The Flower Buds: Tsubomi

"The Flower Buds: Tsubomi" is a cute story between two mice who try raising beautiful flowers. Both mice love the flower so much, but their way to express their affection is exactly opposite. One mouse is so eager and committed that one day it started something the other mouse has never thought of... A heartwarming yet powerful story for those who cannot stop worrying about the future. This Japanese - English bilingual children's book is a perfect gift for parents who want to foster the reading time with their children in Japanese, English, or both! Age range: 3 - 6 years old.

Little ones, as well as parents, will learn that they cannot rush things that need time to grow. This book also reminds us a surprisingly great outcome may appear when we embrace the diversity.

Yuichi Amano was born and grew up in Yokohama, Japan. Just like one of the mice in this book, Yuichi has been trying very hard to control the things matter to him. But the more he tried to control, the more he failed. There have been cases his intolerance of a minor issue ended up spoiling the entire thing. Yuichi is trying not to repeat the same mistake in raising his son. He remembers there were many cases things turned around, once he stopped trying to control everything. 'The flower buds' is Yuichi's second children's book, following his first book 'My dad's hat'. Yuichi lives with his wife, son, and dog in Seattle, Washington.Hiroko Nagatomo was born in Miyazaki in South of Japan. Having grown up both next to the forest and in close proximity to parks, her love of the outdoors grew tremendously. Throughout her life, Hiroko has always been fascinated by images and how the world is represented through the eyes of others. The interest was cultivated during her teenage years and further developed Bachelor degree in oil painting at Musashino Art university in Tokyo. Hiroko is also a trained art teacher. She started a private art school in Yokohama in 1977. She collaborated with handicapped children/people to have art shows and art events. Hiroko lives and works in Seattle.