Natsumi’s Song of Summer

Written by Robert Paul Weston Publisher: Tundra Books (Penguin Random House Canada)

This sweet and gentle picture book celebrates summer in Japan, as one little girl shares her love for bugs with her cousin who is visiting from America.

"Immersive illustrations and rich poetry urge young readers to slow down and appreciate nature." --STARRED REVIEW, Kirkus Reviews

Listen to some cicadas here!

Process

At first I tried to place enough of paper (where you write your wish) behind the text but eventually decided to move the bamboo leaves to give the text more space. It worked also because it added another element between Natsumi and Jill, showing the uncertainty Natsumi had.

The summer festival scene is something familiar to anyone growing up in Japan. I wanted to show particularly the yukata patterns and the lights. Yukatas are summer kimonos that used to be bathrobes, using lighter fabric and fewer layers than ordinary kimonos.