CREATIVE KIDS TOP Other Review Copy: “The Black King”

Other

2020.06.27
Review Copy: “The Black King”

I received a complimentary copy from Mr. Koga, the president of Southern Books (*^^*)
. *Kuro wa Ousama* is printed in silver ink and Braille on black paper.
Even though every page is pitch black, I feel this picture book is more vibrant with color than a full-color book.
When you try to perceive color through your five senses, you realize it’s so diverse that it feels like a waste to express red, blue, and yellow with just a single character each.
Indeed, red is a color that’s sweet, sour, and painful—and the book expresses
this in a truly poetic and beautiful way.
Southern Books, a company that uses crowdfunding to translate and publish books, was the one to bring this Mexican-born picture book—winner of the Ragazzi Award at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair—to Japan. I heard they raised about 4 million yen in just three months for this book. It really
touches my heart. I highly recommend it.

The other book is *Julian Is a Mermaid*, the story of Julian, a boy who wanted to be a mermaid.
It depicts the feelings of a boy captivated by the glamour of mermaids and his grandmother, who accepts him naturally.
Although the theme is LGBT, the warm watercolor illustrations make this a picture book that encourages readers to be true to themselves and live authentically.

I’ve been following Southern Books since the planning stages, and I’ve always viewed it as an exciting initiative—one that brings excellent books, such as specialized texts, to Japan or introduces them to the world, even though publishers often hesitate to translate and publish them. It seems they’ve
already published 20 translated titles, and I’ll continue to support Ms. Koga’s efforts as she stays true to her convictions and brings her vision to life!

Thank you so much for the wonderful picture book! 😊


　

Profile


  • Digital Picture Book Author

    Professor, Keio University; Ph.D. (Policy and Media)
    Director, B Lab
    Chairperson, Learning of Tomorrow (General Incorporated Association)
    Chairperson, CANVAS

    After graduating from the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Tokyo, he served as a visiting researcher at the MIT Media Lab before founding the NPO CANVAS and the Learning of Tomorrow Association, a General Incorporated Association, and assuming the role of representative. He serves as an outside director for Matsuya Co., Ltd., Fuji Media Holdings, Inc., and Digital Garage, Inc.
    He has served on various government committees, including the Information and Communications Council of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, as well as the NHK Central Broadcasting Program Council. He also serves as a director of the Digital Signage Consortium, among other roles. He holds a Ph.D. in Policy and Media.
    His publications include *Turning On Children’s Creativity!*, *What Are Smart Kids Doing on Their Smartphones?*, *The Forefront of Online Education in Japan: Considering Learning in the Post-COVID Era*,“What Is Programming Education? 45 Questions Parents Want to Know,” and “Declaration on Digital Education.” He has also provided supervision for numerous works, including “Ah, I See! Programming Education for Parents and Children Through Manga.”