Japanese / Japan
Kujira ga shindara
(After the whale dies)
Eguchi, Eri
(text)
Kawasaki, Shunichi
(illus.)
Fujiwara, Yoshihiro
(scientific advisor)
Tōkyō: Dōshinsha, 2024. – 40 p.
ISBN 978-4-494-01599-3
Death | Non-fiction | Picture book | Whale | Life | Deep sea | Ecosystem
Reading age: 5+
White Ravens issue: 2025
»Kujira ga shindara« is one of two recent picture books in Japan that deal with whales and their role in the ecosystem – a topic that has been unusual until now. The book explores the subject in a totally new way using a highly unusual artistic style and a composition method that effectively visualizes the story. After end papers depicting a dead whale sinking deep into the sea, the picture book portrays the fish, crustacea, bone-eating worms, and many other creatures one after another against a black backdrop, showing how the enormous whale body generously offers food and shelter for them. The whimsical illustrations capture the characteristics of each species and employ dynamic changes of perspective by zooming in and out. The illustrations and texts cleverly engage readers, encouraging them to explore the detailed, explanatory material at the end of the book. This work was the winner of the 2025 Kodansha Picture Book Award (Kodansha ehon shō). [RN]