Nissan Promotes Children’s Literature

Japanese carmaker Nissan announced that it will publish two winning works from the 25th "Nissan Children's Storybook and Picture Book Grand Prix" held in 2008. According to Nissan, the published books are Tetsu no Kirin no Umi Watari (Iron Giraffe Crosses the Sea) by Miyuki Asaba and Taifuu ga Kuru (Typhoon is Coming) by Akiko Miyakoshi.

The Typhoon is coming book is the winner of the Picture book category and was illustrated by Shoji Ishizaki, a previous Special Prize winner from the Picture Book category, while the Iron Giraffe Crosses the Sea book won the Children's Storybook category. Both books will be priced at 1,300 Japanese yen.

Nissan will donate copies of these books to about 3,300 libraries across Japan and about 700 local nursery schools and kindergartens located near Nissan offices. Beginning with the first Grand Prix in 1984, the company has donated up to 160,000 books nationwide.

Submissions for this year's 26th Nissan Children's Storybook and Picture Book Grand Prix ended on October 31. The award ceremony will be held in March 2010 at the Nissan Global Headquarters, Nishi-ku, Yokohama city.

This initiative is part of the company’s Blue Citizenship activities, which range global issues as the environmental protection to contribution to communities, promoting diversity and making personal mobility available to as many people as possible.

The Iron Giraffe Crosses the Sea summary: A boy separated from his mother climbs up the back of an "iron giraffe" at the port. The boy and the "iron giraffe", whom he fondly calls Grandfather, embark on an adventurous journey across the seas to be reunited with his mother.

The Typhoon is coming summary: A boy and his family plans a trip to the sea the next day but the arrival of a typhoon is about to ruin the planned trip. Wishing for better weather, the boy goes to bed and dreams… A monochrome-style story with bold composition, Nissan says...