Keiko Sena

, known by her pen name , was a Japanese illustrator, children's book writer, and kamishibai artist. She wrote approximately 100 books, largely published by Poplar and Fukuinkan Shoten.

Born in interwar Tokyo, Sena graduated from the all-girls and went on to study painting under Takeo Takei, one of Japan's most prominent children's illustrators of the 20th century. She was known for her distinctive use of collage to illustrate her work. A "master storyteller", her books have been described to reveal "a deep understanding of children" and feature "charming simplicity with the satisfying bite of fairy tale grim."

Life and work Sena made her debut in 1969 at the age of 37 with her first book, ; it was a runaway success, and led to three more publications in the same year, including her most famous work, which has sold over 3.5 million copies to-date. Along with , published in 1975, Sena's early books introduced many recurring characters which appear throughout her works, including Lulu, Rabbit, and Ghost. These three books, among others, were later published in English by R.I.C. Publications under the titles I Don't Want to!, Don't Want to Go to Bed?, and Gracie Meets a Ghost.

Sena often featured yōkai and obake as characters in her books.

Her daughter, Kaoru Kuroda, is also a children's book writer and illustrator, many of which feature her mother's characters.

Awards and exhibitions Sena was a member of the Japan Children's Book Artists Society and was awarded the 17th Sankei Children's Book Award in 1970. In 2020, her artwork was featured in a solo exhibition at the Hiroshima Museum of Art.