Acorn and wildcat

Books selected by the Japan Library Association

One day, a ``strange postcard'' arrived at Ichiro. So who is the best acorn? What is the verdict that Ichiro came up with when asked by Chief Judge Wildcat?
A masterpiece wrapped in humor that will move your heart with the depth of its message.

The idyllic atmosphere of the natural world is dynamically depicted using mud paint, which is a mixture of paint and shellfish powder. The scene where the acorns gather is a masterpiece.

[Profile]
Illustration: Seizo Tashima
Born in Osaka in 1940. Spent his childhood in Kochi.
Produced a private version of "Shibaten" in 1962 (published by Kaiseisha in 1971).
In 1965, he published his first picture book, ``Furuya no Mori'' (Fukuinkan Shoten). In 1969, he won the BIB Golden Apple Award for his painting ``Chikarataro'' (written by Yoshichi Imae, published by Poplar Publishing).
In the same year, he moved to Hinode Village, Tokyo. He cultivated fields, raised goats, and created tableaus, lithographs, picture books, essays, and other works while living in close contact with nature. Since then, he has received numerous awards, including the Kodansha Publishing Culture Prize Picture Book Award for ``Fukimanbuku'' (Kaiseisha), the Picture Book Nippon Award and Shogakukan Art Award for ``Tobebatta'' (Kaiseisha), and the Sankei Children's Publishing Culture Award Art Award for ``Tsukaeta'' (Kaiseisha).
In 1998, moved to the Izu Peninsula. He broke new ground by publishing the picture books ``Gao'' and ``Uncle Magnolia'' (published by Fukuinkan Shoten) and the collection of his works ``Memory of Life'' (Gendai Planning Office).
His essay collections include ``My Village in Pictures'' (Kumon Publishing) and ``Ojiru of Life'' (Kaiseisha). The ``Hachi & Seizo Tajima Museum of Picture Books and Nuts'' has been opened, turning a closed elementary school in the Hachi village of Tokamachi City, Niigata Prefecture into a picture book.

●Art materials used: Mud paints/Paper: Drawing paper

[Publication date] October 13, 2006