The winner of the first "TSUTAYA Picture Book Award" is "The Bread Thief"! Awards Ceremony Report

2020.10.29 Press Releases
TSUTAYA BOOKS Co., Ltd.

--Mother Natsuko Yokozawa, a first-year mother, and Taketo, a qualified childcare worker, will be guest guests--

TSUTAYA BOOKS Co., Ltd. held the first TSUTAYA Picture Book Awards, an award ceremony to announce the winners of which was held on Thursday, October 29th at Daikanyama TSUTAYA Bookstore (Shibuya-ku, Tokyo), with the aim of "nurturing works that will still be read 50 years from now at TSUTAYA." The Grand Prize went to "The Bread Thief" (author: Keiko Shibata/publisher: KADOKAWA), and the Newcomer's Prize went to "A Letter in Sky Blue" (author: Hiromi Nagashima/publisher: Iwasaki Shoten).

At the awards ceremony, the top 10 winning titles and the Newcomer Award winner, selected by all staff involved in children's books at TSUTAYA BOOKS, were announced, and the works selected as first place and the Newcomer Award winner were presented with awards. This award was established for the first time this year, and to commemorate this, the award ceremony featured Taketo, who holds numerous childcare-related qualifications, including as a nursery school teacher, as the MC, and Natsuko Yokozawa, who became a mother this year, as the guest. The two authors livened up the award ceremony by sharing their impressions after reading the winning works and what kind of picture books they would like to read to their own children. The winning works will be displayed in a corner in the book section of TSUTAYA stores nationwide from Friday, October 30th.

What is the "TSUTAYA Picture Book Award"?

The books were selected from picture books published in the past year by staff in charge of children's books at TSUTAYA bookstores across the country, with the hope of nurturing works at TSUTAYA that will be read for and passed down to their own children and that will still be read 50 years from now. This is a picture book award that aims to promote the winning works by displaying them in stores and developing them into long-selling books in the future.

Comment from Natsuko Yokozawa
I've always loved picture books and read them often. My child is now 8 months old, and I aim to read three books a day to him, which helps me feel at ease. I would be happy if my work were to be published in the "TSUTAYA Picture Book Awards" and I would be able to discover new picture books that I had never known about before.

Taketo's comment
Fifty years from now, "The Bread Thief," which won the grand prize at the 1st TSUTAYA Picture Book Awards, may become a picture book that is still talked about today. I would love for all parents to read all of the winning works this year! Picture books make great gifts, so I hope you will pick one up.

Comment from Keiko Shibata, author of "Bread Thief"

Comment from Hiromi Nagashima, author of "Sky-colored Letter"

Materials related to this matter

The winner of the first "TSUTAYA Picture Book Award" is "The Bread Thief"! Awards Ceremony Report

Inquiries regarding this matter
TSUTAYA BOOKS Co., Ltd. Public Relations: 03-6800-4764 / tsutaya_pr@ccc.co.jp