Showing results by author "Nankichi Niimi" in All Categories

Written by the celebrated children’s author Nankichi Niimi, Candy is a gentle and mysterious tale perfect for young listeners. A woman with two small children boards a boat on a warm spring day. Just as the ship is about to leave, a samurai comes running from the other side and leaps aboard. What happens next is quietly surprising… It is a heartwarming brief story, ideal for reading aloud to children.

In this gentle story by Nankichi Niimi, young Taro catches a rhinoceros beetle and sets off to visit his friends, hoping they can teach him fun ways to play with it. As he goes from house to house, he experiences moments of growing up—encountering minor pains, quiet loneliness, and the bittersweetness of a summer day. It is a tender tale of childhood and change, perfect for reading aloud to children.

The Snail Song is a gentle and nostalgic tale by beloved Japanese children’s author Nankichi Niimi. The king noticed a snail slowly crawling along a stone wall one morning. As he watched, he remembered a song he sang as a child about snails. “Snail, snail, stalk out your horn, I think...” But try as he might, he couldn’t remember the rest of the song. So he turned to his servants and asked, “Do you know the snail song?” What happened next? This story stirs childhood memories and gentle curiosity—a perfect read-aloud for children.

明治时代，一位13岁的少年决心使煤油灯在晚上照亮整个村庄。但是村民并不太能接受新事物…… 明治時代，一位13歲的少年決心使煤油燈在晚上照亮整個村莊。但是村民並不太能接受新事物……

Written by the beloved Japanese children's author Nankichi Niimi, Fox is a gentle, moonlit tale inspired by the author's childhood memories. In this very short fairy tale, a group of children walk from their small village to a neighboring one to see a night festival. As the moonlight casts short shadows behind them, one boy buys a pair of wooden clogs. What happens next? Poetic and straightforward, this story is perfect for reading aloud to children.

The trumpet is a heartwarming tale by beloved Japanese children’s author Nankichi Niimi. An elderly man lived alone in the countryside. As his hearing worsened, he asked his son in the city to find a machine to help him hear again. The son searched everywhere but couldn’t afford a proper device. Instead, he sent his father a trumpet with simple instructions: “Hold it upside down to your ear and listen from the back.” What happened next? This touching story of love, creativity, and the bond between a poor father and son is perfect for reading aloud to children.

Transforming into Geta is a playful and imaginative tale by famed Japanese children’s author Nankichi Niimi. In a quiet village beside a flowing river, a mother raccoon sat beneath the alders, teaching her baby the art of transformation. “When you become a monk,” she said, “you must wear the proper robe. When you become a samurai, wear a topknot, grow a beard, and carry a sword.” But what happens when the little raccoon tries to transform… into a pair of wooden clogs? This whimsical tale brings traditional Japanese folklore to life with humor and heart. Perfect for reading aloud...

Whose Shadow Is It? is a quiet and curious story by renowned Japanese children’s author Nankichi Niimi. In the center of a town square, a mysterious round shadow appeared. Two children walking by stopped and looked at it. “What kind of shadow is this?” one asked. “I wonder what it could be,” said the other. And so begins a gentle journey of discovery. Perfect for reading aloud to spark curiosity and imagination.

One day, a green frog and a yellow frog happened to meet in the middle of a field. “You’re yellow—what a dirty color,” said the green frog. “You’re green—do you think that’s beautiful?” replied the yellow frog. Their words led to a quarrel, and soon, they were fighting. What happened next? This short, thoughtful story gently explores themes of prejudice, pride, and learning to understand one another. Perfect for reading aloud to children.

"Gon the Fox" is Nankichi Niimi's most famous children's book. It is often included in textbooks at elementary schools in Japan. He published this work at 18, and like Gon, he had a lonely childhood. Therefore, it is thought that he may have depicted the meaning of his existence through this little fox.

The Fox’s Messenger is a whimsical short story by beloved Japanese children’s author Nankichi Niimi. In Japanese folklore, foxes are magical creatures capable of transforming into humans, often appearing as beautiful women. They can be clever tricksters, mysterious visitors, or even kind-hearted protectors. But the fox in this story is slightly different—perhaps a bit foolish and certainly amusing. Filled with charm and gentle humor, this tale is perfect for reading aloud to children and offers a lighthearted take on one of Japan’s most famous mythical animals.

This is a heartwarming micro-story by beloved Japanese children’s author Nankichi Niimi. Three stars quarreled high in the sky on a cold winter night as the wind howled around them. Though they were usually the best of friends, the middle star kept saying, “It’s cold, it’s cold,” which led the other two to start teasing him. Down below, in a frozen rice field, a night heron cried out. Then, without a sound, the middle star quietly began to fall. What happened next? It is a gentle, imaginative tale perfect for bedtime reading. Ideal for young children, this very short fairy tale ...

It is a gentle and poetic story by beloved children’s author Nankichi Niimi. A tiny, transparent baby snail rides on its mother’s back, just beginning to discover the world. Through a quiet conversation between mother and child, the newborn learns little by little about life, nature, and perhaps even things the mother herself does not yet know. It is a tender tale of growth and curiosity, perfect for bedtime reading and ideal for sharing with young children.

The Found Trumpet is a very short fairy tale written by beloved Japanese author Nankichi Niimi. Once upon a time, there was a lonely young man. He had no family—no father, mother, or siblings—and lived quietly alone. But deep inside, he longed to do something remarkable, to become someone great. One day, he discovered a trumpet. And then... what happened next? This touching, imaginative tale is perfect for reading aloud to children, inspiring dreams of hope and purpose.

"Mandarin Ducks" is a fairy tale by Nankichi Niimi that likens true love between a man and a woman to a pair of Mandarin ducks. A haggard young man gazes upon the loving Mandarin duck couple every day, and then, suddenly, by a spring in the forest, an old man with a white beard appears and speaks to him. The old man is a spring hermit. This book is a fantastical story reminiscent of an old Chinese legend.

Written by renowned children's author Nankichi Niimi, Bamboo Shoots is a gentle and whimsical tale perfect for reading aloud to children. The story follows a curious young bamboo shoot growing underground, eager to explore the world. But its mother, the tall bamboo, warns it gently: "Don't go too far. If you leave the bushes, you'll be trampled by horses." What will the bamboo shoot do next? A charming, brief fairy tale with a touch of wisdom—ideal for young readers and bedtime storytelling.

Written by renowned Japanese children’s author Nankichi Niimi, The Butterfly That Followed is a gentle, poetic tale . On a street corner, an old man sells colorful balloons—red, blue, yellow, and purple—swaying softly in the wind. Every day, a little white butterfly visits the balloons and spends the whole day with them. Among them all, it shares a special friendship with the tiniest red balloon. What happened next to the red balloon and the white butterfly? This simple, heartwarming story invites children and adults alike to imagine and dream. Ideal for reading aloud to children.

A Very Short Fairy Tale by Nankichi Niimi, one of Japan's most cherished children's authors. In this heartwarming story, a class of first graders learns an important lesson at school: never tell a lie. Their honesty and kindness are quietly tested when they befriend a little grebe. What does the little grebe feel? It is a gentle tale of friendship and truth, perfect for reading aloud to young children.

This Very Short Fairy Tale by beloved children's author Nankichi Niimi begins with a simple scene: rapeseed growing outside the window of a stable. Though not yet in bloom, its buds are full of promise. As the story unfolds, a skylark, a horse, a butterfly, and the rapeseed gradually come to understand the world around them—gaining awareness and beginning to see it with new eyes. A gentle and poetic tale, perfect for reading aloud to children, it quietly explores the moment when life begins to notice itself.

Written by beloved children's author Nankichi Niimi, Rabbit—A Very Short Fairy Tale is a humorous and heartwarming story about a man who wanted to buy a donkey but was tricked into buying a rabbit. No matter how long he waits, the rabbit won't grow! What will the man do next? This charming tale is full of gentle humor and classic storytelling, perfect for reading aloud to children.