles, from serious to comedic. His own picture books include "Ninjaja!" (Bunkeido), "Panda no Pan-ya-san" (Kinnohoshi Publishing), and "Kaohame Ehon Tasukete-!" (Akane Shobo). Works he illustrated include "Ikiru" (Poetry by Shuntaro Tanigawa, Fukuinkan Shoten), "100 Yen Tanken" (Text by Hirotaka Nakagawa, Kumon Publishing), "Oni no Shogakko" (Story by Machi Yamada, Akane Shobo), and "Tsuru Waru Tsuru" (Text by Kibayashi Hayashi, Bunken Shuppan).