Something Arrived Today!

Just now the postman handed me a cardboard envelope from Zurich. The inside was this year's autumn catalog of the Swiss publisher, Atlantis (Orell Füssli Verlag).
Do you know why they sent it to me?
Because it's got a page showing my very first picture book to be published in the end of September!



今年の9月末にスイスの出版社Atlantisから出る、わたしのはじめての絵本がカタログに載りました！

I still can not believe that this is really happening.  My book is in their beautiful catalog next to all those superb-looking books!   You can find its PDF version here.


I still remember my strange dream so vividly. I had it just after I graduated from the MA course, when I felt that I had a blank future plan.

In my dream, I was in my 40s and walking around the Bologna Children's Book Fair dragging my little green suitcase filled with my dummy books and a portfolio to show to publishers. I had been doing it for more than ten years and had no book deal so far.  But I went to the fair every year nonetheless because I was determined to get somewhere as a children's book illustrator and I loved seeing my classmates once a year and hearing their successful stories. But that moment in my dream, I bumped into many classmates, all became successful artists and suddenly, for the very first time, I realised that I had no talent in making picture books. And I wondered why I thought I could be an illustrator and what I was doing for the last ten years.  I should have given it up ages ago and done something completely different.
That dream was ever so realistic and it was such a scary thought.

So you imagine, how I felt when I heard from the lovely editor of the Atlantis that she wanted my book after the Bologna Book Fair last year!

It's been wonderful to be working on this project with the great editor, Seraina, and we are now finalising the book layout. I am very excited to see the book coming out!