Translations of two Ukrainian books are among best children's publications in Japan

This is reported by Chytomo.

The Japanese National School Library Association has released the Ehon 50 list, a selection of 50 selected and recommended books for children published in Japanese during the year. This year's list includes two Ukrainian books.

The Where and Whence book by Romana Romanyshyn and Andriy Lesiv by the Agrafka creative workshop, translated by Yukiko Hiromatsu, was published by Bronze Publishing.

It tells of movement and travel: not only of people, but also of animals, plants, wind, water, and the planet. In addition to Japanese, the book has been translated into 14 other languages. In Ukraine, the book was first published by Staryi Lev Publishing House in 2020.

The Yellow Butterfly by Oleksandr Shatokhin was published by the Japanese publishing house Kodansha LTD. In this "quiet book," a girl running away from "restrictions and slavery" meets butterflies and finds hope in them.

Photo: j-sla.or.jp

The book was also included in the list of outstanding international books of 2024 by the IBBY, the International Board on Books for Children and Young People.

"War is like barbed wire, it puts you in a certain framework, restrictions, and unfreedom. The butterflies are what was before the war, like souls, like places that were destroyed by the war. The girl is Ukraine itself, the one who runs away and protests against restrictions and slavery. When she meets butterflies, free and bright despite everything, the girl realizes that life will go on, that the freedom of a butterfly cannot be limited or destroyed," the description reads.