Have you ever wondered what might happen if you eat too much… other than getting fat? In Kuishinbousagi, author and artist Keiko Sena tells a whimsical story of Usagi (meaning rabbit/bunny in Japanese) who falls deep into the ground and travels to the opposite side of the world, all because she eats a bit too much. The story is entirely a comedic fantasy. There’s no moral, it’s all for fun. It might get your child to eat a little more, and that’s if they decide to take a chance on the unknown journey underground (good luck with that)!
To start, this bunny adores food. The word kuishinbou that is used in the title means “foodie” in Japanese. She loves to eat and she unapologetically devours all of her friends’ food. Everyone eventually kicks her out of gatherings, leaving Usagi to feel left out. When a little girl named Na-chan finds Usagi all alone, she invites her over for a feast. After gobbling down all that is served to her, Usagi suddenly grows much larger and heavier. When she tries to walk herself home, her weight starts to sink into the earth and sends her to the opposite side of the earth.
The most comical part of this story (to me) is that this “opposite side of the earth” is a place that resembles a Latin American country, likely Mexico. There’s no mention of where Usagi originally was or where exactly she went. Only through symbolism of cactus and sombrero-like hats the author alludes that she possibly ended up in Latin America. Usagi, in her nonchalant thinking, decides that she’ll go home by recreating the same situation that got her there: By eating massive amounts of food. So she has her new friends make her pancakes, corn, and beans (I like to believe those “pancakes” were actually tortillas). Finally, the carefree bunny makes her way back to Na-chan’s house.
Author Keiko Sena has a series of books based on this silly bunny character, Usagi. While no proper name is given to this “Usagi” character, the consistency of this usagi’s happy-go-lucky personality shows that they’re all about the same bunny. With a cute, airheaded character and a storyline that is way beyond ordinary, this book is undoubtedly memorable and likable. Sena’s unique cut-out drawing style also adds to the whimsical sense of humor in her books. If you’re a fan of Henri Matisse’s cut-outs, you might be drawn to her illustration style. The story is simple and the illustration speaks a lot, so you can very much enjoy this book without having to read the words. Personally I’m also enjoying the texture of the material of paper used in this book. It’s a little bit rough, like you can almost feel the three dimensionality of Sena’s cut-outs. The next time you are in a search for a fun, easygoing book, this one just may be the perfect choice.
くいしんぼうさぎ
せな けいこ 作·絵
大変なことに「くいしんぼうさぎ」とキーボードで入力すると「食いしん坊詐欺」になってしまいました（笑）。それはさておき、今日はちょっと食べ過ぎたうさぎが主人公のお話を紹介したいと思います。特に何の教訓もない、ただユーモアを楽しむだけの本。これがせなけいこさんの描く世界だと言えるでしょう。
「うさぎ」は食べることが大好きです。好きすぎて、お友達のご飯も遠慮なく全部食べてしまうくらい。ついに誰にもお呼ばれされなくなったうさぎが悲しんでいるところに、なあちゃんという女の子が現れてたくさんご飯を御馳走してくれることになります。うさぎはたちまち大きくなり、帰り道にだんだん地面に沈んで地球の反対側まで行ってしまいます。その「地球の反対側」の景色とはラテンアメリカを思わせるもの。例えばサボテンやメキシコの伝統的な帽子のソンブレロ。おうちに帰りたい！と泣くのもつかの間。うさぎはすぐ「どうやって帰ろうかな～」とのんきに方法を考えます。そしてもう一度お腹いっぱい食べて来た道を帰ろうと思いつきます。地球の反対側で出会った見知らぬ人に大量のご飯を用意させるうさぎの行為こそが「食いしん坊詐欺」ですが···これでなあちゃんのおうちに無事帰れることになるのです。
せなけいこさんの絵本で何度も主人公となっている「うさぎ」。「めがねうさぎ」や「てんぷらおばけ」でも豪快な天然ぶりを発揮している最強のキャラの持ち主。何でやねん！とツッコミどころ満載ですが、どうしても憎めない愛嬌たっぷりの主人公です。せなさんの貼り絵スタイルがうさぎのゆる～いキャラにマッチしていて、絶妙な世界観に引き寄せられます。個人的には絵本自体の紙質も気になります。少し凸凹があるような、ツヤツヤではない紙。偶然なのか選び抜かれたものなのか分かりませんが、貼り絵のラフさを手にとって感じれるような気がします。何度読んでも癒されるこの本。今度「笑って一日を終えたい！」と思った時に「くいしんぼうさぎ」を手に取ってみてはどうでしょうか？
yomimas 