Description ■ Delight and Emotion Perfectly Tailored to Children's Eyes - From Nakaya Miwa, Author of Black Crayon Since 2002, there has been a noticeable increase in translated Japanese picture books being published. Among them, Nakaya Miwa's Black Crayon (2002, Woongjin.com) became an instant bestseller at major bookstores like Kyobo Book Centre and has remained a beloved steady-seller ever since. Nakaya Miwa is currently one of the most promising rising authors in Japan, and Broad Bean and His Bean Friends is the very work that made her a bestselling author. As already proven with Black Crayon, the greatest strength of Nakaya Miwa's work is how perfectly her stories and illustrations are tailored to children's perspectives. At first glance, her drawings aren't flashy or particularly unique in style — in fact, they may even seem plain and simple. But she has a remarkable talent for turning familiar, everyday objects into adorable, lively characters full of personality. The whimsical imagination woven into her stories is equally inventive. Combined with warm and meaningful values that flow naturally through the narrative, her books captivate not only children but parents as well. "What do the little beans play at?" - Irresistibly Cute Characters and a Story Bursting with Playful Imagination For children who are drawn to small, cute things, beans themselves are already familiar and charming. The author gave these beans thin little arms and legs, bringing to life the "bean friends." Though the characters are wonderfully simple, the author's delicate touch gives them astonishing vitality. The bean friends move their slender arms and legs freely as they play and run about joyfully, and each one's expressive face is filled with real emotion, drawing readers right in. The more you look at them, the more endearing and delightful they become. The story these adorable beans share is likewise full of playful, inventive imagination. Take, for instance, the bean pod bed — the most precious (and only) possession the beans own. Though it's called a bed, when the friends play together it transforms into a sled, a slide, or even a boat. With just one bean pod, there's nothing they can't do, sparking children's imaginations to the fullest. There's one more delight in this book: the author invites children who read it to try "drawing a broad bean" of their own. Knowing exactly what children love, the author thoughtfully offers this small extra joy after the story ends. Just as children who read Black Crayon rushed to grab their crayons and start drawing, children who read this book will delight in drawing their own broad beans. "My bed is the best!" - A Story That Captures Children's Everyday Lives and Feelings The most precious thing to the beans is their bean pod bed. Broad Bean, in particular, has deep pride in his own bed. Big and wonderfully soft, Broad Bean's bed was recognized by all his friends as the very best. That's why losing a contest to the long, long kidney bean brothers comes as such a shock to Broad Bean, leaving him deeply disappointed and sad. Such moments are common in children's everyday lives too. Even over the smallest things, children love to believe that what they have is the very best, and they take pride in showing it off. Because of this, they often compare and compete with what other children have, sometimes experiencing real emotional disappointment over things that seem trivial. Broad Bean's story captures all of this — the attachment and pride we feel toward our own things, and the comparisons and rivalries that arise among peers — in a way that will resonate deeply with young readers. "Thank you, Broad Bean! I'd love to try sleeping in your bed sometime." - The Generosity of Accepting One Another, and the Joy of Becoming Friends At first, Broad Bean and Kidney Bean each insist that their own bed is the best after seeing the other's. Neither is willing to acknowledge the other. But even after losing the contest, when the youngest kidney bean falls into the water, Broad Bean does everything he can to save him — and without hesitation, offers up his own precious bed to warm the shivering little one. Because Broad Bean truly tried to help a friend in need, he is rewarded with the joy of becoming friends with the kidney beans. Naturally, his friends also come to recognize just how wonderful his bed truly is. In the end, Broad Bean and Kidney Bean invite each other into their own beds and fall asleep together — each having come to appreciate what the other has.