Areta’s stories:
Children’s book telling the story of significant moments in the life of a Japanese boy named Areta
The book is in Kazakh language and tells the story of significant moments in the life of a boy named Areta during the period when he and his family live in Fukushima and witness the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster and its consequences.
The stories in the book shed light on the most significant events that take place in the boy’s life both before and during the Fukushima incident, such as those related to his family, school, finding a true friend in a dog, an eventful trip to Tokyo and falling in love with a girl named Hanako.
The stories are told from the perspective of the main character so that readers can experience all of his feelings and emotions throughout the book themselves. The stories are not deprived of a certain amount of melancholy and gloominess in the most tense and difficult situations for the main character, but at the same time there is a lot of tenderness, light and warmth shown in stories and illustrations both that the child can experience in life while meeting new people and exploring the world around him.
All illustrations are made in gentle colors. It seems to me that this is a good way for depicting moments in the life of a child who feels and cares deeply about everything around him just like Areta in this book. Also there are many light and colourful illustrations in the book that follow all the moments that seem bright and cheerful for the main character.
While reading this story you may have a wide range of different emotions, rejoicing and sympathising with the boy that goes through his own experiences at such a young age.
Thank you!
