VOX POPULI: Open a picture book, read to your inner child

Friday marked the fifth anniversary of the death of Shinta Cho, a creator of picture books for children.

"Books that are all sweetness and light and nothing else are a sacrilege against children," he was wont to say.

His works have a way of testing the receptivity of readers. Never given to preaching virtues like justice and kindness, Cho ripped apart whatever went for "common sense" in adult society.

"Gomu Atama Pontaro" (Pontaro the rubber-headed boy) is a story about a boy who bounces around the world on his rubber head. "From far away, a little boy came bouncing along," it starts.

The protagonist of his "Butayama-san Tara Butayama-san" (Hey, hey, Mr. Butayama) is so engrossed in chasing a butterfly that he doesn't notice a huge bird and a fish coming at him from behind.

When he finally turns around to look, there is nothing.

According to philosopher Shunsuke Tsurumi, self-absorption is the theme of this story. "It's a wonderful picture book for small children who were fetuses not too long ago and still possess a keen sense of what's around them," he noted. "For adults, this is a philosophical treatise."

Adults who read Cho's books to children don't know exactly what to make of the illustrations and storylines, but children laugh their heads off.

Cho possessed a truly unique gift that enabled him to commune with young minds with his pen and paintbrush, not with logic. On the other hand, his detractors labeled his works decadent and accused him of pandering to children.

Manabu Murase, in his recently released "Cho Shinta no Ehon no Fushigina Sekai" (The strange world of Shinta Cho's picture books) from Koyo Shobo Corp., pointed out: "Cho broke away from the traditional concept of picture books for children and became the first person in Japan to create picture books that make readers think."

Five years since his death, evaluations are still mixed about his creative activities, which spanned half a century.

To people who aren't fans of picture books and have no idea what Cho's works are like, I recommend a trip to a library this weekend to see for themselves.

I guarantee they will be pleasantly surprised by how good it feels to be made to toss their rigid view of common sense out the window.

It is never too late to loosen up one's mind and heart. "Gorogoro Nyaan" (Purrr, meow), Cho's best-known work, is recommended for "everyone from age 2" by its publisher.

--The Asahi Shimbun, June 25

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Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.