It is a pleasure to share this post with you! I was introduced to Shinsuke Yoshitake by a local library with his latest translated title I Can Open It For You. Though Yoshitake writes in Japanese, I can see why his books have been translated worldwide. Yoshitake’s slice-of-life narratives are philosophical & elevated by his humor. He understands & runs off with a child’s propensity for imagination, striking a cord with young and old. Yoshitake delivers exaggeration without delirium, each book dispatching a punch of reality mixed with promise, especially in this first title:
“Sure there will be bad things, but there will be lots of good things, too.“
Brother comes home like the four horsemen of the Apocalypse, prophesizing doom for the future: famine, plagues, war, alien invasions, general annihilation of the human race… Sister of course FREAKS OUT, & defeatedly tells Grandma the fate of the world. Grandma reassures Sister with the quote above and reminds her that “there are so many possible futures.” As the cover art suggests, many times we limit our problem-solving and ingenuity by narrowing our options. It is neither this or that: one scarf can have many uses!
I love There Must Be More Than That for its encouraging outlook. I want to hug it deeply, embracing the comfort it wishes to impart. My seven-year old asked me “What is even the point of this story?” But as an adult, I totally get it. I feel like I have grown up with a cloud of doom above my head. It does feel like the future is bleak, whether it be by force of nature or political upheaval. I appreciate Yoshitake reminding us that the charlatans and uninformed will speak, but we can always come to our own conclusions, draft new solutions to problems, see things from different angles. Yoshitake’s version of ‘think outside the box’ turns into ‘how many ways can you serve an egg?’ and I will gladly and always take cover from the falling flames under laughter.
A boy expresses his frustration at being too “small and weak” to open his own candy wrapper. He goes on daydreaming about how popular he will be when he grows “a little bit bigger—maybe tomorrow or the day after—” when he’s “able to open anything.”
One would never guess that opening things could be so entertaining and wholesome. The story is carried by hilarious illustrations that feature the boy opening all sorts of packages and containers— in full color onomatopoeia— to more entrepreneur endeavors such as opening safes and fossilized rocks. Through his interaction with his parents the book subtly highlights the emotional power of helpfulness: a simple act of opening things for and with others can make us feel competent, needed, and even connected.
Still Stuck demonstrates that Yoshitake, as a father of two, understands the parental struggle and knows the toddler fight for independence. The little boy refuses help from his Mom to get undressed for a bath: “I could do it all by myself” he says. It doesn’t take long before his shirt is stuck above his head. The whole book could not take up the span of five minutes but his mind takes us on a hike far and wide as he pictures his life as a stuck person. Still Stuck is a brief and entertaining tale to which toddlers, kids, and adults will relate. Yoshitake masterfully and hilariously uses body language to convey the boy’s variety of sentiments throughout his expedition as a stuck person. Traducción disponible en español bajo Atascado.
A girl sees a rubber band by the trash can & immediately claims it as her treasure: “…everyone always seems to be looking for something,” she muses, “But I’ve found my thing.” An old rubber band can trap ALL the bad guys in the world & also hold ALL the presents she buys. She will know when she meets her soul mate because he will too carry a rubber band around his neck. Yoshitake transcends from the simple nature of kids making treasure out of trash (peek her brother’s “treasure” collection) to remind us that we place value into things. So what things are we placing value upon? I Can Open It For You, Still Stuck, and I Won’t Give Up My Rubber Band all follow a similar storyline & would make a good gift set!
The Boring Book is a visual companion to There Must be More Than That. I feel like most of Yoshitake’s books follow a style —I’d hate to say formula because it makes him sound less creative, which he is not: each book carries its own weight & novelty.
The Boring Book turns out to be quite entertaining. I especially love Yoshitake’s take on “wearing the kitchen sink,” as the boy protagonist imagines trying to be fun and unique with his wardrobe. I loved how Yoshitake used repetition in his illustrations to convey a sense of the mundane. The two-page spread of the boy “changing” the way he sits by simply moving his hands slightly is hilarious because it is so painstakingly tedious. Exactly what a bored child would do. This book definitely aligns with my belief to LET CHILDREN BE BORED as this will stimulate their problem solving & imagination! Traducción disponible: Me aburro.
A book for those who read, write and even make their own books, maybe with a little pang for a bestseller haha. Although I feel many adults will enjoy the picture books mentioned, Yoshitake has written a 102 page volume for teenagers and above. As the book store explains (“we sell books about books”), this is a book about books. One would think this may get a little redundant & self-serving, but no. This little book truly delivers wonder, humor, & insider knowledge that makes the jokes & digs fall in the right ears.
Future Readings
Thank you for coming with me to explore the world of Yoshitake with me. I will place interlibrary loans on his other titles, as there are many! I Can Explain about bad habits, and his upcoming August 2024 sequel, judging by the echoing cover, That’s Not Fair sound sure to be hilarious. What Happens Next? may provide me with some very sought after-life answers.
Both my children get very exited to read his books and the toddler has even asked to read them repeatedly. We definitely esteem his books & are excited for his future publications. I did not touch much on his art in the reviews above, but as you can see by the covers, it is colorful, expressive, & insightful of the human experience. There is an article about his art & his funny take about not being able to color. The color artists sure bring his work to life!
Otras traducciones en español
Biblioterika 