The Kamishibai man
| The Kamishibai man | |
|---|---|
| Title of the original edition | Kamishibai Man |
| author | Allen Say |
| illustrator | Allen Say |
| translator | Gabriela Bracklo |
| country | United States |
| language | American English |
| genre | Picture book , children's book |
| Cover design | Allen Say (Hardcover USA) Allen Say (Hardcover Germany) |
| Publication date | October 24, 2005 (hardcover America) March 1, 2015 (hardcover Germany) |
| pages | 32 (Hardcover USA) 40 (Hardcover Germany) |
| publishing company | Houghton Mifflin (Hardcover USA) Edition Bracklo (Hardcover Germany) |
| ISBN | 978-0-618-47954-2 (hardcover USA) 978-3-9815066-7-9 (hardcover Germany) |
| Website | Houghton Mifflin (Hardcover USA) Deutscher Verlag (Hardcover Germany) |
The Kamishibai Man (Original Title: Kamishibai Man ) is a picture book by the Japanese - American writer, illustrator and photographer Allen Say . Say tells the story of a Kamishibai man who had to give up his trade because nobody was interested in his stories anymore. After a while children are interested in his craft again and he continues Kamishibai. In addition to the specifically Japanese cultural tradition of the Kamishibai, the book also addresses various developments in the country that are linked to this form of entertainment.
The Kamishibai man was published on October 25, 2005 by the American publisher Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in American and has a length of 32 pages. The German translation was published on March 1, 2015 by Edition Bracklo and has a length of 40 pages. Gabriela Bracklo translated the text into German. In addition to the USA and Germany, the book was also published in Japan and China . It is Say's 24th book.
In the features section, the book was praised, among other things, as a “fascinating window on a bygone art form” (Kirkus Review, October 15, 2005). Publishers Weekly summed up: "His artistry and power of invention are as strong as ever, and so will be his readers' enthusiasm." August 22, 2005
action
Jiichan (Japanese for grandfather) lives with his wife Baachan (Japanese for grandmother) in a small house on the outskirts of the city. One day Jiichan decides to go back to his previous job as a Kamishibai man. Kamishibai translates as "paper theater". The Kamishibai men rode their bicycles and a rack-mounted wooden box to different places to tell the children stories during the pre-war Japanese period . They put various picture cards in the box to illustrate the content of their story. Inside the box there were drawers for various homemade sweets. The children bought the treats and the Kamishibai man told them his stories. It was actually a never-ending tale, interrupted whenever it was most exciting, and the children had to wait for the Kamishibai man to return to continue the story.
In Say's book, Jiichan straps his old Kamishibai box of Baachan's sweets onto the luggage rack of his bike and rides down the hill into town. But a lot has changed there. Tall houses were built, trees felled, and the rowdy drivers frighten the old man. When Jiichan finally finds a free seat, he unpacks his Kamishibai box and begins to tell his own story, and while Jiichan recounts how his stories have slowly but surely been replaced by television sets, a crowd gathers around him and the adults Men and women recognize their old Kamishibai man, whom they listened to as children. They cheer, clap and ask about the familiar stories. Jiichan is now doing his rounds again.
style
With the colorful illustrations, Say's book itself looks like a kind of Kamishibai. The lovingly painted watercolors alternate with a slightly more sketchy style used for the flashback of Jiichan's narrative.
Public book presentations
The book was presented as an international premiere in the presence of the writer at the children's and youth program at the 16th Berlin International Literature Festival in September 2016.
Web links
- Reading sample of the original language version of the book
- Original language and German language publisher website for the book