This bilingual picture was a commission by the National Book Development Council of Singapore in celebration of Japan being the Country of Focus at the 2016 Asian Festival of Children's Content. 

 

\It was a double honour for me.  Besides being given the opportunity to illustrate one of the two festival books, it was also a humbling experience to work with celebrated Japanese writer Aikiko Sueyoshi on what turned out to be her last book.  My greatest regret is that I never had the opportunity to meet Mrs Sueyoshi as she sadly passed away just 2 days after the book was launched.

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The production of the book was truly an international, multi-time zone affair.  The late Akiko Sueyoshi was based in Tokyo while editor Sheri Tan was in the East Coast of the USA.  Translator and interpretor Cathy Hirano hailed from Sendai, while coordinator Naomi Kojima shuttled between Japan and the West Coast of the USA.