YOKOHAMA, Japan – Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. today announced the winners of the 34th Nissan Children's Storybook and Picture Book Grand Prix competition, organized by the International Institute for Children's Literature, Osaka.
Tomoko Shoji of Hyogo Prefecture won the Storybook Grand Prize for “Buu Buu Mama” (“Oink Oink Mama”). Wadaai of Fukuoka Prefecture won the Picture Book Grand Prize for “Koguma no Aarii to Akai-Boushi” (“A Bear Cub Named Early and the Red Hat”).
The competition attracted 2,993 entries from amateur authors and illustrators between July and October last year, comprising 2,508 children's storybooks and 485 picture books. The program is part of Nissan's corporate citizenship activities.
“Buu Buu Mama” is about a boy and his mother, who has been transformed into a pig by a spell. The judges praised the author’s humorous depiction of love within a family, in a story of magic that turns into reality. In “Koguma no Aarii to Akai-Boushi,” a bear cub finds a red hat, and he and his father endeavor to return the hat to its owner. The judges cited the beauty of the book’s elaborate pictures.
In addition to the Grand Prize winners, three storybooks and two picture books received Special Prizes, and 20 storybooks and 10 picture books received Prizes for Excellence.
Grand Prize and Special Prize winners will receive cash and commemorative goods. Nissan will distribute leaflets introducing prize-winning works at Nissan Galleries throughout Japan, and the two Grand Prize winners will be published by BL Publishing Co., Ltd. in December.
The Nissan Children's Storybook and Picture Book Grand Prix aims to help develop children’s imagination and creativity. It commemorates the 1984 opening of the International Institute for Children's Literature, Osaka, which is Japan's first comprehensive center for international children's literature. By publishing the winning works, the competition gives talented amateur authors and illustrators the opportunity to take their work professional. More than 114,000 entries have been received in the 34 years since the start of the program, and 61 books have been published.
Over the years, Nissan has donated more than 230,000 books to approximately 3,500 libraries and 800 child care facilities across Japan, as well as to Japanese schools and Japanese language schools overseas. Nissan has also conducted initiatives related to children and books, such as storybook readings at the Nissan Global Headquarters Gallery in Yokohama.
Blue Citizenship:
Blue Citizenship is the commitment of Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. to realize our vision of Enriching People's Lives. We commit to our customers, shareholders, employees and the communities where we do business to deliver engaging, valuable and sustainable mobility for all. Through our business activities, we aim to create economic value and to actively contribute toward the development of a sustainable society.
Related Links:
CSR website https://www.nissan-global.com/EN/CSR/
Corporate Citizenship Activities website https://www.nissan-global.com/EN/CITIZENSHIP/
Contact
Koji Okuda or Nicholas Maxfield
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nissan_japan_communications@mail.nissan.co.jp
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