#WorldKidLit Month Focus on Japan: Rainy Weather From All Angles

Posted on by Avery Fischer Udagawa

Today's post comes to you from Deborah Iwabuchi: When it comes to weather, Japanese children’s books contain lots of it. Today, I present three books on rain that have been translated into English.  While each book is structured around a day full of precipitation—pre-rain, rain, and post-rain—the actual stories are completely different. Every Color of … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Month Focus on Japan: Rainy Weather From All Angles

#WorldKidLit Month: Books from Japan for the Youngest Readers

Posted on by Avery Fischer Udagawa

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 … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Month: Books from Japan for the Youngest Readers

#WorldKidLit Month: Focus on Japan

Posted on by Avery Fischer Udagawa

Welcome to the Global Literature in Libraries Initiative (GLLI) Focus on Japan month! We are author Holly Thompson and Japanese-to-English translator Avery Fischer Udagawa. In tandem with #WorldKidLitMonth, for the month of September, we’ll be sharing posts highlighting favorite Japan books for young people in English translation.  We’ll open with board books for the very … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Month: Focus on Japan

#WITMonth: Sayaka Murata

Posted on by katieday

Today’s post comes to you from Anisha Wilmink Our weird and not-so-wonderful world as seen by Sayaka Murata Sayaka Murata, who works with translator Ginny Tapley Takemori, is known for her short novels that confront and challenge our expectations of social norms and the “right” way to lead a life. I first came across Murata when … Continue reading #WITMonth: Sayaka Murata

#WITMonth: “Sympathy Tower Tokyo”

Posted on by katieday

Today’s post comes to you from Erin えりん The curation of reality through language in Rie Qudan’s "Sympathy Tower Tokyo" August 11 is Mountain Day (Yama no Hi) in Japan, celebrated annually in appreciation of the country's mountainous regions. The choice of date is related to the Kanji character for the number 8 (八), which visually … Continue reading #WITMonth: “Sympathy Tower Tokyo”

#IntYALitMonth: GLLI 2026 Shortlist: The Village Beyond the Mist

Posted on by katieday

Today’s post comes to you from Sabrina Rossi The Village Beyond the Mist - written by Sachiko Kashiwaba (1975) and translated from Japanese by Avery Fischer Udagawa (2025) - GLLI review by Nanette McGuinness on Mar 19, 2025 - Shortlisted 2026 GLLI Translated Young Adult Book Prize The Village Beyond the Mist, (霧のむこうのふしぎな町 - Kirino mukōno … Continue reading #IntYALitMonth: GLLI 2026 Shortlist: The Village Beyond the Mist

#WorldKidLit Wednesday: Four Eisner- Nominated Graphic Novels in Translation

Posted on by Nanette McGuinness

It’s that time of year again--or at least it was when I wrote this post: San Diego Comic Con! For those who may not know, San Diego Comic Con is a huge four-and-a-half day lollapalooza of an annual convention celebrating all things comics related. There are panels with authors and actors; talks about art, craft, … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Four Eisner- Nominated Graphic Novels in Translation

#INTYALITMONTH: Manga, Manhwa, and Manhua

Posted on by katieday

Written by Melissa Cooper A flurry of kindergarteners zoom past on tricycles, sticks clenched between their teeth, fully in character as Nezuko, the demon from the wildly popular manga Demon Slayer. This series took Japan by storm, captivating everyone from toddlers to teens. Despite its violent story - beginning with the brutal slaughter of the … Continue reading #INTYALITMONTH: Manga, Manhwa, and Manhua

#WorldKidLit Wednesday: The Village Beyond the Mist

Posted on by Nanette McGuinness

A sweet, otherworldly tale that’s billed as “the fantastic adventure that first inspired Hayao Miyazaki’s beloved film, Spirited Away,” The Village Beyond the Mist is sure to charm. Set in a magical town hidden in a mysterious forest clearing, The Village Beyond the Mist is a delightful, multigenerational fantasy for middle grade readers about service. Is that … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: The Village Beyond the Mist

#WorldKidLit Wednesday: All in a Year

Posted on by Planet Picture Book

A new year brings a fresh start for the Tanaka family. In All in a Year, a picture book aimed at readers ages 3+, the Tanakas move out of their apartment into a cozy new home. With each new page, readers accompany the family through their daily lives and the changing seasons of the year. … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: All in a Year