I had the great pleasure this past weekend of going to Tokyo for two PaperTigers related events — one, to give a talk about PaperTigers to the SCBWI Tokyo chapter, and two, to visit the Bologna Children’s Book Fair Exhibit held annually in Japan at the Itabashi Art Museum.

On Friday, July 8 a small but enthusiastic audience of SCBWI members came to my talk at Tokyo’s Women’s Plaza in Shibuya to hear me explain what PaperTigers is all about.  I told everyone how there were three main components to PaperTigers — the blog, the website, and the outreach program.  When my focus turned to the SPT outreach program, I was also able to introduce host Holly Thompson’s particular Outreach contribution, which involved a set of books being donated to the Butterfly School in Cambodia.  That was a great plus!

After our talk, we had a round of Q and A about PaperTigers and I got to see some of the lovely work of illustrators such as Izumi Tanaka, and hear about writer and illustrator Yoko Yoshizawa’s work with the retelling of folktales around the world, using the work of local illustrators.  I met Ruth Gilmore, librarian and church worker, and author of kidsermons– a four book series of children’s sermons.   I was able to meet with Annie Donwerth Chikamatsu, creator of the wonderful website about Japan called Here and There Japan.  And of course, it was quite exciting for all of us to chat about Holly Thompson’s new fundraising project, the Tomo anthology of Japan-related YA fiction, which is now receiving submissions.  Check out the Tomo blog as well as Holly’s own blog and website, Hatbooks.

The following Saturday I went to the Itabashi Art Museum to see the 2010 Bologna Book Fair exhibit.  The Book Fair exhibit tours Japan annually.  In the Tokyo area, the hosting museum is the Itabashi Art Museum which has been hosting the book fair for thirty years.  I was most intrigued by the artwork of the winner of the 2010 International Award for Illustration, Philip Giordano.  His illustrations were for a rather fantastical re-telling of the famous Japanese fairytale — Kaguyahime.  There were many other wonderful illustrations, but I was a bit dismayed by how few there were from the Americas — south and north.  Yet, I was very glad to get a taste of some of the world’s best art for children; it certainly inspired me to think about writing for children in a new way!  I picked up the Illustrator’s Annual and have been enjoying browsing through it. 

As delightful as my Tokyo visit was, it ended rather soberly with tremors from a 7.3 earthquake that hit Tohoku on the morning of July 10.  I was in my cousin’s apartment when things started to sway and shake; I felt slightly nauseated as if I were on a rocking boat.  For Tokyoites and Tohoku residents, this kind of seismic activity has become the norm ever since March 11.  The topic of many of my conversations over the weekend centered around what happened during and after March 11.   Clearly, life has not been the same for many Tokyo area residents, never mind the people of Tohoku.   While the pleasures and wonders of the nation’s capital are many, so are its worries and fears, of which even I had but the briefest of tastes this short but eventful weekend in Tokyo.

That was a horrible earthquake, wasn’t it? I’m sure so many of you are very scared right now.

But please, don’t worry. Grown ups are working together as hard as they can to make things better. It may take a while, but eventually, everything is going to be safe and comfortable again, I promise.

If you feel even the tiniest bit afraid or lonely, try to think about your favorite story…

So begins Japanese children’s author Noriko Kudoh’s Message of Hope to the children of Japan who have been caught up in the earthquake and tsunami that caused such devastation ten days ago. It was translated into English by Sako Ikegami of the SCBWI Tokyo Translation listserv, which focuses on translation of Japanese children’s literature; and you can read the whole message over at the wonderful Here and There in Japan.

It’s a very moving, thought-provoking letter and I urge you all to read it…

About a month ago now, we were thrilled to be chosen by Just One More Book for the Butterfly Award. Thank you! And now it’s definitely high time the butterfly winged on its way through cyberspace…

So, we are passing this award on to these great blogs:

All at Create Readers
All of the Blue Rose Girls
Annie at Here and There Japan
Cynthia Leitich Smith at Cynsations
Debbie Reese at American Indians in Children’s Literature
Jen at Jen Robinson’s Book Page
Margriet at Margriet’s Blog
Mitali Perkins at Mitali’s Fire Escape
Uma Krishnaswami at Writing With a Broken Tusk
Zarah Grace C. Gagatiga at School Librarian in Action

(more…)

As Renee Ting recently pointed out at Shen’s blog, Annie Donwerth Chikamatsu’s blog Here and There Japan, while not a book, is an wonderfully multicultural literary experience for kids. Her charming posts, with photographs and simply-worded information about various aspects of Japanese culture, are much visited by kids and adults of all ages. A former teacher now raising a multicultural family, Annie, who calls herself “just a mom with a camera,” captures in her blog a quality of presence and gentleness that clearly still imbues Japanese culture.

As an old Japan hand myself, I love her tidbits of new news, like those parking lot devices, which weren’t around when I was there, and old favorites, like the carrots cut into the shape of maple leaves, now available even in instant soup.

Annie was our very first commenter when our blog went live! PaperTigers is honored to be on her list of links.