Chirri & Chirra, The Rainy Day
Kaya Doi, translated by David Boyd
One cloudy day, Chirri & Chirra decide to go out on their bicycles. Dring-dring, dring dring! It's already starting to rain. As is each of their adventures, this one is completely magical and full of wonder. It is also set in a world where, as if by magic (though perhaps it's the force of the creative imagination?), they always find what they need. Pedaling along, they discover a shop. What luck! The sign says it's only open on rainy days. How perfect. Chirri & Chirra order tea. Each is served tea with a bowl of sweet ice rocks. It's a shop for watching the rain while drinking tea! Later, when they feel as if they're floating, they discover that the rain is falling up, from below. They are sailing along on nothing less than upside down rain. And what do they discover in the upside-down rain? A happy scene, of course. Because their world is one of harmony, peace, lightness, and discovery. It is a vision of what life on earth––if we gave love and respect to all humans, animals, and the natural world––might be.
Born in Tokyo, Japan, Kaya Doi graduated with a degree in design from Tokyo Zokei University. She got her start in picture books by attending the Atosaki Juku Workshop, held at a Tokyo bookshop specializing in children's books. Since then she has created many picture books featuring her delicate color-pencil drawings. She lives in Chiba Prefecture and maintains a strong interest in environmental and animal welfare issues. Since the earthquake of 2011 she has been active in recovery and shelter efforts for abandoned pets. David Boyd is assistant professor of Japanese at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. His translations have appeared in Monkey Business International, Granta, and Words Without Borders, among other publications.
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