Sato the Rabbit, A Sea of Tea: A Sea of Tea
Created by Yuki Ainoya, translated by Michael Blaskowsky
The winsome Sato continues his magical adventures, traversing snowy landscapes and crossing a sea made of tea. Yet, no matter where he ventures, his participation in the natural world, and the magic that he finds within the ordinary, infuse each new day with possibility.
Selected for the Society of Illustrators 2022 Original Art Show
In this third installment of the whimsical series originally published in Japan, the titular Sato continues his adventures, exploring both expansive landscapes—snowy fields, forests, oceans made of tea—and tiny microcosms of worlds, found in unlikely places—like within a freshly-baked pie! In Sato's reality, which is in many ways similar to our own, seemingly commonplace occurrences are portals to new and fantastical experiences, and every object possesses an intrinsic magic and aliveness. Like all of the installments in the trilogy, this collection of vignettes reminds us to look closely at what is small and often overlooked, and to open ourselves to wonder.
Born in Yokohama, Yuki Ainoya studied Japanese painting at the Tama Art University Faculty of Art and Design. She was the winner of the the Crayon House Children’s Book Grand Prize in 1990 and the 12th Japanese Children’s Book Award in 2007 for the original Japanese edition of Sato the Rabbit (Shogakukan). In her spare time, she likes playing the accordion and hula dancing.A Seattle native with a life-long connection to Japan, Michael Blaskowsky spent seven years living on the Japanese island of Hokkaido after graduating from Eastern Washington University. His translations cover a wide range of topics, with a focus on literature, the arts, gaming, and the sciences.