Saturday, July 14, 2007

VS Egyptian Child Book

In Tokyo International Book Fair, I could know many interesting books from foreign countries. Egyptian books were one of them. I couldn't totally understand what is written for my no-understanding of the language, but I could enjoy the covers and the illustlations enough well.

As other foreign pulisher's booths did so, Egyptian booth displayed a lot of child books. Because, like me, most Japanese can't understand their language, so the books with many illustlations are easier for us to understand. In addition, the market of "child" books are growing in Japan, even though the market of books itself are shrinking now. It is nice that Japanese can afford their children's education.

From the view point of the worker in Japanese publishing world, Egyptian child book have to be changed more for Japanese customers. A huge numbers of child books are published everyday in Japan. The competition is hard. The story, the illustlation and the material of the books are very sophisticated. In Japanese public library, it takes the longest time for librarians to sellect child books.
If Egyptian publishers want to make a success in Japan, they had better know this super-hard competitive situation.

In a picture book, the main character is a soldier. He battles, beats his enemy, and helps people. The story looked simple.
Like a police officer and a nurse, it might be natural for Egyptian to read the story of a soldier in a child book. However, my impression was embarrassment when I found the book. I am not sure whether this feeling is only Japanese one or not, but most Japanese, I think, think it is bad to describe a soldier or an army beautiful, in the books for kids. So, in my life, I have never watched Japanese child book to describe a soldier.
I don't know this thinking will be alive in the future in Japan, but at this point, such a book is impossible to sell in Japanese market. If I have a chance, I will give this advice to them.

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