Sato the Rabbit - Yuki Ainoya

Sato the Rabbit by Yuki Ainoya / ISBN 9781592703180 / 68-page hardcover from Enchanted Lion

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In this surreal collection of short vignettes, we are transported to the world of Sato the Rabbit: a world very much like our own, yet one that is imbued with an added dimension of wonder and curiosity, in which ordinary objects and everyday routines become magical encounters.

A 2021 Horn Book Fanfare Best Book of 2021

A Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Book of 2021

A 100 Scope Notes Most Astonishingly Unconventional Book of 2021

“One day, Haneru Sato became a rabbit. He’s been a rabbit ever since.”

With these surrealist, yet matter-of-fact opening lines, we are transported to a world very much like our own, yet one that is imbued with an added dimension of wonder and curiosity. In Sato’s world, ordinary objects and everyday routines can lead to magical encounters: a rain puddle, reflecting the sky, becomes a window that can be opened and peered through. A walnut is cracked open to reveal a tiny home, complete with a bathtub and a comfy bed. During a meteor shower, Sato catches stars in a net, illuminating the path home for a family taking an evening walk.

This whimsical tale is the first in a trilogy from Japan.

Born in Yokohama, Yuki Ainoya studied Japanese painting at the Tama Art University Faculty of Art and Design. She was the winner of the the Crayon House Children’s Book Grand Prize in 1990 and the 12th Japanese Children’s Book Award in 2007 for the original Japanese edition of Sato the Rabbit (Shogakukan). In her spare time, she likes playing the accordion and hula dancing.