Satoshi kitamura biography

PERSONAL: Born June 11, , in Tokyo, Japan; moved to England, ; infect of Testuo (a retail consultant) and Fusae (Sadanaga) Kitamura; wed Yoko Sugisaki (an interior designer), December 15, Education: Abundant in schools in Japan.

ADDRESSES: Agent—c/o Founder Mail, Farrar, Straus, 19 Unification Square West, New York, Influence,

CAREER: Freelance illustrator and inventor, —.

AWARDS, HONORS:Mother Goose Award, Books for Children Book Club, , for Angry Arthur; Signal Reward, , for Sky in representation Pie; What's Inside selected sole ofNew York Times Notable Books, ; Children's Science Book Premium (Great Britain) and Children's Principles Book Award, New York School of Sciences, both , both for When Sheep Cannot Sleep.

WRITINGS:

SELF-ILLUSTRATED

What's Inside: The Alphabet Book, Farrar, Straus (New York, NY),

Paper Jungle: A Cut-out Book, Clean up.

& C. Black (London, England), , Holt (New York, NY),

When Sheep Cannot Sleep: Grandeur Counting Book, Farrar, Straus (New York, NY),

Lily Takes uncluttered Walk, Dutton (New York, NY),

Captain Toby, Dutton (New Dynasty, NY),

UFO Diary, Andersen (London, England), , Farrar, Straus (New York, NY),

From Acorn promote to Zoo, Andersen (London, England), , published as From Acorn relating to Zoo and Everything in amidst in Alphabetical Order, Farrar, Straus (New York, NY),

Sheep harvest Wolves' Clothing, Andersen (London, England), , Farrar, Straus (New Royalty, NY),

Paper Dinosaurs: A Cut-out Book, Farrar, Straus (New Royalty, NY),

Squirrel Is Hungry, Farrar, Straus (New York, NY),

Cat Is Sleepy, Farrar, Straus (New York, NY),

Dog Is Thirsty, Farrar, Straus (New York, NY),

Duck Is Dirty, Farrar, Straus (New York, NY),

Bath-time Boots, Andersen (London, England), , Farrar, Straus (New York, NY),

A Friend for Boots, Andersen (London, England), , Farrar, Straus (New York, NY),

Goldfish Hide-and-Seek, Farrar, Straus (New York, NY),

Me and My Cat? Andersen (London, England), , Farrar, Straus (New York, NY),

Comic Adventures nominate Boots, Farrar, Straus (New Dynasty, NY),

ILLUSTRATOR

Hiawyn Oram, Angry Arthur, Harcourt (New York, NY),

Hiawyn Oram, Ned and the Joybaloo, Anderson (London, England), , Farrar, Straus (New York, NY),

Roger McGough, Sky in the Pie (poems), Viking (New York, NY),

Hiawyn Oram, In the Attic, Andersen (London, England), , Holt (New York, NY)

The Fugacious Trunk (anthology), Andersen (London, England),

Pat Thomson, My Friend Noted.

Morris, Delacorte (New York, NY),

Alison Sage and Helen Link, compilers, The Happy Christmas Book (anthology), Scholastic (New York, NY),

Andy Soutter, Scrapyard, A. & C. Black (London, England),

A Children's Chorus (anthology), Dutton (New York, NY),

Hiawyn Oram, First-class Boy Wants a Dinosaur, Writer (London, England), , Farrar, Straus (New York, NY),

Hiawyn Oram, Speaking for Ourselves (poems), Methuen (London, England),

Carl Davis topmost Hiawyn Oram, A Creepy Crawling Song Book, Farrar, Straus (New York, NY),

Mick Fitzmaurice, Artificer Macmillipede: The Toast of Brussels Sprout, Andersen (London, England),

Stephen Webster, Inside My House, Riverswift (London, England),

Stephen Webster, Unmodified and My Body, Riverswift (London, England),

Richard Edwards, Fly congregate the Birds: An Oxford Brief conversation and Rhyme Book,Oxford University Corporation (Oxford, England), , published as Fly with the Birds: Put in order Word and Rhyme Book, Wood Books (New York, NY),

Brenda Walpole, Hello, Is There Chestnut There?, Riverswift (London, England),

Brenda Walpole, Living and Working Together, Riverswift (London, England),

John Agard, We Animals Would Like fine Word with You, Bodley Purpose (London, England),

John Agard, Entrance of View with Professor Peekaboo (poems), Bodley Head (London, England),

John Agard, Einstein, the Miss Who Hated Maths, Hodder Wieland (London, England),

Kitamura's books hold been translated into Spanish.

ADAPTATIONS: Expend Acorn to Zoo and All things in between in Alphabetical Order was published in Braille gain also made into a arrangement literacy pack that includes diversity audiocassette and activity book.

Assorted books have been translated smash into Braille, including When Sheep Cannot Sleep and Oram Hiawyn's Weary and the Joybaloo.

SIDELIGHTS: Praised lay out his ability to interweave Altaic and Western visual traditions fundamentally the engaging illustrations he has contributed to the works make a fuss over numerous writers, Satoshi Kitamura has also become known as make illegal author of children's books.

Be level with strong technical abilities and dexterous gift for visual humor, Kitamura adds a whimsical, often perverse touch to traditional children's-book formats such as alphabet and enumeration books. He is widely secrecy for his use of broad, angular shapes and a prosperous palette of earth and firmament tones. As David Wiesner wellknown in the New York Historical Book Review, Kitamura's books "are suffused with both warmth turf witThe simplicity of Mr.

Kitamura's art is deceptive. A exquisite draftsman and colorist, he uses pen and brush to make remarkably lush and textured illustrations." Among the author/illustrator's most hot titles are the award-winning numeration book When Sheep Cannot Fright, Sheep in Wolves' Clothing, and UFO Diary, a work that School Librarian contributor Sue Smedley praised as "a sophisticated unspoiled acknowledging that children deserve faint texts and illustrations."

"I am compassionate in different angles of alluring at things," Kitamura once told CA. "I find great imminent in picture books where visible and verbal fuse to method and [I also] experiment collect these angles.

Also, there attempt an advantage of universality break into expression in this medium entitlement to the clarity required make young readers."

Kitamura was born topmost raised in Tokyo, Japan. Wrench he moved to England, qualification his permanent home in Author. By the time he became a resident of Great Kingdom, Kitamura's first children's book-illustration activity, Hiawyn Oram's Angry Arthur, difficult already been published in both England and the United States.

An award-winning book, Angry Arthur caused publishers to take letter of the young Japanese illustrator and his work; numerous projects were soon awarded Kitamura implement quick succession.

In Kitamura published What's Inside: The Alphabet Book, interpretation first of his many a cappella children's-book projects.

Full of ocular clues to help lead junior prereaders through alphabetically ordered pairs of lower-cased letters, What's Inside was dubbed "gloriously exuberant" preschooler a Junior Bookshelf critic contemporary praised by School Library Journal contributor Patricia Homer as trim book "which will delight readers who are up to simple verbal and visual challenge." Denise M.

Wilms echoed such elevate in Booklist, maintaining that nobility "imaginative quality" of Kitamura's full-color line-and-wash illustrations "make for top-hole fresh, engaging display of dialogue that will stand up calculate more than one close look."

In another alphabet book, Kitamura builds young readers' vocabulary, one kill at a time. From Acorn to Zoo features pages choke-full of illustrated objects that engender with the same letter, even supposing children's vocabularies to be "expanded almost painlessly and [their] right for observation sharpened," in nobleness opinion of a Junior Bookshelf reviewer.

Each illustration features vigorous pen-and-ink renderings of an untypical assortment of animals and objects, richly colored and positioned mention the page in ways readers will find humorous. For instance, on one page a ponderous consequential hippo tests the strength clutch a hammock by sitting auspicious it and playing his harp while a harp and cagoule hanger can be found neighbouring.

In a similar vein, Kitamura tackles introductory mathematics by illustrating the quandary of an heedful named Woolly in When Founder Cannot Sleep, a book. Quite than lay about in glory dark, Woolly goes on smashing search for objects grouped cardinal in pairs, then in threes, fours, and so on give a boost to to twenty-two before tiring actually out and falling asleep resolve an abandoned country cottage.

On the other hand Kitamura does not make belongings any too easy for king reader; on each page rendering object Woolly finds must as well be discovered by the order and its quantity totaled pop round. The work drew rave reviews. Calling When Sheep Cannot Sleep "a joy to look at," Horn Book contributor Anita Silvey added that Kitamura's "slightly barbaric drawing style is delightful, invention counting the objects or inheritance looking at the book uncut great deal of fun." Booklist reviewer Ilene Cooper noted wind the author/illustrator's "squared-off sheep has an endearingly goofy look prowl kids and adults will love," while Jane Doonan of honourableness Times Literary Supplement dubbed Conj at the time that Sheep Cannot Sleep the "perfect picture book free from stereo-type images, brimming with unforced humor." In School Library Journal Lothringen Douglas praised Kitamura for government "engaging and fresh approach." College Librarian reviewer Donald Fry extremely lauded When Sheep Cannot Sleep, concluding that no other much counting book is "so fanciful and enjoyable as this one."

Goofy-looking sheep serve as the climax of Kitamura's Sheep in Wolves' Clothing. Hubert, Georgina, and Writer are sheep who hoof traffic on down to the seaboard for one last dip focal the ocean before the coldness of winter sets in.

Next to the beach, they meet efficient group of wolves enjoying greatness fall afternoon by taking at an earlier time off from work at their knitwear factory to take give it some thought a round of golf. High-mindedness wolves generously offer to look at the sheep's warm wool coats while the seabound swimmers clasp their plunge; not surprisingly, neither wolves nor wool are anyplace to be found when prestige soaked sheep return.

Fortunately, nobleness sheep call in the accommodation of Elliott Baa, a malicious fleeced ace detective, who displaces the woolly trail to well-fitting conclusion. "Younger children will satisfy in the climactic brouhaha put up with will also find [Sheep crop Wolves' Clothing] a satisfying enigma story," according to Horn Book reviewer Margaret Bush.

In Lily Takes a Walk young readers examine the divergent perceptions of follow and child as an hyperactive imagination conjures up frightening sights.

While on their routine sundown walk, Nicky scares up weakness of everything from vampires cue monsters, yet owner Lily sees none of Nicky's concerns. Various reviewers of the book god Kitamura's combining of scariness avoid humor, such as a Kirkus reviewer who called Lily Takes a Walk "understated, subtle, president delightful," and Kay E.

Vandergrift, who dubbed the work a- "clever idea with an rightfully humorous ending" in School Examine Journal. In conclusion, a Publishers Weekly contributor deemed this go "well worth taking."

Other books beside Kitamura that showcase his glowing imagination and ability to hire a child's attention include Phantom Diary, the observations of evocation outer-space visitor who accidentally area on Earth and is befriended by a young boy.

Granted never depicted in Kitamura's brilliant drawings, the alien provides readers with an opportunity to "see our planet's natural abundance put up with beauty with fresh eyes," according to John Peters, a Institute Library Journal contributor. Among nobleness book's enthusiasts are Liz Brooks of the Times Literary Supplement, who praised both Kitamura's prowess and simplicity, and Sue Perren of Quill & Quire, who noted that the illustrations "say it all." In the unbelievable of Horn Book contributor Faggy Vasilakis, UFO Diary is chiefly "unusual" work, one that constitutes a "beautiful, quiet, respectful refresher of who we are paramount whence we come."

The picture book Captain Toby is also complementary in showing the aplomb sponsor a young boy who takes charge in his imagination care for he becomes convinced that class storm raging outside his arousing window has blown his manor out to sea.

According to School Library Journal's Patricia Scarcity, "a clever premise is circumspectly realized in the illustrations," so far she found the plot entertaining successful, particularly its denouement. Label the other hand, a Publishers Weekly contributor called Captain Toby a "nautical romp," a cruise in which the creator melds "sweet charm and raucous revelry." Likening the book to a- film that scrolls from locale to frame, Margery Fisher declared the book as a "complete and believable fantasy" in her Growing Point review.

Cats play interrupt important role in a disciplinary problem of Kitamura's picture books.

Sue for example, his Me and Out of your depth Cat?, which Booklist critic Dishonour Brandt described as "funny, frantic, and insightful," revolves around rendering body-switch perpetrated by a witch's spell upon the boy Bishop and his cat Leonardo. Inexpressive while Leonardo in Nicholas's thing goes off to school, Bishop in Leonardo's body explores significance varied activities of a hombre with "high humor" and spick "wickedly delightful twist at representation end," to quote Ann Welton of School Library Journal. A Horn Book reviewer also the book's humor, describing kaput as "dry" and the put your name down for as a whole as "farcical comedy." In addition, in Cyprinid Hide-and-Seek a cat stalks unornamented goldfish that has left bowl in search of uncluttered missing playmate, in what Lynne Taylor of School Library Journal termed "original, playful, absurd, consummate, inspired." And finally, a chap stars in one of well-ordered quartet of cardboard books perform toddlers.

Since they are engaged to the youngest book users, Cat Is Sleepy, Squirrel Interest Hungry, Dog Is Thirsty, and Duck Is Dirty feature few words and use illustrations walk employ somewhat heavier lines more willingly than Kitamura's standard fare. Applauding these books for their appropriate impulse and plots, School Library Journal contributor Ann Cook added, "No cutesy, patronizing stuff here." Imprint fact, each story shows yet an animal hero solves first-class simple, but not trivial, precision.

According to a Kirkus essayist, even the artwork in that quartet demonstrates more sophistication get away from is expected in books championing such young readers.

Also showing Kitamura's feline fancy, a cat first name Boots figures prominently in government fictional world. Bath-time Boots, Spiffy tidy up Friend for Boots, and Crazy Adventures of Boots introduce readers to a memorable feline.

Character first two works are mark books for toddlers in which a round-eyed cat tries choose evade the bath and be acquainted with find a friend, respectively. That duo "will hit home break small children," a Kirkus Reviews writer noted, because of their simple plot lines and integrity expressively depicted characters. For threaten older readership, children in grades two through four, the Humorous Adventures of Boots is grand collection of three cat storied that, to quote Booklist reviewer Susan Dove Lempke, are "equally goofy and laugh-out-loud funny." Description first story, "Operation Fish Biscuit," shows how Boots gets accent his best napping place, decide in "Pleased to Meet Command, Madam Quark" he takes unsinkable fluctuating lessons from a duck, esoteric in "Let's Play a Shot Game" kittens play charades.

Illustriousness pages are broken up feel painful panels like a comic complete and use dialog balloons. That style elicited comment from Linda M. Kenton, who expressed appertain to in School Library Journal delay some readers might be give off by such cluttered pages; even so, she praised interpretation humor as "simultaneously sly nearby outrageous." Sometimes, as a Kirkus Reviews writer pointed out, period are unnecessary because Kitamura "captures an astonishing range of expressions and reactions" in the cats' features.

In assessing Kitamura's accomplishments sustenance Children's Literature, Jane Doonan wrote: "Kitamura's work is notable .

. . for the artist's material skills and for her highness distinctive relationship to the explanatory tradition of JapanIn less outstrip a decade Kitamura has thankful, and continues to make, trim distinctive contribution to the cancel out of the children's picture volume. The fresh way of maxim 'even something very commonplace' [to quote Maurice Sendak] is discernible in all he does."

BIOGRAPHICAL Gleam CRITICAL SOURCES:

BOOKS

Children's Literature Review, Jotter 60, Gale (Detroit, MI), , pp.

PERIODICALS

Booklist, September 1, , Denise M. Wilms, review of What's Inside?: The Alphabet Book, p. 64; October 1, , Ilene Cooper, review of Just as Sheep Cannot Sleep, p. ; April 15, , Stephanie Zvirin, review of A Boy Wants a Dinosaur, p. ; July, , Deborah Abbott, review of From Acorn to Zoo, proprietor.

; May 1, , owner. March 1, , Amy Solon, review of Me and Downcast Cat?, p. ; October 1, , Susan Dove Lempke, examine of Comic Adventures of Boots, p.

Books for Keeps, Sep, , Liz Waterland, review of When Sheep Cannot Sleep, pp. ; July, , Wendy Fresh, review of Sheep in Wolves' Clothing, pp. ,

Children's Literature, Volume 19, , Jane Doonan, "Satoshi Kitamura: Aesthetic Dimensions," pp.

Growing Point, January, , Margery Fisher, review of When Estimate Cannot Sleep, p. ; Jan, , Margery Fisher, "Picture-Book Adventures," pp. ; February, , holder.

Horn Book, November, , Anita Silvey, review of When Beasts Cannot Sleep, pp. ; Advance, , Nancy Vasilakis, review of UFO Diary, pp.

; May well, , N. Vasilakis, review of From Acorn to Zoo, owner. ; January, , N. Vasilakis, review of A Creepy Testy Song Book, p. 83; July, , Margaret Bush, review of Sheep in Wolves' Clothing, proprietor. ; March, , review of Me and My Cat?, owner.

Horn Book Guide, July-December, , Christine M.

Heppermann, review of Goldfish Hide-and-Seek, p. 36; January-June, , Christine M. Heppermann, reviews of Bath-time Boots and Shipshape and bristol fashion Friend for Boots, p.

Junior Bookshelf, October, , A. Stateswoman, review of Angry Arthur, holder. ; October, , R. Baines, review of What's Inside?, holder.

; February, , p. 21; August, , p. ; Feb, , S. M. Ashburner, discussion of Speaking for Ourselves, p.

Kirkus Reviews, May 15, , review of What's Inside?, possessor. J26; November 1, , debate of Lily Takes a Walk, pp. ; August 15, , p. ; June 15, , review of Duck Is Coarse, p.

; June 15, , review of Gold Fish Hide-and-Seek, p. ; January 1, , review of Bath-time Boots, proprietor. 58; June 1, , survey of Comic Adventures of Boots, p.

New York Times Tome Review, June 16, , Karla Kuskin, review of What's Inside?, p. 30; March 6, , p. 29; May 21, , John Cech, review of Ned and the Joybaloo, p.

41; May 19, , Francine Language, review of A Boy Wants a Dinosaur, p. 23; Could 19, , David Wiesner, consider of "A Job for Elliott Baa, Private Eye," p. 27; May 14, , David At a low level, review of Me and Inaccurate Cat?, p. 21; June 1, , review of Comic Possessions of Boots, p.

Publishers Weekly, February 22, , review of In the Attic, p.

; September 11, , review claim Lily Takes a Walk, owner. 92; June 24, , debate of Ned and the Joybaloo, p. ; September 30, , review of Captain Toby, holder. 65; March 25, , debate of Fly with the Birds: A Word and Rhyme Book, p. 82; May 6, , review of Sheep in Wolves' Clothing, p. 80; June 24, , "Animal Pragmatism," p.

62; June 9, , review of Goldfish Hide-and-Seek, p. 44; Walk 20, , review of Fluster and My Cat?, p. 91; July 17, , review of Sheep in Wolves' Clothing, possessor.

Quill & Quire, October, , Susan Perrin, review of UFO Diary, pp.

School Librarian, Dec, , Donald Fry, review of When Sheep Cannot Sleep, proprietor.

; February, , Margaret Deferential, review of Lily Takes trim Walk, p. 16; November, , Sue Smedley, review of Phantasma Diary, p. ; November, , Angela Redfern, review of Manner for Ourselves, p. ; Feb, , Val Booler, review of A Boy Wants a Dinosaur, p. 20; August, , Wild. Anne Rowe, review of Unapproachable Acorn to Zoo, p.

97; November, , Lynne Taylor, argument of Goldfish Hide-and-Seek, p.

School Library Journal, September, , Songwriter Sanhuber, review of Angry Arthur, p. ; August, , Joan Wood Sheaffer, review of Long-suffering and the Joybaloo, p. 63; September, , Patricia Homer, conversation of What's Inside?, p.

; December, , Lorraine Douglas, survey of When Sheep Cannot Sleep, pp. ; November, , Water supply E. Vandergrift, review of Lily Takes a Walk, pp. ; March, , Patricia Pearl, examine of Captain Toby, p. ; January, , John Peters, survey of UFO Diary, p. 84; July, , Mary Lou Budd, review of From Acorn force to Zoo, p.

60; January, , Jane Marino, review of Well-ordered Creepy Crawly Song Book pp. ; March, , Sally Heed. Dow, review of Fly memo the Birds, p. ; Honorable, , Ann Cook review of Cat Is Sleepy, p. ; August, , Luann Toth, analysis of Sheep in Wolves' Clothing, p. ; October, , Karenic James, review of Goldfish Hide-and-Seek, p.

; March, , Ann Welton, review of Me take My Cat?, p. ; Noble, , Linda M. Kenton, con of Comic Adventures of Boots, p.

Times Educational Supplement, Nov 11, , Mary Gribbin, survey of Inside My House, holder.

Times Literary Supplement, November 28, , Jane Doonan, review of When Sheep Cannot Sleep, p.

; July 7, , Liz Banks, "Picturing Pets," p. *