Chiyoko Nakatani

Chiyoko Nakatani (中谷千代子, Nakatani Chiyoko, January 16, 1930 - December 26, 1981) was a Japanese picture book author and illustrator. During the Shōwa era, Nakatani was one of the artists to popularize Japanese children's books outside of Japan.

Personal life Nakatani was born in Tokyo, Japan. She graduated from Tokyo Prefectural Girls' High School (now Tokyo Metropolitan Sakuracho High School) and studied oil painting at the Tokyo University of the Arts under Ryusaburo Umehara. She was classmates and close friends with poet Eriko Kishida, and went on to illustrate several of her picture books.

After graduating, Nakatani married Sadahiko Nakatani, who had also studied at the Tokyo University of the Arts. was their first book to receive international attention and translations in European and American countries. They were among the first Japanese children's book authors to gain that level of popularity in the West. Nakatani's work has been translated into many languages.

In 1963, Nakatani and her husband spent a year in France, where she studied picture books and met fellow children's book artists and . She visited France again in 1973 and 1976 to gain inspiration for her books.

Selected works

GeoGeo's Crown (Kodomo no Tomo, 1960) - illustration; written by Eriko Kishida Kaba-kun (Hippopotamus) (Kodomo no Tomo, 1962) - illustration; written by Eriko Kishida Sugan-san no Yagi (The Brave Little Goat of Monsieur Se'guin, 1966) Taro and the Dolphin (1969) - illustration and story The day Chiro was lost (1969) Fumio and the Dolphins (1970) Little Momo first edition - illustration; written by Miyoko Matsutani Boku no uchi no dōbutsuen (The zoo in my garden) (1973) Kaettekita Kitsune (The Returned Fox) (Kodansha, 1974) - illustrated; written by Eriko Kishida My Day on the Farm (1976) My Teddy Bear (1976) My Treasures (1979) My Animal Friends (1979) Jo jo no Kanmuri (The Lion and the Birds Nest) Animal Opposites (1981) Feeding Babies (Picture Puffin) (1981) Shirokichi and Yuki (1981)

Awards

1965: The Lost Chiro and The Hippo's Boat won the 14th Shogakukan Art Award 1967: The English translation of Sugan-san no Yagi (1966) was selected as the best work at the Chicago Tribune/Washington Post Children's Book Festival 1969: The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse won the 1st Kodansha Publishing Culture Award 1974: Kaettekita Kitsune won the 21st Sankei Children's Book Award Grand Prize 1979: The Tortoise's Walk won the 26th Sankei Children's Book Culture Award for Recommended Book