Today’s post comes to you from Susan E. Jones:

A wide range of books from Japan for the youngest readers are waiting to be discovered. Baby and toddler books, especially interactive board books with pop-ups, sliding panels, and manipulative features, entice Japan’s youngest readers into the literary world. While toddler-level picture books may be outnumbered by Japanese-to-English translated books for older readers such as manga and YA fantasy, those available in translation are a delight. Here are a few to start your collection:

Jump! by Tatsuhide Matsuoka / Translated from the Japanese by Cathy Hirano (Gecko Press, 2019). Age range: 0 – 5.

Readers are instantly captivated by Jump!—a book that opens vertically to highlight the high jumps within! What sort of animals come to mind when we think of animals who can jump? Frogs, kittens, grasshoppers—and even children. Most of the characters bounce with an energetic boing, encouraging toddlers to follow suit. The illustrations, while deceptively simple, belie a deep understanding of the natural world based on the author’s many years of field work. This is an ideal book for wiggly toddlers itching to expend energy during story time. 

Written and illustrated by award-winning natural science book author and illustrator Tatsuhide Matsuoka, and translated by Batchelder Award-winning translator Cathy Hirano (The Bear and the Wildcat, The Friends, Moribito novels), Gecko Press presents a bouncy addition to the toddler collection.

Tama & Baby by Kaya Doi / Translated from the Japanese by David Boyd and Asa Yoneda (Enchanted Lion Press, 2026). Age range: 2 – 5.

In Tama & Baby, when a new baby arrives, the dynamic at home changes for everyone: parents, siblings, even pets. When Tama the cat is confronted with her new family member, it takes some time to get used to the situation. Babies may seem small and quiet at first, but the peace is quickly broken by inconsolable crying. Tama learns that she has a new role in the family: comforting playmate and older sister. Even when the baby grows bigger, Tama will always take care of her little sister. Kaya Doi (Chirri & Chirra series) brings her retro-inspired illustrations to this charming tale of sisterly love, while translator-duo extraordinaire David Boyd and Asa Yoneda bring the story to life in English with special attention to the onomatopoeia scattered throughout.

Little Chicks by Taro Gomi / Translator not named (Chronicle Books, 2023). Age range: 0 – 3.

A selection of picture books from Japan would hardly be complete without a Taro Gomi (Everyone Poops) title. In Little Chicks, his signature bold illustrations are deceptively simple, and the spirited chicks an apt metaphor for busy toddlers. Like their human counterparts, the chicks don’t just meander through the day, they run! Rain or shine, tired or energetic, the chicks are on the move from morning to late afternoon when they return to the coop to reunite with mom and dad. Toddlers and their parents who move until they drop at the end of the day will relate to these lively little chicks. This title is one of five travel-size Taro Gomi board books from Chronicle Books (Run, Run, Run, 2024; Little Truck, 2018; Mommy! Mommy!, 2013; Peekaboo, 2013). It is unfortunate that the translator(s) are not noted in the books and therefore cannot be acknowledged here.

One Two Three! by Kanayo Sugiyama / Translations by Tang Yaming (Chinese), Hirono Tazaki (Vietnamese), Kiyomi Ootake (Korean), Haruki Kurihara & Angel Tuason (Filipino), Jose Koueti Aizawa (Portuguese), Susan E. Jones (English), Haruhito Nozu (Nepali), F. Javier de Esteban Baquedano (Spanish) (Doshinsha, 2025). Age range: 0 – 3.

Originally written for the Japanese market, the nonalingual (nine-language) One Two Three! is ripe for wider exposure! On one-two-three, Kanayo Sugiyama’s happy yellow circle illustration (created with “torn paper” chigiri-e) shows its talents from boinging to sproinging to popping to hugging. Toddlers will relish showing off their own moves in tandem with the read-along in their first or second language. The translations are a thoughtfully designed element of the book, with each one appearing in its own designated color throughout for easy reading. Children from different linguistic backgrounds can enjoy this book together—and even learn how to pronounce other languages by repeating after each other. Teachers and librarians could also explore a chigiri-e torn paper craft activity as a post-reading activity to practice fine motor skills. A Japan nomination for the 2027 IBBY Selection of Outstanding Books for Young People with Disabilities (accessible books category). 

Susan E. Jones is a veteran Japanese-to-English translator and teacher of translation at Kobe College in Japan. She enjoys scouring bookstores and social media for intriguing new works of Japanese children’s literature. The abovementioned One Two Three! is her first published picture book translation.