What child wouldn't love that?! I recommend this one to anyone looking for entertaining new picture-books with a gentle but engrossing story and beautiful artwork. There is a feeling here, facilitated by both text and image, of stepping into another world - a happy, refreshingly green, reassuringly safe world, with plenty of good things to eat, and amiable animals to befriend. Kudos to Brooklyn-based Enchanted Lion Books for having it translated! The illustrations here are just lovely, whether depicting the eponymous heroines in a wider forest scene, or just focusing on particular objects, such as the treats the girls obtain at the establishments they visit. Author/artist Kaya Doi is apparently quite well known in her native country, but this marks her debut (as far as I know) in English. So too is their night, as they check into the forest hotel and enjoy a nighttime concert, singing along with the other guests.Īn absolute delight of a book, Chirri & Chirra features exactly the kind of gentle, matter-of-factly fantastic adventure that I have come to associate with Japanese picture-books. From the fox who waits upon them at the forest cafe, to the raccoon who serves them at the forest bakery, the two girls' day is spent surrounded by woodland creatures. Everywhere they go, every establishment they visit, is staffed and patronized by animals. To whom would you recommend this book? For readers who enjoy gentle, cozy forays of the imagination.Chirri and Chirra set off on their bicycles for a day of enchanted adventures in the green forest in this charming Japanese picture-book. This Japanese import is seventh in a winning series and I have loved each one. The arrival of a new Chirri & Chirra book is always. It’s a sweet, gentle story where kindness abounds. Illustration by Kaya Doi from Chirri & Chirra: The Rainy Day. It’s a small book, longer than it is wide, which allows panoramic views of the little girls on their bikes traversing the terrain of their imagination. The colored pencil art creates a softly glowing, magical landscape of friendly animals and sweet treats. As the girls pedal away they begin to float, and discover that they are riding through the clouds on top of upside down rain! More adventures follow in this “wonderful day in the rain,” until Chirri and Chirra float down gently after eating magical gumdrops which turn into balloons. They encounter a shop in the forest which is only open on rainy days where they sip teas and eat frozen raindrop candy. The sound of their bicycle bells -“Dring-dring, dring-dring!”- is the signal that their adventure begins. It’s a cloudy day and Chirri and Chirra decide to go for a ride. What did you like about the book? Two little identical girls (sisters? besties?) have an epic bicycle journey of the imagination. Rating: 1-5 (5 is an excellent or a Starred review) 5

Chirri & Chirra by Kaya Doi