(2) PS Translated by Yuki Kaneko. In their third adventure, the titular rosy-cheeked cyclists head out into a winter landscape. They enter a magical, animal-filled ice world, visit a hot spring, and join a bear family in an igloo. What gives this dreamy, serene story energy are the details. Doi's pictures are made for poring over and creating one's own narrative. This Japanese import is a reminder of picture books' interactive nature.

Reviewer: Sarah Ellis | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2018

(2) PS Translated by Yuki Kaneko. In their second book, the two rosy-cheeked, dot-eyed girls head off on their bikes. As they ride into a meadow, they shrink until the clover arches over them like trees and bumblebees are the size of their heads. As the benign, welcoming creatures they meet invite the girls inside their homes, so Doi's gentle, grainy illustrations invite readers into this sweet miniature world.

Reviewer: Sarah Ellis | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2017

(1) PS Translated by Yuki Kaneko. In this Japanese import, Chirri and Chirra take a day-long bike ride through a pastoral world. Amenities appear just when needed; ultimately, the sisters arrive at a forest hotel in time for an animal symphony concert. Adult humans are absent, leaving room for the fox waiter, the pig flautist, and all the other animals of this peaceable kingdom. Crayon/pastel illustrations in gentle, saturated colors capture the girls' summer idyll.

Reviewer: Sarah Ellis | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2017

(2) PS Translated by Yuki Kaneko. Illustrated by Komako Sakai. A toddler persists in trying to connect with others in her low-to-the-ground world. She approaches a butterfly, but it flutters away; two snoozing cats vamoose. Despite her repeated pleas ("Wait! Wait!"), the little girl can't catch up--but her father swoops her onto his shoulders for an adventure. Minimalist double-page-spread illustrations capture the characteristics of a curious young child.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2013

(4) K-3 Translated by Yuki Kaneko. Reteller and illustrator Sakai trims the Velveteen Rabbit's story--about a toy rabbit who becomes real through the love of a boy--to an overlong but readable picture book. Kaneko's translation from the Japanese is stiff, but Sakai's rough-textured full-page illustrations, which have the look of pastels, are a good match for the realistic and imaginative elements of the child-friendly story.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(2) PS Translated by Yuki Kaneko. Illustrated by Komako Sakai. A child, Yu, follows a butterfly into the meadow. Yu's (literal) immersion into the natural world is communicated through simple, experiential first-person text--"The wind blows, rustling the leaves. Swishh"--and expressionistic acrylic and oil-pencil illustrations in a palette of soft greens, browns, and blues. With her fascination with nature and her first steps into independence, Yu is a relatable, believable preschooler.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2011