“14 Forest Mice” is a book series that is very popular in Japan and many European countries, celebrating the beauty of everyday life and the experiences of three generations of a mouse family: grandma, grandpa, mom, dad, and a dozen little mice.
In the book “14 Forest Mice: Washing Day,” the family heads to a cool stream with baskets of laundry on a hot summer day. Doing the wash turns into a real adventure—involving teamwork, swimming, and even heroic feats, as the stream has a swift current and dangerous waterfalls! The summer day is filled with beauty: dewdrops drip from leaves, cicadas buzz, and fluffy clouds drift across the high sky. “Dry, little laundry, in the blue sky. Dry in the green wind.”
Iwamura’s books resemble miniature dollhouses where you want to examine and touch every detail, and every small event is imbued with a truly Japanese philosophy of appreciating life in every moment.
Author: Kazuo Iwamura
Translator: Elena Baibikova
Pages: 40 (offset paper). Hardcover
Dimensions: 210x300 mm
